Hi Colm, >> Maybe using the RF SoC for just generating/re-sampling the baseband signal >> might be straight forward enough for this project...
Right. I was suggesting thinking of the RFSoC as “just” a piece of test equipment. If the PYNQ layer abstracts the fact that it is an FPGA, and the students are just programming the RFSoC using Python, then it does not matter that it is not a Keysight AWG or Spectrum Analyzer that they are communicating with. Then later, they can move into the FPGA firmware design if they are interested. >> Regarding the available open-source PyNQ Notebooks; are these straight >> forward to edit, to do things like sweeping the DAC frequency? I haven’t tried yet. I had a couple of RFSoC boards show up recently. I’ll write a detailed tutorial on using them, so will be able to answer that question eventually. I know lots of CASPER folks have been using the RFSoC devices, so they will be able to share their success 😊 >> For the analogue components, I have been looking at X-Microwave oscillators, >> mixers, Mini-circuits have a lot of cheap RF components, and they work well enough. If you have a list of RF components you are considering, I could sent it to an RF engineer for his thoughts. You can post it here, and I’ll post the response here too. Regards, Dave From: [email protected] <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Colm Bracken Sent: Wednesday, August 16, 2023 10:07 AM To: [email protected] Subject: [EXTERNAL] [casper] Re: Advice for radio astronomy components student project Hi David, Many thanks for your reply. Yes, we are working with the RF SoC boards for another project, so I have access to those. But for this new project, we were hoping to avoid FPGAs. We are aiming for a more simple system that will allow physics students (without FPGA experience) to perform characterisation of upmixed/down-mixed signals. Maybe using the RF SoC for just generating/re-sampling the baseband signal might be straight forward enough for this project... Regarding the available open-source PyNQ Notebooks; are these straight forward to edit, to do things like sweeping the DAC frequency? For the analogue components, I have been looking at X-Microwave oscillators, mixers, and filters today (since posting my original message) - they look nice from what I can see. Thanks, Colm On Wed 16 Aug 2023, 11:24 AM Colm Bracken, <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: Dear Casper, I hope you are all well today! I am hoping some of you might have some advice/ideas for easily-intefaceable RF components. I want to purchase signal generators (~100 MHz), and a range of local oscillators for a student project. Ideally I am looking for components that easy to interface with via python (or Matlab if necessary). The aim of the project is to develop a new readout system employing both homodyne and heterodyne techniques, with RF freq's between 4 and 8 GHz (baseband from DC to ~ 100 MHZ). Any useful ideas would be very much appreciated. Again, emphasis is on ease-of interfacing. Kind regards, Colm -- Dr Colm Bracken Lecturer Maynooth University Experimental Physics [https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/mail-sig/AIorK4x3TkqhjEdNw_twB-sTHbVB-JbLlF1GF22mHSk2WImnmrukk1HNzXa6KDR9M_S_3-v0OMXx2_8] Maynooth University, Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland. 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