RxPander Project

A VHF/UHF to 5MHz Down Converter Board

Update (2014-07-14) -- Starting Re-layout board to be able to use shield over RF components.

Update (2014-08-08) -- Rev 2 was a bust.  The shield did not help with spurs.  It appears they are coming from the power planes and radiation from 10MHz clock traces.

New Rev 3 layout attempts to bury clock lines inbetween ground planes and beads to all power pins. Also changed the DDS clock to LVDS balanced drive to try and improve phase noise.  Changed all connectors to SMA.  Filters all logic signals going to RF section.  If this doesn't work then the project willl be abandoned.

                                                2014 SVHFS Conference Presentation  (3.6M .pdf)

• Input 40 to 1700MHz and converts to 5MHz IF Frequency
• USB Virtual Serial port supplies power and frequency control
• 8MHz IF Bandwidth
• ~1Hz Frequency Resolution
• External 10MHz reference option
• <10dB NF
• ~65dB Image rejection

In Hammond Case

Example Uses

Using RxPander with SDR-IQ Client-Server over Internet:
Atlanta Area Weather Stations and a Military Satellite

                          

Passive Aircraft Radar Using HDTV Channel 32 ATSC Pilot signal just over the horizon:

• Re-layout to reduce cost and add RF shield (2014-7-20)