moRFeus Signal Generator

moRFeus Signal Generator. A field-configurable wideband frequency converter and signal generator

moRFeus Signal Generator

MoRFeus is a 30 MHz–6 GHz field-configurable Fractional-N wideband frequency converter and signal generator. Its LCD display and button interface enable dynamic field-level configuration - from switching between signal generator and other modes, to setting the local oscillator frequency and more. It was designed for wideband frequency up- and down-conversion - with an LO frequency range of 85 MHz–5.4 GHz and input/output frequency range of 30 MHz–6 GHz

MoRFeus is small, lightweight, and functional. It was designed for low spurious emissions and is packaged in a precision-milled aluminum enclosure.

Use cases for moRFeus are many

Wideband radios
Distributed antenna systems
Diversity receivers
Software-defined radios
Frequency band shifters
Point-to-point radios
WiMax/LTE infrastructure
Satellite communications
Wideband jammers
Remote radio heads
Frequency up/down conversion
Automated test equipment (ATE)
Wireless communication systems

How it works

MoRFeus integrates into popular RF environments using SMA connectors and is powered using an external micro-USB 5 V supply. The LCD display and button interface provide a dynamic way to program the mixer LO frequency in the field with a step size of 1.5–3 Hz*. Dynamic toggling between mixer and generator modes adds to field-level functionality. An optional bias voltage of 5 V is available via RF choke to the mixer input to supply active antenna systems. The device is also USB HID programmable, enabling automatic operation from a PC running Windows or Linux.

Features

RF input frequency: 30 MHz–6 GHz
RF output frequency: 30 MHz–6 GHz
LO frequency: 85 MHz–5400 MHz
Fractional-N synthesizer
LO step size: 1.5–3 Hz*
USB programmable (Windows or Linux)
Generator/mixer function toggle
Small, portable form factor
Adjustable mixer bias current
LCD display With backlight
Button control interface

General Specifications

Input voltage: 5 V
ESD protection (RF IN and OUT ports): IEC 61000-4-2 contact discharge, 8 KV
Bias voltage: 5 V
Active bias current protection: 425 mA
Mixer input/output isolation: see mixer performance
Input IP3: +23 dBm
RF/IF input absolute maximum power: +15 dBm
Operating temperature -40 to +85
Storage temperature range -65 to +150
Dimensions: 88 mm x 38 mm x 68 mm
Weight: 7.4 oz

*Step size is frequency-dependent. Lower step sizes (1-2 Hz) are characteristic of lower frequency domains and higher step sizes (2-3 Hz) of higher domains.

Mixer Current

moRFeus offers an optional mixer current control which impacts the linearity of the output signal. The controls are exposed for advanced users to experiment and fine tune mixer performance.

Generator Mode

In generator mode, the output port of moRFeus is set to the LO frequency. It has a range limited by the internal LO which is 85 Mhz to 5.4 GHz (it should be noted that the mixer input handles frequencies up to 6G Hz). Generator mode can be used to generate arbitrary CW signals for testing or mixing purposes.

A plot of Output Power versus Mixer Current Setting

In generator mode, output power changes relative to the mixer current setting. When the mixer current is set to 0, output power is relatively low. For settings 1-7, output power is stronger. This chart plots output power relative to the mixer current setting