Re: [Discuss-gnuradio] GPS for USRP ideas

[Krzysztof Kamieniecki]

I would be interested in getting a GPS front end.


Wide-band L-Band downconverters don't seem to be very popular among the amateur radio/monitoring 
community, but there is at least one narrow-band downconverter close to to the GPS L1 frequency.
The SETI League (http://www.setileague.org/) focuses on 1420MHz to 1660MHz.
http://www.setileague.org/hardware/kits.htm

For my own use, I have a digitally controlled synthesizer module that covers ~1400MHz - ~2400MHz 
(eBay is great) and some RF design books waiting for some free time.


Long term I think GPS will be a utility for SDR/CR systems, so we could possibly justify having a 
more flexible and manufacturable front-end that covers frequencies around and beyond the GPS bands. 
Something like these L-Band downconverters, only smaller. (a tall order no doubt)

http://www.advantech.ca/sites/products.asp?id_category=279

950MHz-1950MHz -> 70MHz
http://www.advantech.ca/files/360.pdf

950MHz-1750MHz -> 70MHz
http://www.advantech.ca/files/316.pdf

They don't list prices, which always seems to mean big bucks :(


BTW
If anyone has one of the advantech units they do not want, I would be more then happy to take it off 
your hands :)

tebinuma wrote:
> Dear all,
>
> I'm interested in software GPS and looking for a
> practical way to get a GPS RF front-end module for
> USRP.
>
> I started designing a daughter board with Zarlink's
> GP2010/GP2015. I like this chip because it's well
> documented, but some of the parts are hard to 
> find and get pricey in small quantity. The price 
> could be around $200 if we make 10 or more. I made
> a parts library and schematic for Eagle EDA and 
> am happy to share with anyone interested.
>
> I also tried to get signals from GP2015 on a 
> NovAtel Supterstar II receiver, but adding wires
> on 0.5 mm pitch pins was a bit challenging...
>
> The evaluation board of MAX2740 seems to be a good
> alternative. It costs $200 and requires external
> reference clock.
>
> There are several papers on direct-conversion radio
> for GPS. This eliminates the RF front-end, but I'm 
> not quite sure how this works.
>
> If you have any other ideas to get GPS signal for 
> USRP, please let me know!
>
>
>
>         
>                 
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--
Krzysztof Kamieniecki
callsign:KB1KLB
mailto:address@hidden