RF Signal Recorder Meets Beamforming and Radar Needs

June 2, 2021

Pentek’s latest rugged signal recorder records RF frequencies on 8 phase-coherent channels to 6 GHz with bandwidths to 80 MHz while leveraging a 3.2-GB/s real-time aggregate recording rate and 122 TB of storage.

David Maliniak

Related To: Microwaves & RF

This article appeared in Microwaves & RF and has been published here with permission.

In its new Talon Model RTR 2628 RF signal recorder, Pentek (recently acquired by Mercury Systems) offers a spectrum-monitoring tool aimed squarely at beamforming, direction finding, phased-array radars, and multi-antenna diversity receivers. The 4U 19-in. rackmount recorder with integrated RF tuners and analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) accepts signals from eight antennas to provide eight channels of phase-coherent RF signal recording. Each channel is tunable up to 6 GHz and captures up to 80 MHz of instantaneous bandwidth.

Each input channel includes a 250-MHz, 16-bit ADC and an FPGA-based digital down-converter with programmable decimations from 2 to 65536 for instantaneous bandwidths from 80 MHz down to 3 kHz. RF signals up to 6 GHz in frequency can be tuned, sampled, digitally down-converted, and streamed to disk in real-time at sustained aggregate recording rates up to 3.2 GB/s. RF tuning frequencies, A/D sampling rates, DDC decimations, and trigger settings are among the selectable system parameters.

The RTR 2628 is configured with hot-swap data drives, front-panel USB ports, and I/O connectors on the rear panel. It’s optimized for cooling and ruggedized to operate in challenging environments. Systems are scalable to accommodate multiple chassis to increase phase-coherent channel counts and aggregate data rates. All recorder chassis are connected via Ethernet and can be controlled from a single GUI either locally or from a remote PC.

Up to 32 hot-swappable SSDs provide flexible storage capacities up to 122 TB. The 2.5-in. SSDs can be easily removed or exchanged during a mission to retrieve recorded data. Multiple RAID levels, including 0, 5, and 6, provide a choice for the required level of redundancy.

All Talon recorders are built on a Microsoft Windows platform and include Pentek’s SystemFlow software, featuring a GUI (graphical user interface), Signal Viewer and API (Application Programming Interface). The GUI provides intuitive controls for out-of-the-box turn-key operation using point-and-click configuration management.

Pentek offers a free trial package of its Talon Recording System Simulator for evaluation of the SystemFlow software package. The RTR 2628 RF signal recorder is available for delivery in 16 weeks ARO.

About the Author

David Maliniak | MWRF Executive Editor

In his long career in the B2B electronics-industry media, David Maliniak has held editorial roles as both generalist and specialist. As Components Editor and, later, as Editor in Chief of EE Product News, David gained breadth of experience in covering the industry at large. In serving as EDA/Test and Measurement Technology Editor at Electronic Design, he developed deep insight into those complex areas of technology. Most recently, David worked in technical marketing communications at Teledyne LeCroy. David earned a B.A. in journalism at New York University.