Tag Archives: jpl

Delivery: JPL CRISTAL/CIMR Digital Backend Design

October 24, 2022 – Design review passed and final delivery released to JPL for the multi-mission (CRISTAL & CIMR) digital back-end (DBE) engineering model hardware.

This compact module, destined for space flight, carries an FPGA, two high performance ADCs, a standalone processor and a full compliment of memories and interfaces.

It was a pleasure working with Kayla Nguyen and Robert Jarnot on the program. We’re looking forward to working together again in the future!

Program Update: CRISTAL/CIMR DBE Schematics

September 6, 2022 – Customer schematic review passed! This particular design is for a space-based radiometer digital backend. The hardware contains four 3.2 GSPS ADC channels, JESD interfaces linking the ADCs to an FPGA, Xilinx’s Kintex KU060, microprocessor, telemetry, spacecraft/instrument interfaces and a full complement of support components.

This design is our second centered around the KU060 targeting Class D missions, though this particular unit has been designed to also serve higher mission classes when greater reliability is needed.

Now on to layout…

Contract Award: JPL VISAR Onboard Processor

August 1, 2022 – Wide Swath Research was awarded a contract by NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory to develop the firmware for the Venus Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (VISAR) onboard processor. We’re very excited to contribute to this important science, to play a part in the international development team and to have our footprint on a Venus mission!

VISAR is one of the instruments on the upcoming Venus Emissivity, Radio science, InSAR, Topography, And Spectroscopy (VERITAS) mission.

Oh yeah… and we’re also excited to work with some former colleagues like Ernie Chuang (and maybe even Dragana Perkovic-Martin)

Contract Award: JPL CIMR/CRISTAL Programs

June 22, 2022 – Wide Swath Research was awarded a contract by NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory to design an engineering model (EM) for the Spectrometer Digital Backend (DBE) suitable for both Copernicus Imaging Microwave Radiometer (CIMR) and Copernicus Polar Ice and Snow Topography Altimeter (CRISTAL) programs.

Below are links with details on each program:

Once again, we’re very excited to be contributing to such important science!