One of the most useful outcomes in engineering is discovering that a subsystem can support more applications in the field than initially anticipated during its design.
E-REON's attenuator controller was originally developed for deployment in automated test equipment. Following system integration, its ability to bridge different control methods and protocols proved valuable beyond the original ATE application.
Practical multichannel control
The dedicated browser-based interface allows operators to control individual attenuator channels, organise channels into functional blocks and perform automated sweeps. It also supports the creation, editing, validation and execution of stored jobs.
This separation between the RF hardware and its control workflows allows the same controller architecture to be adapted to different laboratory and system-level requirements.
Extending the platform to 40 GHz
The growing demand for spectrum-monitoring solutions creates another use for this flexibility. Digital processing, DDC architecture, SDR bandwidth and signal-processing algorithms receive significant attention, but the RF front end still has a direct effect on the quality and usefulness of the complete system.
Signal routing, switching, attenuation strategy and preselection determine what reaches the downconverter and digital processing chain. E-REON is now developing a 40 GHz switching front end that will select between multiple antennas and filter-preselector paths ahead of the downconverter.
The front end is intended to accept control from GNU Radio or SDR GPIO, allowing switching decisions to be coordinated with the wider receiver and processing architecture.
Individual 40 GHz switch components can cost approximately EUR 5,000. That makes careful connection planning, handling and staged verification essential throughout integration and testing.