Hardware Prototyping and Validation of a W-ΔDOR Digital Signal Processor

• Main Authors: Gian Carlo Cardarilli, Luca Di Nunzio, Rocco Fazzolari, Daniele Giardino, Marco Matta, Marco Re, Luciano Iess, Fabio Cialfi, Giorgio De Angelis, Dario Gelfusa, Ascanio Patrizio Pulcinelli, Lorenzo Simone
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2019-07-01
• Series: Applied Sciences
• Subjects: ΔDOR; W-ΔDOR; spacecraft tracking
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/9/14/2909

Microwave tracking, usually performed by on ground processing of the signals coming from a spacecraft, represents a crucial aspect in every deep-space mission. Various noise sources, including receiver noise, affect these signals, limiting the accuracy of the radiometric measurements obtained from the radio link. There are several methods used for spacecraft tracking, including the Delta-Differential One-Way Ranging (<inline-formula> <math display="inline"> <semantics> <mo>&#916;</mo> </semantics> </math> </inline-formula>DOR) technique. In the past years, European Space Agency (ESA) missions relied on a narrowband <inline-formula> <math display="inline"> <semantics> <mo>&#916;</mo> </semantics> </math> </inline-formula>DOR system for navigation in the cruise phase. To limit the adverse effect of nonlinearities in the receiving chain, an innovative wideband approach to <inline-formula> <math display="inline"> <semantics> <mo>&#916;</mo> </semantics> </math> </inline-formula>DOR measurements has recently been proposed. This work presents the hardware implementation of a new version of the ESA X/Ka Deep Space Transponder based on the new tracking technique named Wideband <inline-formula> <math display="inline"> <semantics> <mo>&#916;</mo> </semantics> </math> </inline-formula>DOR (W-<inline-formula> <math display="inline"> <semantics> <mo>&#916;</mo> </semantics> </math> </inline-formula>DOR). The architecture of the new transponder guarantees backward compatibility with narrowband <inline-formula> <math display="inline"> <semantics> <mo>&#916;</mo> </semantics> </math> </inline-formula>DOR.