The project is a collaboration between Lime Microsystems and the European Space Agency (ESA) and will use LimeSDR platforms to create these solutions as an extension to current use cases in cellular, military and IoT applications.
Lime intends to make 200 LimeSDR Mini units for developers wanting to create applications in the field of satellite communications.
According to Lime, applications will be developed by the LimeSDR community and shared via Lime-Canonical ‘SDR App Store for Satcom’, which is in the works.
Applications are anticipated to focus on satellite connectivity and IoT.
Ideas coming from the ongoing 5G efforts in moving toward an SDR based open architecture, enabling fully integrated heterogeneous networks, will also be prototyped in a satellite context.
The move forms part of ESA’s ARTES programme and comes as part of the ESA’s ‘drive to speed up satellite communication developments’ in the hope that the European and Canadian industry remains competitive.
“With modern satellite communications, many design challenges are unique, requiring testing and experimentation to reveal what does and does not work,” said the ESA’s Frank Zeppenfeldt. “For this reason, fast prototyping of promising technology concepts is absolutely essential.
“Through the ‘SDR App Store for Satellite’ initiative, ESA hopes to engage and work with a wide variety of new parties to enable new ideas, boost innovative technologies and prepare for future Satcom products.
“The LimeSDR community is innovative, but not yet active in the satcom market. We would like to engage with it and help it to develop innovative satcoms solutions. Through this project, we’d like to see an SDR satcoms community emerge. ESA supports the open source approach that Lime Microsystems intends to follow in the ARTES project.”
