News and New Products

Digital downconverter expands transceiver bandwidth

By Warren Webb, Technical Editor -- EDN, 7/27/2007

With signal-intelligence, radar and communications-systems applications in mind, Pentek recently released the Model 7140-420 dual digital transceiver with an integral FGPA-based digital downconverter and interpolation filter. The module is a complete software radio system in a PMC/XMC form factor and features two ADCs and two DACs for direct connection to high- and intermediate-frequency ports. The module handles a range of input- and output-signal bandwidths from 4.8 kHz to 40 MHz, allowing signal-intelligence users to easily move from an 8-kHz-bandwidth voiceband signal in one application to a 10-MHz cell-phone signal in the next. Pentek supports libraries, device drivers, and software-development tools for PCs running Windows 2000/XP or Linux operating systems and PowerPCs running VxWorks, Linux, or eCos operating systems. Prices start at $11,995, and delivery is eight to 10 weeks.