These devices are often used as repeaters for space or terrestrial communication, but also find use for ranging, Doppler, time transfer and radar return enhancement applications (deep space, marine radar, location/positioning, etc.) or in identification (e.g. toll road passes, ATC secondary surveillance radar). Transponders can be a straightforward linear “bent pipe” frequency converter or embody complex functionality like data store-and-forward, ad-hoc network, command & telemetry, unique identification. Radar transponders are specialized transceivers that listen for radar pulses from (e.g. air-traffic, marine, space) surveillance radar stations and transmit return pulses/location data after a well-defined delay. These devices are useful for enhancing the probability of detection in high clutter environments or where low radar cross-section targets are encountered or long-range detection of targets where passive reflection is not sufficient (deep space ranging, small target location).

We have developed transponders using both analog and digital radio systems for space (Doppler, SDR ranging transponders in C/X band) as well as terrestrial use (communication repeaters, radar transponders). Let us develop your next transponder solution.