Radiation Effects on Commercial All-Programmable RF-Agile Transceiver

This presentation provides insights into radiation effects on commercial all-programmable RF-agile transceivers, focusing on devices such as the AD9361 and its successor technologies, the ADRV90XX family. These highly integrated RFICs combine key building blocks of modern radio communication systems — complete RF chains (amplifiers, filters, mixers, switches) alongside high-performance ADCs and DACs — within a single chip. A defining feature of these devices is their extensive software configurability, enabling fully programmable RF characteristics. This flexibility opens new opportunities for Software-Defined Radio (SDR) architectures, particularly in space applications where adaptability can significantly influence system design, mass, and overall mission cost. The talk focuses on radiation effects testing of these complex commercial devices, highlighting observed sensitivities and failure mechanisms. Based on the results, practical mitigation strategies are discussed to support the reliable use of RF-agile transceivers in radiation-exposed environments. Design considerations for reliable, low-cost and highly flexible SDR platforms in space applications today span a wide spectrum, from traditional agency-driven programs with long qualification cycles and maximum reliability to low-budget university CubeSat missions focused on rapid development and minimal cost. The NewSpace era introduces a middle ground that demands new design approaches balancing reliability, cost efficiency, and fast manufacturing, as demonstrated by large commercial constellations such as Starlink and Project Kuiper. This presentation discusses how these differing philosophies impact the design of reliable, low-cost, and highly flexible SDR platforms for space applications. Key considerations for using Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) components are addressed, including reliability, radiation tolerance, and verification challenges. A new numerical risk assessment approach is introduced to support transparent trade-offs between space-qualified and COTS components. The concepts are illustrated using a practical SDR system example, highlighting design strategies suitable for modern NewSpace missions.