Virtual Lab
LaboratoryPrototyping
The National Instruments (NI) infrastructure available at IntraSAT-Tech allows rapid wireless system prototyping. The SDR NI USRP modules combined with LabVIEW provide a flexible, cost-effective development platform that supports the implementation of a reconfigurable RF frontend composed of multiple synchronized Tx/Rx modules. The platform can be used for the development and testing of various algorithms and system architectures, allowing the customization of the solution to meet the application requirements. The NI testbed includes:
- 8 NI USRPs, model 2954R (10MHz - 6GHz, up to 160MHz instantaneous BW, up to 200MS/s).
- An NI PXIe-8880 controller (16 core Intel (Xeon) CPU processor @2.3GHz, 24GB RAM).
- A synchronization subsystem (an NI CDA-2990 Octoclock and a USRP N2900).
- The NI LabVIEW Communication System Design Suite 2.0 and MIMO Application Framework that can be integrated with MATLAB for complementary signal processing.
Mechanical Engineering
Precision machine design.
Computational and simulation methods used to ensure the reliability and robustness of mechanical systems.
Manufacturing process, product design and development for mechanical systems. Tools: DMC 1035Veco Machining centre, CNC CTX 510 Ecoline, CadAdventure Creo 7.0.
Systems Testing Capability
The global concept of the technique developed within INCDTIM Cluj Napoca.
Electronics and computer science
Design of data acquisition and process control systems.
System modeling and evaluation software for processes with high order transfer functions.
Custom PCB prototypes designed for cryogenic system setup under high vacuum control used at the 13C isotope separation plant.
Computer board designed to ensure self-monitoring of the solar tracking system for Fresnel lens solar concentrators.
A prototype for a custom encryption platform developed based on RSA algorithm implementation.
Design of application specific IP cores for signal processing, automation and control using VHDL.
Design of digital hardware architectures for algorithms parallelization.
Behavioral and post place and route simulation of Ip cores. Series: Signals and Communication Technology
Offers numerous applicative examples developed within INCDTIM, making the text easily understandable.
Design and simulation of physical processes for accurate quantitative predictions of fluid dynamics, optical systems performance, thermal and electrical effects in complex systems.
Design and implementation of image processing algorithms for image enhancement, image segmentation, features extraction using PDE, neural networks, mathematical morphology, clustering procedures.
Implementation of both coding and decoding algorithms for high-throughput wireless communication, aiming error correction and secured data transmission.
Simulations for aerospace applications: thermo-mechanical, vibration analysis, stress analysis, crack propagation, stress intensity factor, cfd study of jet impingement, etc.
And an example of image processing workflow for oil slick detection using satellite imagery
Intra-satellite communications
IntraSAT-Tech uses a set of professional STARDundee instruments to simulate, develop and test SpW communication networks for spacecrafts. The SpW testbed includes a SpaceWire EGSE Device simulator (as the PDHU emulator), a SpaceWire-USB Brick Mk3 (as the CDHU emulator), a SpaceWire Link Analyser Mk2, and several SpW Laboratory Cables (1.5m).
Moreover, the IntraSAT-Tech team has acquired the necessary expertise to replace the wired SpW links with wireless ones (UWB or high throughput), ensuring the necessary data conversion by means of SpW-to/from-UART, SpW-to/from-PCIe, or SpW-to/from-Ethernet bridges. Two FMC SpaceWire Boards (SpW Interface) and two Xilinx Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoC ZCU102 FPGA Boards are used to ensure the connectivity and data conversion between the SpW equipment and the radio modules.
To test the performance in highly reflective environment, a satellite mockup is also available at IntraSAT-Tech.
Smart antenna systems development
IntraSAT-Tech provides the necessary know-how and infrastructure (hardware and software) for the design, development, and testing of smart antenna systems, including EM simulation and design of radiant elements, system integration, and complex algorithm development (direction finding and beamforming).
Advanced atmospheric channel modelling
Several instruments are installed at IntraSAT-Tech to monitor, record, and assess radio signal propagation in various frequency bands.
NovAtel GPStation-6, a professional GNSS receiver, is used for ionospheric scintillation and total electron content monitoring. The measured parameters can be used in the development of ionospheric propagation models for HF transmissions.
A Q/V band receiver operating at 39GHz is installed to monitor the Alphasat TDP#5 beacon, while the Davis Vantage Pro2 weather station provides precise weather information. The corelated propagation and weather data are used to develop a Q/V band channel model for the climate of Cluj-Napoca.
Radio Network Planning
Network simulation is a cost-effective way to develop the early stages of network centric systems. IntraSAT-Tech employs QualNet Developer 6.1 to design protocols, create and animate network scenarios, and analyze the performance of satellite, cellular, metropolitan, local, and sensors networks.
For a more realistic approach, EXata 4.2. network emulator is used to inject real traffic in the designed simulated networks and evaluate their behavior.
A custom satellite library is used to simulate outage events and traffic management for smart site diversity in high throughput satellite systems.
Space surveillance and tracking
In close collaboration with BITNET CCSS, IntraSAT-Tech has developed an SDR-based multifeed reception system that increases the field of view and detection probability in space surveillance and tracking. The solution can be employed for general satellite tracking or in bi-static and multi-static radar systems.
Electromagnetic Compatibility Testing
A state-of-art platform for wireless communications and RF test and measurements is available at IntraSAT-Tech including professional Rohde&Schwarz instrumentation, such as: FPC1000 Spectrum analyzer, ZVL13 Vector Network Analyzer, RTO2064 oscilloscope, RTC1002 oscilloscope, TS-EMF EMF Measurement System.