Space
Space Electronic Systems (SES) is Trident’s business area dedicated to the research, development, design and manufacture of Software Defined Radios (SDRs), On-Board Processors (OBPs) and storage solutions for space. Using a rapid response, radiation effects mitigated design approach, SES has become an industry leader in low cost, high performance, open architecture solutions for multi-function RF and processing systems. On-orbit, failure free, since 2019.
Space Electronic Systems
Building on decades of high-reliability, high-performance product design, the SES team specializes in multi-disciplinary full life-cycle product design and support. Our team has expertise in balancing reliability/performance vs. cost/schedule for a wide range of missions and payload classes. Applying the latest commercial technologies (e.g. Xilinx FPGAs/Processors), with an open, reprogrammable architecture, results in the highest-performance, most reliable and affordable electronic solutions for our customers. Applications range from science and planetary exploration to ISR, tactical communications, and more.
SES has established a solid customer base and partnership with a base of Defense Primes, DoD, Intelligence Community (IC), and Civil space customers. Strong partnerships and focused corporate investment have enabled rapid capability development with the agility and efficiency of a small commercial space company. A selection of SES standard products can be found below, however these represent only a portion of our capability and offerings as a mission partner.
Contact us at ses-bd@tridsys.com for more information.
Multifunction RF Electronics Unit (MFREU)
The MFREU is a complete SDR, processor and data storage unit built on Trident’s VPX modules (e.g. SQDRT, UDRT, RDRT) and suitable for a wide range of mission applications, from science to DoD/USG, including ISR, tactical communications, and signal processing. Built with an EMI/EMC hardened chassis, integrated power supplies and flexible I/O, it is modular and customizable, suitable for CubeSats to SmallSats. On-orbit since 2019.
xDRT Development Kits
The UDRT, RDRT, and VDRT Development Kits are lab-based development platforms, pre-loaded with Trident FW/SW (source files included), for application development, testing, and HWIL demonstrations. The kits provide operational and developmental interfaces to flight-like hardware with “lab-friendly” interfaces. These kits are a low-cost, rapidly available platform for new and existing customers. Currently available for UDRT and RDRT, VDRT Development Kit order entry open with Q1-2023 delivery; customization and on-site/remote support available.
xDRT Development Kits
The UDRT, RDRT, and VDRT Development Kits are lab-based development platforms, pre-loaded with Trident FW/SW (source files included), for application development, testing, and HWIL demonstrations. The kits provide operational and developmental interfaces to flight-like hardware with “lab-friendly” interfaces. These kits are a low-cost, rapidly available platform for new and existing customers. Currently available for UDRT and RDRT, VDRT Development Kit order entry open with Q1-2023 delivery; customization and on-site/remote support available.
Zynq UltraScale+ Digital RF Transceiver (UDRT)
The UDRT is a 3U VPX processor based on the Xilinx XQ-ZU19EG Multi-Processor System on Chip (MPSoC). A radiation-mitigated design with a configuration-upset immune ProASIC, the processor includes on-board DDR4, NAND and redundant NOR memory, as well as a high-speed mezzanine site. Mezzanine cards include a 1 TB SSD or > 3 GSps Dual-ADC/DAC with JES204B clocking; customization available. On-orbit since 2020.
RFSoC Digital RF Transceiver (RDRT)
The RDRT is a 3U VPX processor based on the Xilinx XQ-ZU28DR RF System on Chip (RFSoC) with XQ-ZU48DR planned. Built on the proven UDRT architecture, it retains the same memory features and mezzanine site, adding 8 TX / 8 RX channels at > 4 GSps. Standard mezzanine cards can be customized for a wide range of RF including programmable RF control. Flight units complete for multiple launch programs.
RFSoC Digital RF Transceiver (RDRT)
The RDRT is a 3U VPX processor based on the Xilinx XQ-ZU28DR RF System on Chip (RFSoC) with XQ-ZU48DR planned. Built on the proven UDRT architecture, it retains the same memory features and mezzanine site, adding 8 TX / 8 RX channels at > 4 GSps. Standard mezzanine cards can be customized for a wide range of RF including programmable RF control. Flight units complete for multiple launch programs.
Versal Digital RF Transceiver (VDRT) – UNDER DEVELOPMENT
The VDRT is a 3U VPX processor based on the Xilinx VC1902 Adaptive Compute Acceleration Platform (ACAP) with AI core. The VDRT will provide never-before available processing power and mezzanine expansion in an industry leading C-SWaP product. Development Kit order entry open with Q1-2023 delivery.
Space Qualified Digital RF Transceiver (SQDRT)
The SQDRT is a 3U VPX Virtex-5QV based re-programmable transceiver with multiple build options to support orbital and interplanetary applications. Applications include Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imaging, communications, signal collection/analysis, and others. Mezzanine expansion site comes standard with 1 transmit, 2 receive channels, up to 800 MHz bandwidth at 12-bit resolution; customization available. On-orbit since 2019.
Space Qualified Digital RF Transceiver (SQDRT)
The SQDRT is a 3U VPX Virtex-5QV based re-programmable transceiver with multiple build options to support orbital and interplanetary applications. Applications include Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imaging, communications, signal collection/analysis, and others. Mezzanine expansion site comes standard with 1 transmit, 2 receive channels, up to 800 MHz bandwidth at 12-bit resolution; customization available. On-orbit since 2019.