Re: [Discuss-gnuradio] Building an RF Front end for DSP FPGA Kits with ADCs

[Marcus D. Leech]

On 01/13/2011 10:33 AM, Euripedes Rocha Filho wrote:

Why not just buy a USRP + WBX?

2011/1/13 sirjanselot <address@hidden>

Hello,

I am looking to buy an Altera DSP FPGA Kit (DSP Development Kit, Stratix III
Edition) for school research but I'm not sure how i am going to build an
RF-Front End for it.  I am looking to receive signals up to +30 dBm from 30

MHz - 2 GHz with bandwidths up to 50 MHz.  This the kit I am looking to
purchase: http://www.altera.com/products/devkits/altera/kit-st3-dsp.html

This kit comes with two 150 MSPS 14-bit ADCs and 250 MSPS 14-bit DACs.  My
question is it possible to buy a Commercial off the Shelf Front-End that
provides the necessary inputs?

Is there something special that I have to do in order to receive signal
levels up to +30 dBm so that my ADCs do not saturate?

Attenuators.  At +30dBm, the concern isn't saturation, but *device destruction*--it would be a shame
  to destroy your $2800.00 Altera development board.

-- 
Principal Investigator
Shirleys Bay Radio Astronomy Consortium
http://www.sbrac.org