Vanteon vProtean User manual

Vanteon ♦99 Garnsey Road, Suite 200 ♦Pittsford, NY ♦14534 ♦585.419.9555
www.vanteon.com
User Manual
Version 3.1
vProtean™ Software Defined Radio

User Manual –vProtean Software Defined Radio
Information in this document is subject to change without notice
August 15, 2022 Vanteon Proprietary and Confidential i
Contents
1Introduction...................................................................................................................... 1
2Proper Care and Handling .................................................................................................. 1
3Technical Overview ........................................................................................................... 1
3.1 Block Diagram ............................................................................................................ 1
3.2 High Level Specifications ............................................................................................. 2
4Hardware Interfaces.......................................................................................................... 2
4.1 Connectors ................................................................................................................. 3
4.1.1 J2 Connector ........................................................................................................ 3
4.1.2 J14 Connector ...................................................................................................... 7
4.2 Switches..................................................................................................................... 7
4.3 LEDs ........................................................................................................................... 7
4.4 Mounts ...................................................................................................................... 7
5Software versions and Support HW.................................................................................... 8
6User Console..................................................................................................................... 8
6.1 UART.......................................................................................................................... 8
6.2 Main Menu................................................................................................................. 8
6.2.1 TX1/RX1 and TX2/RX2 Settings Menu.................................................................... 9
6.2.2 TX1 and TX2 Waveform Select Menu..................................................................... 9
6.2.3 TX1 and TX2 File Select Menu ............................................................................... 9
6.2.4 RX Waveform Capture Settings Menu ................................................................. 10
7Customer Support ........................................................................................................... 10
8Terms and Conditions of Sale........................................................................................... 10
9One Year Warranty.......................................................................................................... 11
10 Copyright Notice ............................................................................................................. 11
11 Trademark Acknowledgement ......................................................................................... 11

User Manual –vProtean Software Defined Radio
Information in this document is subject to change without notice
August 15, 2022 Vanteon Proprietary and Confidential 1
1Introduction
The Vanteon vProtean™ is a 2x2 software defined radio (SDR) that targets communications, signal
intelligence, and other multi-band processing applications. It is based on the Analog Devices ADRV9004
highly integrated wideband RF transceiver and the Xilinx Zynq-7020 all programmable System-on-Chip
(SoC). The vProtean SDR has a custom RF front end that is highly flexible, allowing its frequency range to
be configured from 30 to 6000 MHz.
Each vProtean SDR is pre-loaded with the vProtean SDR Evaluation Kit (VPROKIT-21) firmware. The
VPROKIT-21 firmware includes Vanteon proprietary, programmable logic cores and executable code to
perform transmit and receive functions via a menu-based UI over USB enabled com port from a host
computer (host not included). An encrypted Vivado Project of the VPROKIT-21’s FPGA firmware, along
with source code of the User Interface (UI) firmware is available under a free license agreement. The
vProtean schematic and layout design files, and Vanteon-proprietary DSP cores are available with a paid
license. Contact Vanteon Sales for more information.
2Proper Care and Handling
All Vanteon products are thoroughly tested before shipment. The vProtean SDR is guaranteed to be
functional at the time it is received by the customer. Improper use or handling of the vProtean SDR can
easily cause the device to become non-functional. Listed below are some examples of actions which can
prevent damage to the unit:
1. Never allow metal objects to touch the circuit board while powered.
2. Always properly terminate the transmit port with an antenna or 50Ω load.
3. Always handle the board with proper anti-static methods.
4. Never allow the board to directly or indirectly come into contact with any voltage spikes.
5. Never allow any water, or condensing moisture, to come into contact with the boards.
6. Never apply more than 0 dBm of power into any RF input.
7. Always use at least 30dB attenuation if operating in a loopback configuration.
The vProtean SDR is sold for evaluation purposes and test equipment. If you choose to use your vProtean
and Carrier to transmit using an antenna, it is your responsibility to make sure that you are in compliance
with all laws for the country, frequency, and power levels in which the device is used. Additionally, some
countries regulate reception in certain frequency bands. Again, it is the responsibility of the user to
maintain compliance with all local laws and regulations.
3Technical Overview
3.1 Block Diagram
vProtean SDR
Xilinx
Zynq
7020
Power
Flash
Debug I/F
(SPI, UART)
DDR
Host I/F
USB/ENET
ADRV9004
HMC8411
HMC8411
PHA-1H+
PHA-1H+

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3.2 High Level Specifications
Frequency Band 1
30 to 6000 MHz
Instantaneous Bandwidth
12 kHz to 40 MHz
Number of transmitters
2
Number of receivers
2
Output Transmit Power
Variable up to 19 dBm
Dimensions
9.0 cm x 4.2 cm
Host interface
UART, USB, Ethernet, I2C and SD Card
Antenna connections
MMCX RF connectors
Power control
Wide range of output power from –20 dBm to +19 dBm
Flash
512 Mb
DDR SDRAM
4 Gb
Input Voltage
2.0 VDC to 3.6 VDC
Front End Module Voltage
3.3 VDC to 4.5 VDC
4Hardware Interfaces
Figure 1: vProtean RevC, Top View

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Figure 2: vProtean RevC, Bottom View
4.1 Connectors
The vProtean SDR has a number of connectors that allow it to be interfaced to a host carrier board, and
connectors for antennas. That table below lists all of the connectors and their associated functions. Refer
to Figure 1 and Figure 2 for connector locations
Connector
Type
Function
J2
2x50 100 pin header
JTAG, UART, Boot Mode, Power, Reset, USB, Ethernet,
SD Card, I2C, GPIO
J3
MMCX
Transmit 1
J4
MMCX
Monitor 1 (DPD models only)
J5
MMCX
Receive 1
J7
MMCX
Transmit 2
J8
MMCX
Monitor2 (DPD models only)
J9
MMCX
Receive 2
J10
MICTOR
Debug
J11
MMCX
External Clock
J12
SMP
External LO1 (not fitted)
J13
SMP
External LO2 (not fitted)
J14
2-pin PicoBlade header
Fan Connector
4.1.1 J2 Connector
The J2 connector is a 100 pin header which may be used as an interface to a host carrier board, such as
the Vanteon Carrier board. The connector provides signals for several peripheral interfaces including
JTAG, UART, USB, Ethernet, SD Card, I2C and GPIO. Unless otherwise noted, minimum voltage for all
signals is PCB ground.

User Manual –vProtean Software Defined Radio
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August 15, 2022 Vanteon Proprietary and Confidential 4
Note that the connector is hermaphroditic, and pin numbers on the carrier are mirrored against the
vProtean.
USB host interface pins 26-40 may be configured as ETH1 by the host carrier board with firmware
support. Unused interfaces may be configured as GPIO.
vProtean Pin
Carrier Pin
Signal Name
Type
Description
22
21
VCC_1P0V
Power
1.0 V nominal core voltage
1, 3, 5, 7
2, 4, 6, 8
VCC_1P8V
Power
1.8 V nominal IO level
14, 16
13, 15
VCC_3P3V
Power
3.3 V nominal IO level
2, 4, 6, 8
1, 3, 5, 7
VCC_SYS
Power
5 to 6.5VDC System power
input
9, 10, 11, 12, 18, 20,
24, 39, 42, 53, 62, 71,
76, 81, 82, 87, 88, 93,
94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99,
100
9, 10, 11, 12, 17, 19,
23, 40, 41, 54, 61, 72,
75, 81, 82, 87, 88, 93,
94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99,
100
GND
Power
PCB Ground
27
28
USB_CTL.CLKOUT
Out
USB Clock
29
30
USB_CTL.DIR
In
USB Control
31
32
USB_CTL.NXP
In
USB Control
35
36
USB_CTL.RESET_n
In
USB Reset
33
34
USB_CTL.STP
In
USB Control
40
39
USB_DATA0
In/Out
USB Data
38
37
USB_DATA1
In/Out
USB Data
26
25
USB_DATA2
In/Out
USB Data
30
29
USB_DATA3
In/Out
USB Data
36
35
USB_DATA4
In/Out
USB Data
34
33
USB_DATA5
In/Out
USB Data
28
27
USB_DATA6
In/Out
USB Data
32
31
USB_DATA7
In/Out
USB Data
60
59
ETH0.MDC
Out
MII Management Data Clock
52
51
ETH0.MDIO
In/Out
MII Management Data I/O
44
43
ETH0.RESET_n
In
MII Reset
46
45
ETH0.RX.CLK
In
MII Clock Receive
48
47
ETH0.RX.CTRL
In
MII Receive Enable
56
55
ETH0.RX.D0
In
MII Data Receive
50
49
ETH0.RX.D1
In
MII Data Receive
58
57
ETH0.RX.D2
In
MII Data Receive
54
53
ETH0.RX.D3
In
MII Data Receive
41
42
ETH0.TX.CLK
In
MII Clock Transmit
51
52
ETH0.TX.CTRL
Out
MII Transmit Enable
43
44
ETH0.TX.D0
Out
MII Data Transmit
45
46
ETH0.TX.D1
Out
MII Data Transmit

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vProtean Pin
Carrier Pin
Signal Name
Type
Description
47
48
ETH0.TX.D2
Out
MII Data Transmit
49
50
ETH0.TX.D3
Out
MII Data Transmit
74
73
SD_CARD.CLK
Out
microSD Card Clock
66
65
SD_CARD.CMD
Out
microSD Card Data
72
71
SD_CARD.D0
In/Out
microSD Card Data
68
67
SD_CARD.D1
In/Out
microSD Card Data
64
63
SD_CARD.D2
In/Out
microSD Card Data
70
69
SD_CARD.D3
In/Out
microSD Card Data
23
24
SDCARD_CD
In
microSD Card Detect
78
77
I2C_SDA
In/Out
I2C Serial Data
80
79
I2C_SCL
Out
I2C Serial Clock
13
14
UART0_TXD_1P8V
Out
UART transmit
25
26
UART0_RXD_1P8V
In
UART Receive
15
16
PS_BOOT_MODE0
In
Boot Mode Logic
17
18
PS_BOOT_MODE1
In
Boot Mode Logic
37
38
PS_SRSTn
In
System Reset. Open-drain
wire-or. Drive with open-
drain or switch closure to
GND.
19
20
DEV_CLK_B2B._N
In/Out
External transceiver clock
input (not connected in
standard build)
21
22
DEV_CLK_B2B._P
In/Out
External transceiver clock
input (not connected in
standard build)
55
56
MCS_B2B._N
In/Out
Multi-Chip Synchronization
(not connected in standard
build)
57
58
MCS_B2B._P
In/Out
Multi-Chip Synchronization
(not connected in standard
build)
73
74
J_TMS
In
JTAG Test Mode Select
75
76
J_TDO
Out
JTAG Test Data Output
77
78
J_TDI
In
JTAG Test Data Input
79
80
J_TCK
In
JTAG Test Clock

User Manual –vProtean Software Defined Radio
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vProtean Pin
Carrier Pin
Signal Name
Type
Description
90
89
SPARE_PAIRS.CLK._P
In/Out
Differential I/O Pairs, 2.5 V
nominal
92
91
SPARE_PAIRS.CLK._N
In/Out
Differential I/O Pairs, 2.5 V
nominal
89
90
SPARE_PAIRS.0._P
In/Out
Differential I/O Pairs, 2.5 V
nominal
91
92
SPARE_PAIRS.0._N
In/Out
Differential I/O Pairs, 2.5 V
nominal
84
83
SPARE_PAIRS.1._P
In/Out
Differential I/O Pairs, 2.5 V
nominal
86
85
SPARE_PAIRS.1._N
In/Out
Differential I/O Pairs, 2.5 V
nominal
83
84
SPARE_PAIRS.2._P
In/Out
Differential I/O Pairs, 2.5 V
nominal
85
86
SPARE_PAIRS.2._N
In/Out
Differential I/O Pairs, 2.5 V
nominal
67
68
SPARE_PAIRS.3._P
In/Out
Differential I/O Pairs, 2.5 V
nominal
69
70
SPARE_PAIRS.3._N
In/Out
Differential I/O Pairs, 2.5 V
nominal
63
64
SPARE_PAIRS.4._P
In/Out
Differential I/O Pairs, 2.5 V
nominal
65
66
SPARE_PAIRS.4._N
In/Out
Differential I/O Pairs, 2.5 V
nominal
59
60
SPARE_PAIRS.5._P
In/Out
Differential I/O Pairs, 2.5 V
nominal
61
62
SPARE_PAIRS.5._N
In/Out
Differential I/O Pairs, 2.5 V
nominal
The following J2 pinout Table lists those pins that are different in the older vProtean HW revisions A2.
All other pins are the same as vProtean HW Revisions B0 and C0 above.
vProtean Pin
Carrier Pin
Signal Name
Type
Description
61
62
J1_GPIO0
In/Out
General Purpose I/O, 1.8 V nominal
69
70
J1_GPIO1
In/Out
General Purpose I/O, 1.8 V nominal
63
64
J1_GPIO2
In/Out
General Purpose I/O, 1.8 V nominal
65
66
J1_GPIO3
In/Out
General Purpose I/O, 1.8 V nominal
57
58
J1_GPIO4
In/Out
General Purpose I/O, 1.8 V nominal
59
60
J1_GPIO5
In/Out
General Purpose I/O, 1.8 V nominal
67
68
J1_GPIO6
In/Out
General Purpose I/O, 1.8 V nominal
83
84
SPARE_PAIRS.0._N
In/Out
Differential I/O Pairs, 2.5 V nominal
85
86
SPARE_PAIRS.0._P
In/Out
Differential I/O Pairs, 2.5 V nominal

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91
92
SPARE_PAIRS.1._N
In/Out
Differential I/O Pairs, 2.5 V nominal
89
90
SPARE_PAIRS.1._P
In/Out
Differential I/O Pairs, 2.5 V nominal
92
91
SPARE_PAIRS.2._N
In/Out
Differential I/O Pairs, 2.5 V nominal
90
89
SPARE_PAIRS.2._P
In/Out
Differential I/O Pairs, 2.5 V nominal
86
85
SPARE_PAIRS.3._N
In/Out
Differential I/O Pairs, 2.5 V nominal
84
83
SPARE_PAIRS.3._P
In/Out
Differential I/O Pairs, 2.5 V nominal
4.1.2 J14 Connector
Pin
Description
1
FAN -
2
FAN +
The J14 connector is a fan connector to provide cooling for the system. It can deliver 5V up to 200mA, and
can be speed controlled using PWM in software. Connect a suitable fan using a Molex PicoBlade connector,
e.g. #15134-0200
4.2 Switches
The vProtean software defined radio has two switches, whose function is described in the table below.
SW1
DIP Switch
Boot Mode. Move to position J (towards Vanteon logo) for JTAG boot
mode, position Q forQSPI or SD card booting. Can beoverridden by carrier
jumpers.
SW2
Pushbutton
Reset. Can also be driven from carrier board.
4.3 LEDs
The vProtean software defined radio has two LEDs, whose function is described in the table below. This
is followed by a board diagram showing the location of each LED.
LED1
Blue
On when Zynq 7020 programmable logic has been programmed
LED2
Green
Software control
4.4 Mounts
The vProtean software defined radio has one mounting point. In the standard configuration, it is designed
for a standoff height from carrier PCB of 9.5mm (3/8”).
MNT
Standoff
Use threaded spacer, screws and locking washer (supplied in kit).
The smaller head screw is intended for the top side, to avoid
collision with RF connectors

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5Software versions and Support HW
Version
Supported vProtean HW
Version 1.x
vProtean HW Rev A1 with B0 Silicon
Version 2.x
vProtean HW Rev A2 with C0 Silicon
Version 3.x
vProtean HW Rev B0 with C0 silicon
6User Console
If the vProtean SDR was purchased as part of an evaluation kit, it is preloaded with a menu-based
application that allows a user to perform transmit and receive functions. This section explains how to use
the vProtean SDR evaluation application. Note that the evaluation kit application does not provide access
to the full capabilities of the vProtean SDR platform.
6.1 UART
The simplest method to access the preloaded test application on the vProtean SDR is to mount it to a the
Vanteon Carrier board. The Carrier board provides a serial console interface via the Type-C USB
connector. Connect the vProtean Carrier Board to a PC using the appropriate USB cable. Use a terminal
emulator program on the PC to open a terminal session using the virtual COM port associated with the
vProtean Carrier Board. The serial port parameters are: 115200 baud, 8 bits, no parity, 1 stop bit, no
handshaking.
6.2 Main Menu
The vProtean software defined radio has a hierarchical menu structure that allows you to configure the
radio and to transmit and receive test waveforms. The main menu consists of the following status and
commands:
Item
Name
Function
-
TX RX Sample Rate
Display of the pre-configured sample rate (not user
changeable)
-
FPGA Temperature
Display of the FPGA temperature
-
ADRV Temperature
Display of the RF IC temperature
-
RX1 RSSI
Display of RX1 RSSI
-
RX2 RSSI
Display of RX2 RSSI
1
TX1 RX1 Settings
Configure TX1 and RX1
2
TX2 RX2 Settings
Configure TX2 and RX2
3
Capture RX
Initiate RX capture according to RX capture settings
4
RX Capture Waveform Settings
Configure the RX capture parameters
5
Recalibrate System
Force a transceiver recalibration

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6.2.1 TX1/RX1 and TX2/RX2 Settings Menu
There are two submenus for configuring the TX1/RX1 and TX2/RX2 pairs. This section covers both
submenus, and refers to TX1 and TX2 as a generic TX_, and RX1 and RX2 as a generic RX_.
Item
Name
Function
1
TX_/RX_ Frequency
Set the TX_/RX_ frequency (30 MHz to 6000 MHz)
2
Toggle TX_
Toggles transmit for TX_ on/off
3
TX_ Waveform Select
Go to TX_ waveform select menu
4
Digital Attenuation (dB)
Attenuation that is applied digitally to the transmit
waveform (0 to 100 dB)
5
TX_ Front End Atten (dB)
Sets the attenuation in the ADRV9004 (0 to 41.5 dB),
value can only be changed when TX is enabled
6
TX_ BOOST
Adds an additional 3 dB to the transmit
7
Toggle RX_
Toggles receive for RX_ on/off
Note: The vProtean SDR may require external cooling, should both transmit channels be used
continuously. The FPGA and ADRV temperatures displayed on the main menu should be
monitored by the user, and external cooling (i.e. directed fan) should be applied as needed.
6.2.2 TX1 and TX2 Waveform Select Menu
The TX Waveform Select Menu configures the waveform that is transmitted when the TX is
toggled on.When the transmit is enabled, the selected waveform is transmitted repeatedly.
Item
Name
Function
-
Current Waveform
Display the current selected waveform
1
Zeros
Fills transmit buffer with zero waveform
2
CW
Single tone at carrier frequency
3
USB Tone, Offset=FS/32
Upper side band waveform, FS=sample rate
4
Dual Tone, Offset=FS/32+FS/8
Dual tone waveform, FS=sample rate
5
File
Go to file select menu to load waveform file
from SD card
6.2.3 TX1 and TX2 File Select Menu
The File Menu allows the user to select a user defined file that specifies the transmit waveform.
The file must exist on the SD card to be listed in this menu. The format of the filename must have
a “.iq” extension to show up in the file list.
The format of a transmit waveform is a .CSV file with one sample (IQ p air) per line with I and Q
values separated by a comma.
For Version 1.x Software
The TX waveform file must contain between a minimum of 256 samples and a maximum of
2,097,150 samples, inclusive.

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For Version 2.x and 3.x Software
The TX waveform file must contain between a minimum of 512 samples and a maximum of
4,194,304 samples, inclusive. The number of samples should be a multiple of 512. If the number
of samples is not a multiple of 512, the TX waveform will be zero padded to the next multiple of
512.
Note: The vProtean SDR and Carrier board should be powered down whenever mounting or
removing the SD card.
6.2.4 RX Waveform Capture Settings Menu
The RX Waveform Capture Settings Menu allows the user to set the number of samples captured
and the file to which the samples are saved. It also allows the user to configure which RX channel
will be captured.
The format of a captured waveform is a .CSV file with one sample (IQ pair) per line with I and Q
values separated by a comma.
If the captured waveform filename has an “.iq” extension it will show up in the TX waveform list
if the capture was successful.
For Version 1.x Software
The number of RX samples to capture must be between a minimum of 256 samples and a
maximum of 2,097,150 samples, inclusive.
For Version 2.x Software
The number of RX samples to capture must be a multiple of 512. If it is not a multiple of 512 the
capture will fail.
Item
Name
Function
1
Filename
The name of the file to save the RX samples to. The filename
can be up to 9 characters. The filename extension can be up
to 2 characters. It is recommended that the filename
extension be “.iq”
2
Samples
The number of samples to capture.
3
RX Channel [1,2]
Configure which RX channel the capture should be performed
on.
7Customer Support
If you experience difficulty after reading the manual and/or using the product, please feel free to contact
[e-mail] for additional assistance.
Vanteon offers contract engineering services and can assist you in implementing the vProtean SDR into
your system.
8Terms and Conditions of Sale
All sales of product are subject to the terms and conditions described in “Vanteon Corporation – Terms
and Conditions of Product Sales”. Unless explicitly agreed to in writing, Vanteon rejects all modifications
to these standard terms and conditions.

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9One Year Warranty
Vanteon Corporation provides a One-Year Limited Warranty for all products sold. Should this product, in
Vanteon Corporation’s opinion, fail to be in good working order during the warranty period, Vanteon
Corporation will, at its option, repair or replace this product at no charge, provided that the product has
not been subject to abuse, misuse, accident or unauthorized modification or repair.
Products returned to Vanteon must be pre-authorized by Vanteon and sent prepaid, insured, and
packaged for safe shipment. Vanteon will return this product by prepaid ground shipment service.
Should the product prove to be irreparable, Vanteon reserves the right to substitute an equivalent product
if available.
See accompanying “Vanteon Corporation – Terms and Conditions of Product Sales” for additional
information regarding this warranty.
The above warranty is the only warranty authorized by Vanteon for this product. Under no circumstances
will Vanteon be liable in any way for any damages, including any lost profits, business revenue, special,
indirect, incidental, exemplary, punitive, or consequential damages arising out of the use of, or inability
to use such product.
10 Copyright Notice
The information contained in this document is subject to change without notice. Vanteon Corporation
shall not be liable for errors contained herein or for incidental or consequential damages in connection
with the furnishing, performance, or use of this material. This document contains proprietary information
that is protected by copyright. All rights are reserved. No part of this document may be photocopied,
reproduced, or translated to another language without the prior written consent of Vanteon Corporation.
Copyright © 2020 by Vanteon Corporation.
11 Trademark Acknowledgement
Vanteon Corporation acknowledges all trademarks, registered trademarks and/or copyrights referred to
in this document as the property of their respective owners. Not listing all possible trademarks or
copyright acknowledgements does not constitute a lack of acknowledgement to the rightful owners of
the trademarks and copyrights mentioned in this document.