Embedded Series Product Guide¶

Table1: Embedded Series Part Numbers

AIR-T Model (Part Number)	NVIDIA GPU Module	AMD FPGA	Enclosure Included
AIR7201-A	NVIDIA Jetson TX2	AMD Artix7 200T	No
AIR7201-B	NVIDIA Jetson TX2	AMD Artix7 200T	Yes

Document Overview¶

This document lists the specifications for the AIR7201 Embedded Series Artificial Intelligence Radio Transceiver (AIR-T). Specifications are subject to change without notice. For the most recent device specifications, refer to http://docs.deepwavedigital.com.

Block Diagram¶

AIR201 Functional Block Diagram

AirStack Software¶

The AIR-T comes pre-loaded with a full software stack, AirStack. AirStack includes all the components necessary to utilize the AIR-T, such as an Ubuntu based operating system, AIR-T specific device drivers, and the FPGA firmware. The operating system is based off of NVIDIA JetPack SDK and is upgraded regularly. Please check for the latest software at www.deepwavedigital.com.

For a full description of the AirStack software guide, see our documentation page here.

AIR7201-B Embedded Series Enclosure¶

The AIR-T may be purchased with or without an enclosure. This documentation applies to both configurations.

AIR-T Enclosure

Mechanical Drawing¶

We provide a pdf file with the mechanical dimensions of the AIR-T enclosure below.

Processors¶

The Embedded Series AIR-T enables software defined radio for any signal processing application by utilizing three classes of tightly coupled processors:

FPGA for strict real-time operations
GPU for highly parallel processing and machine learning
CPU for control, I/O, DSP, and software applications

General Purpose Processors¶

The AIR-T uses the NVIDIA Jetson TX2 System On Module (SOM) as its General Purpose Processor (GPP). The Jetson TX2 SOM contains two ARM processors (6 cores total), an NVIDIA Pascal GPU (256 cores), and 8 GBytes of memory. The CPUs and GPU all share a common pool of memory, which (along with a unified memory architecture) allows for a zero-copy capability. As illustrated in the figure below, zero-copy eliminates the host-to-device (or device-to-host) memory transfer that is required by SDRs with discrete GPUs, such as an SDR connected to an external laptop or computer. Because of this, an SDR with a discrete GPU will have increased latency that is prohibitive for many applications. By utilizing this zero-copy architecture to remove extra data transfers, the AIR-T enables a wide range of low-latency SDR applications.

Comparison of a) traditional memory architecture with b) AIR-T unified memory architecture

For additional details on the NVIDIA Jetson TX2 please see the module datasheet URL below. Some of the information from that datasheet is reproduced below.

{target=_blank} Jetson Modules Technical Specifications

Table2: General Purpose Processors

Parameter	Value
Manufacturer	NVIDIA Corporation
Model	NVIDIA Jetson TX2 (GPU / CPU)
Packaging	System on Module (SOM)
GPU Type	NVIDIA Pascal GPU architecture with 256 NVIDIA CUDA cores
CPU Type	ARMv8 (64-bit) heterogeneous multi-processing CPU architecture with two CPU clusters (6 processor cores) connected by a coherent interconnect fabric. ARM Cortex -A57 MPCore (Quad-Core) Processor: 2.0 GHz L1 Cache: 48KB L1 instruction cache (I-cache) per core, 32KB L1 data cache (D-cache) per core L2 Unified Cache: 2MB NVIDIA Denver 2 (Dual-Core) Processor: 2.0 GHz L1 Cache: 128KB L1 instruction cache (I-cache) per core, 64KB L1 data cache (D-cache) per core L2 Unified Cache: 2MB
Unified Memory (GPU/CPU shared)	Capacity: 8 GB Type: 128-bit (4ch x 32-bit) LPDDR4 Memory Bus Frequency: 1866 MHz (59.7 GB/s)
Storage Capacity	32GB eMMC 5.1 Flash Storage

Reconfigurable FPGA¶

The FPGA on the Edge Series AIR-T comes pre-loaded with the AirStack firmware to support transmit and receive functionality at continuously variable sample rates. Customers may choose to load custom firmware if needed by their application and Deepwave will provide the FPGA interface documentation. The interface documentation includes the pin constraints file and a document that outlines the various interfaces for the FPGA so that customers may develop their own custom IP cores from scratch, i.e., without leveraging any of the AirStack software or driver infrastructure. If customers wish to leverage the AirStack software and driver infrastructure, they are encouraged to purchase a license to the AIR-T FPGA development kit, AirStack Sandbox.

The high-level details regarding the FPGA on the AIR-T are shown below.

Table 3: FPGA Options by Model Number

FPGA Parameter	AIR7201
Manufacturer	Xilinx
Family	Artix-7
Model	XC7A200T-2FBG676C
LUTs	215,360
DSP48E1 Slices	740
Embedded Block RAM	13.14 kbits
Default Time Base	62.5 MHz or 125 MHz
Flash Memory (non-volatile)	256 Mbit

Networking¶

Table 4: Networking Interfaces

Interface	Description
Ethernet	10/100/1000 BASE-T, RJ-45 connector
WLAN	IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac dual-band 2x2 MIMO (Maximum transfer rate 866.7Mbps)
Bluetooth	Version 4.1

External Display¶

Table 5: Display Interfaces

Interface	Description
HDMI 2.0 a/b	Up to 3840 x 2160 at 60Hz (4k)

Peripheral Interfaces¶

NVIDIA Jetson TX2¶

Table 6: NVIDIA Jetson Interfaces

Interface	Description
SATA	Version 3.1
SD Card	SD 3.0 or SD-XC cards up to 2 TB
USB	USB 3.0 Super Speed mode (up to 5Gb/s)
USB 2.0	High Speed mode (up to 480Mb/s), USB On-The-Go
UART	See NVIDIA Jetson TX2 datasheet for information
GPIO	See NVIDIA Jetson TX2 datasheet for information
SPI	See NVIDIA Jetson TX2 datasheet for information
I2C	See NVIDIA Jetson TX2 datasheet for information
Audio	I2S or Digital. See NVIDIA Jetson TX2 datasheet for information

AMD FPGA¶

Table 7: FPGA Interfaces

Interface	Description
JTAG	Programmable via JTAG or Digilent USB to JTAG converter
XADC	Integrated Analog with Digital Customization for the FPGA
Digital I/O	GPIO, SPI
UART	USB to UART bridge

Analog Devices 9371¶

Table 8: ADI9371 Interfaces

Interface	Description
GPIO	System monitoring and external attenuator control

Transceiver Specifications¶

The Radio Frequency Integrated Circuit (RFIC) on the AIR-T is the Analog Devices AD9371. This RFIC uses two local oscillators (LO): one for both transmit channels and one for both receive channels. This means that the transmitters and receivers may be tuned to different frequencies at the same time, but both transmit ports will always utilize the same common transmit frequency and both receive ports will always utilize the same common receive frequency.

In addition, the Embedded Series AIR-T contains internal clocking circuitry to allow it to operate either with an internally-generated clock or by phase locking to an external clock signal provided by the user. When an external clock is selected, the clock signal provided must be a 10 MHz reference signal with parameters defined in Table 13.

The user may also choose to provide an external local oscillator for the transmitter or the receiver. This may be useful in beamforming or direction finding applications. The specifications for the external LO are found in Table 14. Additionally, the functionality may be enabled by following the instructions in Using an External LO.

For additional details on the AD9371 please see that datasheet:

Table 9: RF Integrated Circuit Information (AIR7101, AIR7201)

Parameter	Value
Manufacturer	Analog Devices
Model	AD9371
Frequency Conversion Type	Direct conversion

Table 10: Receiver Specifications by Model Number

Parameter	AIR7201
Channels (Shared LO)	2
Sample Rates	3.906250 - 125 MSPS Continuously variable
Maximum Bandwidth	100 MHz
Frequency Tuning Range	300 MHz to 6 GHz
Gain	+17 dB
Tunable Attenuation	30 dB (0.5 dB increments)
Power Level Control	Automatic Gain Control, Manual gain control
Maximum Input Power	+15 dBm (w/ 30 dB Attenuation or AGC)
ADC Resolution	16 bits
Built-in Calibrations	Quadrature Error Correction, DC offset correction
Local Oscillator	Internal (built-in) or external

Table 11: Transmitter Specifications by Model Number

Parameter	Value
Channels (Shared LO)	2
Sample Rates	3.906250 - 125 MSPS Continuously variable
Maximum Bandwidth	100 MHz
Frequency Tuning Range	300 MHz to 6 GHz
Maximum Output Power	+6 dBm
Tunable Attenuation	42 dB (0.5 db increments)
Power Level Control	Manual gain control
DAC Resolution	14 bits
Built-in Calibrations	Quadrature Error Correction, LO leakage correction
Local Oscillator	Internal, external

Table 12: Internal Reference Clock (AIR7101, AIR7201)

Parameter	Value
Clock distribution part number	AD9528
Oscillator Type	VCXO
Oscillator Model	Crystek Corporation CVHD-950-125M
Oscillator Frequency	125 MHz
Frequency Pull Range	± 20 ppm

Table 13: External Reference Clock (AIR7101, AIR7201)

Parameter	AIR7201-A	AIR7201-B
Connector Type	MCX	SMA
Input Frequency	10 MHz	10 MHz
Input Voltage Rating	3.3V CMOS	3.3V CMOS
Abs Maximum Voltage (50 Ohm)	3.45 Volts	3.45 Volts

Table 14: External Local Oscillator

Parameter	Value
LO Frequency	300 MHz to 4 GHz (600 MHz to 800 GHz input frequency)
Input Frequency	2x the desired LO frequency (e.g., 2 GHz input produces 1 GHz LO)
Signal Input Power	0 to +6 dBm

Additional information: Using an External LO

Note: All AIR-T models perform automatic calibrations when the radio starts and periodically during operation. These calibrations are outlined in Tables 10 and 11. When the radio is initialized, calibration signals may be emitted from both the TX and RX ports. To ensure that connected equipment is not damaged, it is recommended to disconnect the AIR-T from any equipment and terminate with a resistance of 50 Ohms during the radio initialization.

Power¶

Table: 15: Input Power

Parameter	Value
Input Voltage Range	8-15 VDC
Typical Standby Power Consumption	9.3 W
Power Connector	Barrel Plug, 2.5mm ID x 5.5mm OD x 11.0mm
Recommended Power Supply (included)	80 W, 12 VDC (MEAN WELL P/N GST90A12-P1M)

Mechanical¶

Table 16: Physical and Environmental Parameters

Parameter	AIR7201-A	AIR7201-B
Form Factor	Mini-ITX	Custom enclosure
Dimensions	170mm × 170mm x 35mm (6.7" × 6.7" x 1.4")	210mm x 192mm x 75mm (8.3" x 7.6" x 3.0"
Weight	0.35 kg (0.8 lbs)	1.33 kg (2.9 lbs)
Operating Temperature Range	-20°C – +70°C	-20°C – +70°C

Connectors and Headers¶

The AIR-T contains many interfaces with which to interact. In this document, we provide a description of the currently supported interfaces.

AIR-T Drawing¶

Headers¶

Label	Header	Description	AirStack Version Support
J1	SATA	SATA port for Jetson TX2	0.1.0+
J2	RX1	RF receiver input 1	0.1.0+
J3	RST	Jetson reset button	0.1.0+
J4	PWR LED	Power indicator for enclosure LED	0.1.0+
J5	Ethernet	1 Gbps Ethernet RJ45	0.1.0+
J6	PWR	Power button	0.1.0+
J7	PPS	Trigger (Input)	0.3.0
J12	SD Card	Jetson SD card reader	0.1.0+
J13	Jetson Module	400 pin connector for Jetson	0.1.0+
J14	Reserved	Reserved	N/A
J15	Jetson Fan	Jetson fan connector	0.1.0+
J16	HDMI	Jetson HDMI connector	0.1.0+
J17	TX1	Transmit channel 1	0.3.0+
J18	TX2	Transmit channel 2	0.3.0+
J19	USB3	Jetson USB 3.0 interfaces	0.1.0+
J20	USB2	Jetson USB 2.0 and serial connection	0.1.0+
J21	Jetson Expansion	Jetson expansion header. See below	0.1.0+
J22	RX External LO	External LO for RF front end	0.2.0+
J23	TLO	External LO input for transmitter	0.2.0+
J24	SPI Voltage	SPI voltage connector	0.1.0+
J25	Power Socket	DC power input	0.1.0+
J26	FPGA JTAG	FPGA JTAG interface	0.1.0+
J28	RX2	RF receiver input 2	0.1.0+
J29	FPGA SPI Programming	SPI programming interface for FPGA	0.1.0+
J30	FPGA SPI Select	-	N/A
J31	FPGA PMOD	-	0.1.0+
J32	FPGA XADC	-	N/A
J33	FPGA XADC Analog Input	-	N/A
J34	FPGA XADC Voltage Select	-	N/A
J35	FPGA XADC VIN	-	N/A
J36	FPGA XADC VREF	-	N/A
J37	XADC AGND	-	N/A
J38	XADC AGND L3	-	N/A
J39	FPGA TP MGTAVCC	-	N/A
J40	TP Ground	-	N/A
J41	FPGA TP MGTAVTT	-	N/A
J42	TP Ground	-	N/A
J43	FPGA XADC VCCINT	-	N/A
J44	Enclosure Fan	Exhaust fan power	0.1.0+
J45	FPGA TP (not jumper)	-	N/A
J46	USB UART	-	0.1.0+
J47	REF	10 MHz reference input	0.2.0+
J48	Recovery Button	Jetson force recovery button	0.1.0+
U23	Digilent USB JTAG	Programming interface for FPGA	0.1.0+

Expansion Header (J21)¶

The expansion header contains many different signals and interfaces to the Jetson TX2 Module. These interfaces are outlined in the diagrams below.

Enclosure Installation¶

In some instances, customers may have purchased the product without an enclosure and desire to install the product in an enclosure purchased by Deepwave Digital. The instructions for installing the product in the aluminum enclosure may be found here.

Proper Handling¶

The AIR7101-A and AIR7201-A are both exposed printed circuit boards with many exposed conductors. It is essential that no conductive material be left near or in contact with the system. Best practices include using an anti-static mat and other ESD procedures when handling sensitive electronic equipment, including low humidity and not exposing the radio to liquids.

Warranty¶

Deepwave Digital Inc warrants that the Product will be free from defects in material and workmanship for a period of 12 months from the date of Deepwave Digital's shipment of the Product to the Customer. See the full warranty information here.