This article appeared in Microwaves & RF and has been published here with permission.
The Overview
Mercury Systems launched its DRF3182 Direct RF Processing Module, the first standard product purpose-built for the aerospace and defense industry that leverages Intel’s new Stratix 10 AX SoC field-programmable gate array (FPGA).
Who Needs It & Why?
Designed for radar and electronic-warfare (EW) applications, the DRF3182 with Direct RF technology can enhance a wide range of applications including software-defined radio and communications. Considering today’s rapidly evolving threat environment, advanced processing capabilities need to be deployed at the tactical edge. Mercury’s collaboration with Intel ensures that modern EW and radar systems can provide a decision advantage to U.S. and allied forces and make the world a safer, more secure place.
Unlike traditional systems that use costly analog frequency-conversion hardware, direct RF technology allows for the direct processing of broadband signals. This streamlined architecture reduces the total system size and cost while increasing flexibility.
Under the Hood
Mercury’s DRF3182 Direct RF Processing Module features:
- Four 10-bit ADC channels and four 10-bit DAC channels at 51.2 Gsamples/s
- Intel Stratix 10 AX-Series SoC FPGA
- Ku-band range from 2 to 18 GHz
- Six 100GigE data-plane interfaces for an aggregate throughput rate of 75 Gb/s
- 3U OpenVPX form factor
The DRF3182 Direct RF Processing Module is now available for commercial order.