PRODUCT OF THE WEEK: Epiq’s NDR684 software-defined radio (SDR)

This week’s product, the Epiq Solutions NDR684 software-defined radio (SDR), a four-receive-channel SDR, combining a super-heterodyne RF front end that provides 1 MHz to 18 GHz frequency coverage with an AMD Xilinx RFSoC for digitization and signal processing. The solution is suitable for autonomous payloads, direction-finding, counter-uncrewed systems, ELINT, COMINT, and other mission-critical defense applications.

Wideband Coverage for Spectrum Operations

The commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) NDR684 provides four high-performance receive channels, each supporting as much as 500 MHz of instantaneous bandwidth for 2GHz total product bandwidth, with frequency coverage from 1 MHz to 18 GHz. Each channel uses a super-heterodyne RF signal chain and is designed to reject unwanted signals while preserving high instantaneous dynamic range in band, providing access to the spectrum that matters.

The NDR684 supports both independent channel tuning as well as phase-coherent operation. This enables a range of RF use cases, such as staring at one or multiple RF channel(s) of interest, fast sweeping through the spectrum, and coherent receive modes for direction finding or other multi-channel processing workflows.

Low-SWaP, rugged design

The NDR684 solves size, weight, and power challenge by placing its high-performance RF capability into a compact, ruggedized metal enclosure designed for challenging platform environments. At 5.4 lbs and 6.45 x 9.45 x 1.9 inches, it is sized for integration into space-constrained systems while still delivering multi-channel wideband performance up to 18 GHz.

The unit is designed with cold-plate thermal management and ruggedized front-panel connectors. Its architecture supports installation near antenna arrays, helping minimize RF losses before digitization. Once digitized, IQ data can be transported over fiber using the 100 GbE interface.

Key Features

Four high-performance Rx channels 
1 MHz to 18 GHz frequency coverage 
500 MHz bandwidth per channel 
Total product bandwidth: 2GHz
Dynamic range: 80+ dB
Tuning: independent and coherent phase
Tune time: 100us
Data format: VITA 49 over 100GbE
Maximum number of selectable DDCs: 48 
Fast frequency hopping 
Selectable wideband digital downconverters (DDCs) 
Restful API command and control

Dimensions: 6.45” x 9.45” x 1.9”
Weight: 5.4 lb.
Power: 73W
Environmental options: Storage: -40 °C to 85 °C; Operation: -40 °C to 70 °C

For more information, visit the NDR684 product page, company’s website, or follow the links below.

Resources:

To download the NDR684 datasheet, click here.
To learn about all Epiq SDRs, click here.
To read Epiq’s blog on the wideband performace for difficult RF environments, click here.
To learn about defense applications enabled by Epiq, click here.
To contact Epiq, click here.