Satellite Electronics and FPGA Systems

The laboratory offers state-of-the-art facilities for the design, integration, commissioning and testing of modern electronic circuits

Satellite electronics

Satellite electronics is the field concerned with the design, construction and application of electronic equipment used on board artificial satellites. It encompasses communication, navigation, observation and control systems that enable satellites to carry out their tasks in space. Satellite electronics must be characterised by high reliability and resistance to cosmic radiation and extreme temperatures. It is crucial for telecommunications, Earth observation, weather forecasting, scientific research, and defence and navigation systems.

Laboratory equipment

Equipped with oscilloscopes and signal generators, the facility enables research across a wide frequency range: up to 10 GHz, and the testing of systems up to 44 GHz. Specialised assembly stations enable the physical implementation of designed solutions, facilitating the full development cycle of electronic circuits, from design through to functional testing.

The laboratory also has tools for programming, simulating and verifying FPGA arrays from various manufacturers, which enables the efficient development of solutions for both space missions and ground-based applications.

Oscilloscopes:

A range of Tektronix oscilloscopes for analysing analogue and digital signals, including models with a bandwidth of up to 10 GHz:

• Tektronix MBO64B (4, 10 GHz) – 4 channels,
• Tektronix MBO54B (1 GHz) – 4 channels.

Oscilloscopes are fitted with passive, current, voltage and differential probes.

Signal generators:

Arbitrary and high-frequency generators enabling the testing of circuits operating at frequencies up to 44 GHz:

• Tektronix AFG31252 – sampling rates up to 2 GSa/s, 14-bit resolution,
• R&S SMM100A vector signal generator – supports signals up to 44 GHz, with support for 5G NR and LTE standards.

Equipment for assembling SMD/BGA circuits:

• PACE TF1800 – a system for the assembly and disassembly of SMT components, enabling precise positioning and a controlled soldering process.
• Weller soldering stations – a range of soldering irons and hot-air tools for assembling electronic components.

Microscopes for inspecting electronic circuit boards

• Keyence VHX-7000 – an inspection system with lenses offering magnifications ranging from 20x to 1,000x, enabling detailed surface analysis.

Laboratory Software

PCB design

• Altium Designer 23 Professional – a circuit diagram editor for 3D PCB design.

Design and simulation of FPGA circuits

• Vivado (AMD/Xilinx) – a comprehensive environment for the design, implementation and verification of FPGA circuits.
• Vitis (AMD/Xilinx) – C/C++ code analysis, embedded systems development, FPGA design optimisation.
• Libero (Microchip) – full support for FPGA and SoC devices, synthesis, timing analysis and debugging.

Advanced FPGA verification

• Rivera Pro (Aldec) – a tool for optimising and debugging FPGA designs in various hardware description languages (VHDL, Verilog, SystemC).

Laboratory hire

The Satellite Electronics and FPGA Systems Laboratory is available to companies and research institutions carrying out projects in the fields of electronic engineering, space technology and communications systems. The laboratory’s services are aimed, amongst others, at companies specialising in the design of on-board computers and electronics for radio and radar systems.

Contact

Companies interested in hiring a laboratory or commissioning research are kindly asked to contact us:

• Laboratory Coordinator: Dr Marek Węgrzyn, Eng.
• Infrastructure Management and Laboratory Services Department: laboratoria@ptklubuskie.com

We invite you to collaborate with us and make use of the Space Technology Park’s state-of-the-art research facilities!