First MCR Hardware Revision
September 5, 2025
Author: Evan Peters VE7ITX
Empowering the future of amateur radio and digital communications
We are pleased to announce the successful completion and testing of the first hardware iteration of the Modular Cubesat Radio (MCR). This milestone marks the assembly and validation of the system’s major components, including the computer carrier board and software-defined radio (SDR), as well as the frontend boards used in the MARMOTSat mission, the HF power amplifier and VHF transverter. Each board was fabricated, assembled, and evaluated individually before system-level integration, providing a strong foundation for the project’s next phase.
Board-level testing demonstrated solid baseline performance across all modules. The carrier board successfully hosted the AMDKria K24 system-on-module and supported initial bring-up of the SDR interface, with the two boards and SoM idling stably at around 4W of DC power. The SDR transmit and receive chains were also verified over the satellite band, performing as expected given the design’s Hermes-Lite 2 heritage. The HF power amplifier achieved 5W with 45dB gain and 58% power added efficiency, while the VHF transverter demonstrated stable up- and down-conversion at 2W output. Overall the results confirm the viability of the architecture while also highlighting opportunities for optimization.
MCR SDR 29MHz Tx Tone and Spurs
MCR Rx Spectrum (Left) Vs Hermes-Lite Rx Spectrum (Right)
Integration testing identified several areas for refinement that will guide the next hardware revision. Removing excess telemetry and control complexity will improve power efficiency and ensure sustained operation at higher transmit duty cycles. Similarly, the FPGA hardware present on the SoM can be used to replace the Cyclone-IV FPGA on the SDR. Opportunities to streamline the board-to-board interconnects between the SDR and RF front ends will also be explored, which will increase structural integrity while making assembly and handling easier.
Looking ahead, the team is focused on implementing these improvements to develop the modular framework that will allow the MCR to scale across Amateur bands and mission profiles. With the first iteration successfully completed, the project is now on a clear path towards a more mature, flight-ready system that can provide both flexibility and reliability for satellite communications.
We are grateful for the financial support from ARDC which enables us to undertake this interesting and impactful project. Stay tuned for more updates as the project advances toward deployment, and check out the Gitlab repository which hosts prototype releases of the MCR project as it is being developed.
