Development of a radiofrequency signal generator for ionosonde radar transmitter using low-cost SDR

Abstract

The Jicamarca Radio Observatory (JRO) is an Instituto Geofísico del Perú (IGP) facility, dedicated to monitor the upper atmosphere with different instruments such as radars, GNSS receivers, magnetometers, among others. Ionosonde is a type of HF radar that uses multiple frequencies to survey the ionosphere and obtain estimates of electron density. In this poster we present the development of a low-cost radiofrequency signal generator for a ionosonde radar transmitter based on the Red Pitaya development board with a sampling frequency of 250 Msps, and the ability to transmit modulated signals with a frequency sweep ranging from 1 MHz to 60 MHz, providing the possibility of using it with other CW radars.