RF/IF signal recorder permits up to eight channels

Enhanced capability permits up to eight recording and playback channels configurable with the right combination for a specific mission or application. An optional DC power supply enables use in ground or airborne vehicles without inverters. At the heart of the RTR 2726A are Pentek Cobalt Virtex-6 software radio boards featuring ADCs and DACs, DDCs, DUCs and complementary FPGA IP cores. This architecture allows the system engineer to take full advantage of the latest technology in a turnkey system.

The recorder features a portable, lightweight housing measuring only 406.40x175.26x330.20mm, and weighing just less than 30lb. The rugged workstation is reinforced with shock absorbing rubber corners and an impact-resistant protective glass for its high resolution 17" LCD monitor.

The hot-swappable SSD array is available in 1.9 to 15.3TB configurations and supports RAID levels 0, 1, 5 or 6. The SSDs are meticulously qualified by Pentek for optimum use in rugged and portable applications. The hot swappable SSDs exhibit high immunity to shock and vibration for full operation in ground vehicles, ships and aircraft. The increased storage capacity doubles the possible recording time over previous models.

Available I/O includes VGA video, six USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 ports and dual Gigabit Ethernet connections.

The RTR 2726A has many strategic uses in the intelligence and RF testing communities. Due to the device’s rugged packaging and small size, it is quick and easy to deploy. The outstanding dynamic range of the device captures high resolution signal details, making it an important signal analysis asset on any mission.

Deployed in an aircraft, signals may be captured and analysed during flight. Real-time analysis during active missions enables adjustments to be made to the mission plan to gather more appropriate intelligence. Adding the GPS time and position stamping option allows exact location information to be overlaid during mobile recording operations, permitting post-mission analysis to determine exactly where a signal was captured. Phase coherent multichannel acquisition and external date inputs are combined with sample level time stamping to allow radar signals to be precisely recorded and perfectly reconstructed. Real world signals can be collected in harsh environments and then played back in lab environments for the test and development of new technology. Operating with the DC power option, recorders can be deployed in ground and air vehicles that may have only DC power, eliminating the weight and cost of power inverters.

All Talon RTR portable recorders are built on a Windows 7 Professional workstation with an Intel Core i7 processor, and provide both a GUI and API to control the system. Systems are fully supported by Pentek’s SystemFlow software for system control and turn-key operation. The software provides a GUI with point-and-click configuration management and can store custom configurations for single-click setup. The software also includes a virtual oscilloscope and signal analyser to monitor signals before, during and after data collection.

The data format used for storage follows the NTFS standard, allowing users to remove drives from the instrument and read the data using standard Windows-based systems, eliminating the need for file format conversion.

SSD storage options range from 1.9 to 15.3TB capacities. The RTR 2726A has an 18 to 36VDC power supply option for vehicle powered applications. Optional GPS time and position stamping is available.