ESA Open Invitation To Tender AO8714
Open Date: 01/08/2016
Closing Date: 26/09/2016 13:00:00

Status: ISSUED
Reference Nr.: 16.1ET.01
Prog. Ref.: GSTP Period 6 E1 PRJ
Budget Ref.: E/0904-611 – GSTP Period 6 E1 PRJ
Special Prov.: DE+PT
Tender Type: C
Price Range: > 500 KEURO
Products: Satellites & Probes / RF / Microwave Communication (Platform and Payloads) / Receivers / “Navigation Receivers *See AOCS & GNC – Single-frequency (Platform/Low-end missions) – Multiple-frequency (Science mission/high-end missions)”/Launchers / Avionics / On-Board Computers / *See Software
Technology Domains: RF Systems, Payloads and Technologies / Radio Navigation Systems/Subsystems / Navigation System Tool s/RF Systems, Payloads and Technologies / Radio Navigation Systems/Subsystems / Onboard Receivers / RF Systems, Payloads and Technologies / Radio Navigation Systems/Subsystems / Formation-flying RF metrology
Establishment: ESTEC
Directorate: Directorate of Technical & Quality Management
Department: Electrical Engineering Department
Division: RF Payload Systems Division
Contract Officer: Fabrizi, Lavinia
Industrial Policy Measure: N/A – Not apply
Last Update Date: 01/08/2016
Update Reason: Tender issue

Software-defined receivers are based on the usage of software on general purpose processors versus usage of custom made ASICs. S/W-defined receivers are conceived as architectures with minimum dedicated hardware and maximum allocation of the receiver functions on software. S/W-defined receivers present the advantages of compactness, low recurrent cost and high re-configurability and flexibility. They provide a cost effective and efficient use of computing resources on-board (shared among different “S/W instruments”).They are valid for general purpose functions, e.g. Orbit determination in LEO. On the other hand, S/W-defined receivers require high computation power of the hosting processor and this push for adaptation/tuning of the algorithms in order to be handled by current space qualified technology. Software-defined receivers have been a topic in terrestrial communications in the last two decades and have been subject to intense research and commercial activity in the GNSS field over the last 5 years for terrestrial applications (mainly experimentation). The use of S/W-defined Rxs in terrestrial communications and radio-navigation equipment is significantly increasing, and have been adopted in other Space Programs (e.g. NASA S/W-defined radio open architecture) as a new paradigm of generic (cost effective) payload design. This activity will cover the definition, development and testing of the GNSS SW defined receiver architecture, and the demonstration of its capabilities by means of available suitable laboratory GNSS RF Signal Generators (Radio Frequency Constellation Simulator) able to simulate space users.

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