A group of technicians in Rolling Meadows, Illinois has been working on SDR chips that allow specialists to select a channel without the need for a physical hardware tuner. These devices work by manipulating a semiconductor until it vibrates at a specific resonate frequency. Such vibrations happen many times per second, making the process nearly instantaneous provided that the tuner chip is capable of receiving sufficient supplies of power. Once users select a channel, these parts don’t drift the way that physical hardware ones do either, thus making them more reliable in situations that demand steady communications at all times.
Their AD9371 SDR part is capable of switching between several different bands at a time, which is impressive considering that most devices only operate within a small defined subset of frequencies. Each AD9371 SDR card can transmit on the UHF and SHF bands, which makes them an attractive option for those who have to work with technology that complies with the 802.11n standard.
VHF transmission capability is often considered a legacy feature these days. FM radio tuners, for instance, are usually added into a reception device more as an afterthought than as a necessity. The AD9371 unit bucks this trend, however, by providing full support for lower frequencies that are usually otherwise ignored. That gives technologists and those who frequent hackerspaces the rare opportunity to find clear channels even when other areas of the electromagnetic spectrum have started to become overcrowded.
Visit Epiq Solutions at Web to see a specifications sheet for the AD9371 SDR adapter.
