Stellenbosch student presents paper on SA satellite at conference
4 October 2006
Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
A post-graduate student at the University of Stellenbosch represented South Africa at the Utah Small Satellite Conference that was held in the USA in August.
Kgabo Mathapo presented a paper on South Africa's second satellite, recently named 'Sumbandila' - a Venda word that means 'showing the way' or 'Pathfinder'. Mathapo's paper deals with the software defined radio automatic identification receiver (AIS), one of the several experimental payloads on the satellite.
Kgabo Mathapo presented a paper on Sumbandila, SA’s second satellite
The satellite is being built by SunSpace, a company that has its origins from the Sunsat satellite programme of the University. Sunsat was developed completely by a local team of engineers and launched in 1999 by NASA. This team forms the core of SunSpace today.
The Small Satellite Conference's theme this year was: The first 20 years, where we have been - where we are going. Sunspace considered it important for South Africa to be presenting a paper and supported Mathapo's participation.
Software defined radio (SDR) is a technology that is currently being researched at the University of Stellenbosch because of its potential to realise reconfigurable radio systems and networks that use the same hardware for different applications. The primary purpose of the SDR AIS experimental payload on Sumbandila is to demonstrate the monitoring of marine traffic along the SA coast. The secondary purpose is to carry out scientific experiments that will demonstrate the possibility of reconfiguring radio systems on a satellite through software updates and to serve as proof of concept of SDR for satellite communication systems.
Sumbandila (ZA002) is South Africa's second satellite that will be launched in a low earth orbit and has in addition to experimental payloads, an on-board multisensor imager will be used to take high resolution images of the earth. The satellite will be launched into a 500 km sun-synchronous orbit with a local time (at the equator) of 10 am and 10 pm.
The SDR project will use a space-qualified VHF/UHF transponder and on-board processing unit, developed for small satellites by SunSpace. The SDR architecture itself allows for the development of a library of components that are used to build a radio system.
Mathapo is studying in the Department of Signal Processing and Telecommunications Research Group and is working on the SDR project as his thesis for his Masters Degree in Electronic Engineering which he expects to complete this year. His paper goes into detail about GMSK modulation, demodulation and filtering techniques.
Further reading:
Strategic agreement for eSIM solutions
Avnet Silica
Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
This agreement between Avent Silica and Thales covers the latter’s eSIM solutions that are compliant with GSMA SGP.22 and SGP.32 standards.
Read more...
High precision multi-GNSS antenna
RS South Africa
Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
The Amphenol PCTEL GNSS-L125-DH-NF multi-GNSS antenna is a high-performance antenna designed for reliable global navigation satellite system reception in demanding environments.
Read more...
Designing IoT devices for deterministic LPWAN environments
Editor's Choice Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
Built on Ultra Narrow Band communication technology, the Sigfox network focuses on low power, wide area M2M connectivity rather than maximising data throughput.
Read more...
Robust LoRaWAN for distributed IoT
CST Electronics
Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
InHand Networks has unveiled its latest LoRaWAN gateway, the EC312, marking an evolution in industrial-grade connectivity solutions for distributed IoT environments.
Read more...
Miniaturised tuneable harmonic filter bank
RFiber Solutions
Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
Modern RF and microwave communication systems require compact, high power filtering solutions to suppress unwanted harmonic signals generated by power amplifiers, and to address this challenge, Tri-TeQ has developed a miniaturised broadband tuneable harmonic switched filter bank.
Read more...
Nordic accelerates cellular IoT leadership
RF Design
Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
The company unveiled its next-generation portfolio featuring Cat 1 bis, satellite NTN, and advanced LTE-M/NB-IoT with edge AI, delivering secure and resilient connectivity across billions of IoT devices.
Read more...
Powering the future of industrial automation
IOT Electronics
Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
5G, the 5th generation of wireless broadband technology, enables users to establish reliable connectivity, which in turn enables flexible, autonomous, and efficient processes from production to logistics.
Read more...
Wi-Fi 7 tri-band connectivity module
iCorp Technologies
Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
Quectel has introduced the FCE870Q, a compact short range wireless connectivity module designed for next generation IoT devices that require high throughput, low latency, and reliable operation in dense wireless environments.
Read more...
Compact cellular IoT SiP with GNSS
RF Design
Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
Combining low-power connectivity, edge processing, and positioning capabilities in a compact module, Nordic’s nRF9151 targets applications such as asset tracking, smart metering, industrial monitoring, and smart city infrastructure.
Read more...
Enabling the next generation of high-performance wireless designs
iCorp Technologies
Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
Espressif Systems has expanded its wireless connectivity portfolio with the introduction of the ESP32-E22, a high-performance connectivity co-processor designed for next generation embedded and IoT systems.
Read more...
printer friendly version