December 14, 2024

This Week in Amateur Radio

North America's Premiere Amateur Radio News Magazine

Fobos SDR Is a High Quality Radio for Hobbyists, Researchers, and Professionals

There are a variety of software-defined radio devices currently on the market, each with its own advantage. For instance, some devices trade off performance for lower cost and provide users with hardware that is a good entry point to begin experimenting with SDR topics. On the other hand, higher quality devices are available that offer high-end performance but come at a higher cost. Another alternative has arrived on the scene looking to strike an optimal balance between cost and performance: the Fobos SDR, designed by Rig Expert, a small company created by four Ukrainian radio amateurs.

There are a variety of software-defined radio devices currently on the market, each with its own advantage. For instance, some devices trade off performance for lower cost and provide users with hardware that is a good entry point to begin experimenting with SDR topics. On the other hand, higher quality devices are available that offer high-end performance but come at a higher cost. Another alternative has arrived on the scene looking to strike an optimal balance between cost and performance: the Fobos SDR, designed by Rig Expert, a small company created by four Ukrainian radio amateurs.

(📷: rigexpert.com)

The SDR covers a frequency range of 100KHz to 6GHz. This is accomplished through a direct sampling receiver architecture for frequencies from 100KHz to 25MHz and a double conversion heterodyne architecture to cover frequencies 25MHz to 6GHz. The radio features three SMA connectors to interface the radio to antennas. Two connect to the direct conversion circuitry while the other routes to the heterodyne circuitry. The key circuits that make up the radio are RFFC5072 mixer and integrated synthesizer, MAX2830 direct conversion transceiver, and LTC2143 14-bit ADC. Furthermore, the ADC is sampled at 50MSPS allowing an output IQ sample rate of up to 50MHz. The radio boasts a frequency stability of +/-0.5ppm and has two additional SMA connectors for 10MHz clock output or 10MHz clock input.

Read more – Hackster: https://bit.ly/4bZgmBB