NASA NEXT-GENERATION ALL-DIGITAL DEEP SPACE NETWORK BREADBOARD RECEIVER

This paper describes the breadboard advanced receiver (ARX) that is cu rrently being built for future use in NASA's deep space network (DSN). This receiver has unique requirements in having to operate with very weak signals from deep space probes and provide high quality telemetry and tracking data. The hybrid analog/digital receiver performs multip le functions including carrier, subcarrier and symbol synchronization. Tracking can be achieved for either residual, suppressed or hybrid ca rriers and for both sinusoidal and square wave subcarriers. System req uirements are specified and a functional description of the ARX is pre sented. The various digital signal processing algorithms used are also discussed and illustrated with block diagrams. Other functions such a s time tagged Doppler extraction and monitor/control are also discusse d including acquisition algorithms and lock detection schemes.