Radio frequency (RF) systems in space are usually designed for a single application and are thus mostly limited in re-configuration capabilities, e.g. by software-defined adaption of the signal processing in field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA) or digital signal processors (DSP) . The RF properties of such systems (e.g. frequency band selection) are tailored to the specific application and are not adaptable. Latest developed RF integrated circuit (RFIC) technologies which are commercially available and commonly used the in mobile service market allow a software-based re-configuration of various RF specifications. This flexibility would be a huge benefit for future radio systems. With such technologies, the implementation and operation of numerous RF applications on a single radio platform becomes feasible, which is of great interest for space industry due to the resulting reduction of size, mass or required power. Those COTS-based RFICs are currently rarely available on market and not space-qualified. Previous investigations were made by the author with respect to radiation effects on a promising and unique RFIC device, the AD9361 [1].
The results are the first and only ones being published so far [2-4] and showed a very robust performance under radiation conditions. The interest of such results is tremendous since plenty of space missions are using such component in their RF system. The same manufacturer of the investigated AD9361 has now released a new generation of RFICs (such as the ADRV9009 [5]) with better performance and higher bandwidth capabilities, allowing the implementation of high data throughput systems. Based on the experiences gained on the radiation effects characterization of the AD9361, the developed complex test methodologies that were required and the great interest by the space community and industry, the investigation of the new released wideband RFIC devices under radiation conditions is proposed.
