Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT


Portable and rugged spectrum monitoring

30 August 2024 Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT

The RFeye Node from CRFS is a portable and rugged high-performance RF sensor for real-time 24/7 spectrum monitoring and geolocation of transmitters.

Communication signals evolve as new demands, applications, and wireless standards emerge. The wider bandwidth, highly complex, and low-power signal characteristics are more challenging to find, identify, and geolocate. RFeye Nodes from CRFS are state-of-the-art superheterodyne receivers designed to support military and commercial applications without location, physical, or infrastructure constraints.

The company’s fourth-generation high-performance RF sensor has in-built edge processing that reduces the bandwidth of backhaul data. Excellent phase noise, low noise figure, and superb spurious free dynamic range, coupled with FPGA technology and card design, enable easy integration and exploitation of the SDR and computer platform. Multiple users have multi-mission capability, and can efficiently manage EMSO operations with a single Node, or seamlessly interact with a network of Nodes.

The RFeye provides 100 MHz IBW wideband frequency monitoring. The module is compatible with multiple GNSS signals including GPS, BeiDou, GALILEO, and GLONASS. With its ability to find and locate low-power signals, the units are unmatched at detecting signals with a low-probability-of-intercept.

These units provide for a flexible deployment, and can be utilised in rugged indoor or outdoor RF applications for fixed, temporary, or mobile platforms.

2024 Paris Olympics

To highlight one use case, the Agence Nationale des Frequences (ANFR – National Agency of Frequencies), the agency that manages all radio frequencies in France, were looking for a solution for the Olympic Games 2024 in Paris. ANFR needed to implement a robust, ITU-compliant spectrum monitoring solution in multiple phases over several years. The agency wanted to create an infrastructure capable of proactively managing frequency allocation, licence holders, spectrum occupancy, and large events. It also wanted to identify gaps to meet new demand for spectrum, while addressing CAPEX challenges.

The agency selected CRFS as its spectrum monitoring partner to implement fixed and mobile spectrum monitoring solutions, including for the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics. Initially, they invested in multiple Rfeye Nodes to create a spectrum monitoring infrastructure across France. In phase two, More RFeye Nodes were integrated with plug-ins for geolocation. Finally, phase three included additional small form-factor RFeye Nodes and managing software to support spectrum monitoring and RF interference management for large events like the 2024 Olympic Games.

The RFEye ecosystem that was implemented was found to be highly versatile and reliable, providing essential solutions for real-time spectrum monitoring, interference hunting, geolocation, and major event management.


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