"A tool like this is very handy to have in your RF kit."

"moRFeus was built for hams and hackers, people with a traditional amateur radio background, as well as a makers and researchers that are interested in RF experimentation."

MoRFeus is a 30 MHz–6 GHz field-configurable Fractional-N wideband frequency converter and signal generator. Its LCD display and button interface enable dynamic field-level configuration - from switching between signal generator and other modes, to setting the local oscillator frequency and more. It was designed for wideband frequency up- and down-conversion - with an LO frequency range of 85 MHz–5.4 GHz and input/output frequency range of 30 MHz–6 GHz

MoRFeus is small, lightweight, and functional. It was designed for low spurious emissions and is packaged in a precision-milled aluminum enclosure.

7.4 ounces and 3.5 x 2.7 x 1.5 inches

Product development for moRFeus is done, so we’ll be shipping soon. And it’s only $149 if you act fast.

Use cases for moRFeus are many

Wideband radios

Distributed antenna systems

Diversity receivers

Software-defined radios

Frequency band shifters

Point-to-point radios

WiMax/LTE infrastructure

Satellite communications

Wideband jammers

Remote radio heads

Frequency up/down conversion

Automated test equipment (ATE)

Wireless communication systems

How it works

MoRFeus integrates into popular RF environments using SMA connectors and is powered using an external micro-USB 5 V supply. The LCD display and button interface provide a dynamic way to program the mixer LO frequency in the field with a step size of 1.5–3 Hz*. Dynamic toggling between mixer and generator modes adds to field-level functionality. An optional bias voltage of 5 V is available via RF choke to the mixer input to supply active antenna systems. The device is also USB HID programmable, enabling automatic operation from a PC running Windows or Linux.

Features

RF input frequency: 30 MHz–6 GHz

RF output frequency: 30 MHz–6 GHz

LO frequency: 85 MHz–5400 MHz

Fractional-N synthesizer

LO step size: 1.5–3 Hz*

USB programmable (Windows or Linux)

Generator/mixer function toggle

Small, portable form factor

Adjustable mixer bias current

LCD display With backlight

Button control interface

General Specifications

Input voltage: 5 V

ESD protection (RF IN and OUT ports): IEC 61000-4-2 contact discharge, 8 KV

Bias voltage: 5 V

Active bias current protection: 425 mA

Mixer input/output isolation: see mixer performance

Input IP3: +23 dBm

RF/IF input absolute maximum power: +15 dBm

Operating temperature -40 to +85

Storage temperature range -65 to +150

Dimensions: 88 mm x 38 mm x 68 mm

Weight: 7.4 oz

*Step size is frequency-dependent. Lower step sizes (1-2 Hz) are characteristic of lower frequency domains and higher step sizes (2-3 Hz) of higher domains.

Synthesizer

LO Phase Noise (dBc/Hz) Offset 1 GHz -108 10 kHz 1 GHz -107 100 kHz 1 GHz -135 1 MHz 2 GHz -102 10 kHz 2 GHz -101 100 kHz 2 GHz -130 1 MHz 3 GHz -98 10 kHz 3 GHz -98 100 kHz 3 GHz -125 1 MHz 4 GHz -96 10 kHz 4 GHz -95 100 kHz 4 GHz -124 1 MHz

Mixer Performance

LO Input Power Input Frequency Output Frequency Output Power Conversion Gain 400 2.47 500 100 -8.95 -11.42 400 -1.894 1000 600 -10 -8.106 400 -9.65 1500 1100 -25 -15.35 400 -10.27 2000 1600 -28.1 -17.83 400 -11.112 2500 2900 -28.4 -17.288 850 -.073 900 50 -12.04 -11.31 1500 -10.757 2400 900 -20.24 -9.483 2400 -9.65 1500 900 -25.5 -15.85 4000 -1.894 1000 3000 -21.3 -19.406 4000 -15.4 5400 1400 -37.3 -21.9

Mixer Current

moRFeus offers an optional mixer current control which impacts the linearity of the output signal. The controls are exposed for advanced users to experiment and fine tune mixer performance.

Generator Mode

In generator mode, the output port of moRFeus is set to the LO frequency. It has a range limited by the internal LO which is 85 Mhz to 5.4 GHz (it should be noted that the mixer input handles frequencies up to 6G Hz). Generator mode can be used to generate arbitrary CW signals for testing or mixing purposes.

A plot of Output Power versus Mixer Current Setting

In generator mode, output power changes relative to the mixer current setting. When the mixer current is set to 0, output power is relatively low. For settings 1-7, output power is stronger. This chart plots output power relative to the mixer current setting.

Output Power vs Mixer Current setting (generator mode)

Device Information

Click to view and download the moRFeus Data Sheet

Click to view and download the moRFeus User Guide

Comparisons

Outernet moRFeus Signal Hound VSG25A Vector Signal Generator RF Explorer Signal Generator (RFE8GEN) Mini-circuits ZX05-63H-S+ (Mixer) Windfreak MixNV (Mixer + Signal Generator) RF Input Frequency Range 30 MHz-6 GHz N/A N/A 750 MHz-6 GHz 1 MHz-6 GHz RF Output Frequecy Range 30 MHz-6 GHz 100 MHz-2.5 GHz 24 MHz-6 GHz DC-1 GHz 1 MHz-6 GHz LO Frequency Range 85 MHz-5.4 GHz N/A N/A 750 MHz-6 GHz 85 MHz-5 GHz Frequency Resolution 1.5–3 Hz¹ < 1 Hz 1 KHz N/A 1 Hz Phase noise at 1 GHz and 10 kHZ offset -108 dBc/Hz -88 dBc/Hz N/A N/A -108 dBc/Hz Frequency up/down Converter Yes No No Yes Yes Signal Generator Yes Yes Yes No Yes Field-configurable Yes No Somewhat No No User Interface Button/LCD display and software-programmable Windows PC VSG25A software required LCD Display and RF Explorer for Windows PC client N/A Software-programmable, Windfreak software w/ Labview GUI Bias Current Available Yes No No No No RF In/Out Connectors Yes, SMA Out, SMA Out, SMA Yes, SMA Yes, SMA Power Input Connector micro-USB USB Type B mini-USB N/A mini-USB Stand-alone Signal Generator Yes ² No ³ Yes No No ³ Stand-alone Frequency Converter Yes No ⁴ No ⁵ No ⁶ No ³ Price $149 $495 $189 $53 $499

Notes: 1. step size is frequency-dependent, see datasheet 2. uncalibrated amplitude, see datasheet 3. requires PC 4. requires PC + mixer 5. requires mixer 6. requires LO and signal generator

To solve our RF testing needs, and yours

Over the past three years, Outernet has designed, developed, and deployed thousands of data radios all over the world to receive multi-media content - from news and emergency alerts to real-time weather data, educational material, audio files, and videos - via our satellite broadcast. No small feat, this required innovations in RF. moRFeus came about because of a need we had to easily up- and down-convert various radios we were experimenting with for Outernet’s Dreamcatcher 3.0.

One of our team members came up with the idea about a year ago. By the summer of 2017, we had our first prototype and working firmware. The design still required some slight tweaking. The current version of moRFeus is the third design iteration. Oddly enough, the last phase of the project, industrial design of the enclosure, ended up being the most time-consuming. We worked with a local designer with decades of experiences as a machinist to come up with a custom-made, all-aluminum enclosure. We are excited to offer the technology to help you with your unique RF project.

moRFeus Video Demonstration

Shipping & Fulfillment

There is no shipping cost to U.S. customers. International shipments will be fulfilled with FedEx to ensure proper insurance and tracking. The shipping fee is $26 USD for all international shipments. This fee does not include any applicable taxes, duties, etc. For more information about ordering, paying, and shipping please review the Crowd Supply Guide.