Pentek will ship a more powerful version of its software radio transceiver, it says. The Model 7142 will offer more processing power and RAM than the earlier Model 7140. It will ship in several add-in card formats, and support Linux initially, followed by Windows and VxWorks.

(Click for slightly larger view of Model 7142)

Pentek says the Model 7142 will be suitable for IF (intermediate frequency) or RF (radio frequency) communication systems. It will ship in form factors that include PCI, 3U and 6U CompactPCI, and conduction-cooled PMC (processor mezzanine card).

Model 7142 architecture diagram
(Click to enlarge)
Touted features include:

• Dual Virtex-4 FPGAs provide configurable DSP and high-speed interfaces
  • Factory-installed, pre-programmed functions include transient capture, advanced triggering modes, waveform playback, and control and programming interfaces to other on-board resources
  • Can be customized using Pentek's GateFlow tools
• 768 MB memory buffers data for digital delay and transient capture
• Four 14-bit A/Ds operate at 125 MHz sample rate
• XMC I/O delivers data streams over gigabit serial fabrics
• Built-in sync bus enables multiple-board synchronization

Additionally, up to 80 Model 7142 boards can be configured to operate synchronously, using a Pentek Model 9190 Clock and Sync Generator, Pentek says.

Pentek VP Rodger Hosking stated, “The Model 7142 is a successor to our popular Model 7140 for customers with demanding applications who need more of everything. We see customers dealing with more complex waveforms, more channels in radar and beam forming applications, and communication systems with wider bandwidths. These market forces drive the need for better DSP processing performance, high-speed interconnects, and increased data sampling rates. With four 125 MHz A/D converters coupled to two powerful Virtex-4 FPGAs, the Model 7142 offers an excellent solution.”

“These Virtex-4 FPGAs represent major performance improvements for the user,” noted Hosking. “They take advantage of jumps in technology with reduced power consumption, higher clock rates, more than twice as many DSP slices, and significantly enhanced DSP slice functions.”

Availability

Availability details were not disclosed.

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