QubeFlex CubeSat/SmallSat/LEO Satellite Transceiver/Modem

Overview

The QubeFlex™ software-defined modem is designed for the low-earth orbit CubeSat and smallsat markets. Growing commercial applications demand fast time to market and reliable comms.
QubeFlex, as part of our end-to-end comms solution, replaces the do-it-yourself approach with a professional off-the-shelf solution suited to your current and future needs.
The QubeFlex modem supports CCSDS telemetry, Intelsat and other common space transmission and packet standards. Forward error correction ensures data is protected against transmission loss. High data rates ensure maximum data can be received on each satellite pass.
The QubeFlex demodulator will acquire and remain locked to the signal even when faced with the largest Doppler frequency shifts caused by fast-moving low-earth orbit satellites. Demodulator output is formatted for convenient onward computer processing and storage.
In addition to supporting the standard carrier roll-off factors, the QubeFlex modem supports larger than normal roll-off factors to allow users to minimise the peak-to-average-power ratio of the generated waveform. This minimises distortion of
the transmitted signal and thereby relaxes the design constraints for the smallsat transmission system, which are typically subject to extreme size, weight and power limitations.
The QubeFlex modem includes powerful onboard test equipment (spectrum analyzer and a constellation monitor), and is also capable of detecting satellite beacon transmissions, which removes the need for a separate beacon receiver.

Markets and Applications

• CubeSat & smallsats
• Low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites
• Earth & weather observation
• LEO space research projects
• Intelligence gathering
• Space telemetry

Features

• Data rates to 50Mbps (CCSDS maximum is 50Mbps)
• Support for CCSDS telemetry & Intelsat standards including Viterbi/Reed-Solomon error correction & scrambling
• Modem is protocol agnostic but includes explicit support for CCSDS.
• Modulation includes 2.2 to 2.45 GHz S-band
• Supports other bands (including X) when used with external frequency conversion
• Doppler limits: ±700kHz, ±9kHz/s
• Demodulator output options: Ethernet (with optional timestamps & metadata) & EIA-530
• Q-NET™ Navigator network control application included as standard
• Our partners provide fully compatible onboard CubeSat transmission systems - please contact us for details