Matchstiq, ricentrans wide band SDR per monitoraggio e testing

E' ormai irreversibile l'adozione del modello software defined radio nella creazione di nuovi sistemi di ricetrasmissione, misurazione, analisi della radiofrequenza. La società americana Epiq Solutions ha appena annunciata una soluzione di ridottissime dimensioni che si chiama Matchstiq ("fiammifero"). Si tratta di un ricetrasmettitore wide band che copre da 300 MHz a 3,8 GHz ed è stato progettato per diverse applicazioni di sorveglianza, testing e misura, per esempio nel campo della telefonia radiomobile 3G/LTE (scaricatevi il pdf con le specifiche). Al cuore di questo incredibile sistema una FPGA Xilink Spartan e un processore TI Cortex integrati in un modulo messo a punto da un'altra azienda, iVeia.

I fondatori di Epiq provengono dal mondo universitario, una dimostrazione delle interessanti opportunità che possono derivare oggi da una accurato interfacciamento tra competenze accumulate in ambiti accademici avanzati e il mercato delle alte tecnologie. Per una nazione come l'Italia un esempio molto stimolante da seguire.Unico difetto, dal punto di vista hobbystico, è il prezzo intorno ai 4.500 dollari, ma è facile prevedere una rapida curva di abbassamento dei costi per questo tipo di componentistica e di logica cablata.

Epiq Solutions Announces First Handheld Software Defined Radio

Schaumburg, IL, November 1, 2011 – Epiq Solutions, an engineering firm specializing in the development of flexible wireless communications systems, has announced Matchstiq, the world's smallest commercially available software defined radio (SDR) capable of tuning between 300 MHz and 3.8 GHz. Measuring only 2.2” x 4.6” x 0.9”, Matchstiq combines a broadband RF transceiver with a flexible baseband processing engine running the Linux operating system.

“The introduction of Matchstiq marks the start of the next chapter in mobile computing, where the flexibility of the software now extends all the way to the antenna,” noted John Orlando, CEO of Epiq Solutions. “We believe this paradigm shift in capability will open up entirely new markets where fixed function radios have ruled the airwaves for far too long.” Matchstiq includes an Atlas-I-LPe computer module developed by iVeia Inc, which combines a Xilinx Spartan-6 LX45 FPGA with a Texas Instruments 1 GHz ARM Cortex-A8 processor running the 2.6.35 Linux kernel. This enables a wide range of advanced signal processing tasks to execute on the platform while consuming as little as 3 watts for typical receive-only use.

“The marriage of Epiq and iVeia technology has yielded an impressive product,” stated Michael Fawcett, CTO of iVeia Inc. “Both our companies strive for innovation and cutting edge capabilities in small form factors. Matchstiq fills a void in the SDR landscape, performing at the same level of competing systems but at less than half the size, cost, and power.”

When combined with the library of signal processing applications available from Epiq Solutions or other software suites such as GNU Radio, Matchstiq enables an array of capabilities including use as a point-to-point data modem, LTE survey tool, or portable spectrum analyzer. A development kit is also available for users who wish to create their own custom applications. Matchstiq will start shipping in December 2011 with single unit pricing of $4,500 USD. Pre-orders are currently being accepted. For more information, please visit http://www.epiqsolutions.com/matchstiq/.

About Epiq Solutions Epiq Solutions designs and builds state-of-the-art wireless systems for both commercial and government applications. These applications include the detection, classification, and location of radio emitters, as well as real-time processing and decoding of Layers 1, 2, and 3 for numerous wireless radio standards (including 2G/3G/4G cellular).

For more information regarding Epiq Solutions' products and services, please visit http://www.epiqsolutions.com.