Opal is Apsis’s pre-market TT&C design with S-band uplink, X- or Ka-band downlink, up to 5 Mbit/s full duplex and up to 2 W RF output. The preliminary architecture combines PolarFire modem DSP/fault monitoring and a Zephyr-based MSPM0 client processor. Four 256-bit hardware Firecodes, A/B boot images, NSP/CSP API packets and Radio Shell serial/RF access support command/recovery integration. External RF modules, antennas and clock/1PPS inputs are configuration dependencies. Whole-unit qualification and a definitive current bus ICD remain unresolved.
Technical detail
Core features
S2.025–2.110 GHz uplink; X8.025–8.400 GHz or Ka 25.5–27 GHz downlink
Up to 5 Mbit/s full duplex and up to 2 W RF output
Four hardware Firecodes and redundant A/B boot images
NSP/CSP client API and Radio Shell over serial or RF
External LNA/HPA and dual receive/transmit antennas; clock/1PPS inputs
Opal TT&C
CCSDS
PolarFire
Zephyr
Firecodes
Use & integration
Recorded applications
Spacecraft command and telemetry integration
Hardware recovery-command planning
Two-way symmetric ranging integration
These describe the reviewed application scope, not confirmed deployments, released requirements or procurement eligibility.
Evidence of maturity
Explicitly pre-market/in development, with preliminary specifications. Estimated 20 krad TID, NASA GEVS table entry and component heritage are not complete-unit qualification or certified encryption.
Commercial availability
Apsis invites upcoming-programme discussions. Current configuration, interface ICD, test/qualification evidence, availability and delivery commitments require confirmation.
Integration and verification
Readiness
A technology readiness level is not established by the reviewed public sources.
Reviewed connections
No reviewed Mission area or released Defence need connection is currently published.
Original sources 2 linked records
These records support this capability and its published Mission area and Defence need connections. A source count is not a count of independent confirmations.
Opal lists S-band uplink2.025–2.110GHz and X-band8.025–8.400GHz or Ka-band25.5–27GHz downlink, full-duplex rate up to5Mbit/s and RF output up to2W.
Supports: Capability · catalogue teaser
Opal lists S-band uplink2.025–2.110GHz and X-band8.025–8.400GHz or Ka-band25.5–27GHz downlink, full-duplex rate up to5Mbit/s and RF output up to2W.
Supports: Capability · defence applications
The supplier describes four dedicated hardware-decoded256-bit Firecodes with independent outputs and a path bypassing much normal processing, A/B boot images and PolarFire monitoring of fault conditions. These are design mechanisms, not demonstrated whole-system reliability.
Supports: Capability · core features
The supplier describes four dedicated hardware-decoded256-bit Firecodes with independent outputs and a path bypassing much normal processing, A/B boot images and PolarFire monitoring of fault conditions. These are design mechanisms, not demonstrated whole-system reliability.
Supports: Capability · core features
Opal lists S-band uplink2.025–2.110GHz and X-band8.025–8.400GHz or Ka-band25.5–27GHz downlink, full-duplex rate up to5Mbit/s and RF output up to2W.
Supports: Capability · core features
The software API accepts NSP- or CSP-formatted packets. Apsis Radio Shell allows low-level console access over physical serial or RF; optional external clock and1PPS inputs support timing and two-way symmetric ranging.
Supports: Capability · core features
The preliminary modem lists BPSK, QPSK/OQPSK and8PSK, CCSDS131/132/231/232 and AES256 capability; no encryption certification is established.
Supports: Capability · defence applications
The supplier describes four dedicated hardware-decoded256-bit Firecodes with independent outputs and a path bypassing much normal processing, A/B boot images and PolarFire monitoring of fault conditions. These are design mechanisms, not demonstrated whole-system reliability.
Supports: Capability · display lead
The supplier describes four dedicated hardware-decoded256-bit Firecodes with independent outputs and a path bypassing much normal processing, A/B boot images and PolarFire monitoring of fault conditions. These are design mechanisms, not demonstrated whole-system reliability.
Supports: Capability · technical tags
The preliminary modem lists BPSK, QPSK/OQPSK and8PSK, CCSDS131/132/231/232 and AES256 capability; no encryption certification is established.
Supports: Capability · defence applications
The software API accepts NSP- or CSP-formatted packets. Apsis Radio Shell allows low-level console access over physical serial or RF; optional external clock and1PPS inputs support timing and two-way symmetric ranging.
Supports: Capability · commercial availability
Opal TT&C is explicitly pre-market and in development; specifications are preliminary and subject to development/qualification changes.
Supports: Capability · technicaldomainslugs
Opal lists S-band uplink2.025–2.110GHz and X-band8.025–8.400GHz or Ka-band25.5–27GHz downlink, full-duplex rate up to5Mbit/s and RF output up to2W.
Supports: Capability · defence applications
The software API accepts NSP- or CSP-formatted packets. Apsis Radio Shell allows low-level console access over physical serial or RF; optional external clock and1PPS inputs support timing and two-way symmetric ranging.
Supports: Capability · summary
The supplier describes four dedicated hardware-decoded256-bit Firecodes with independent outputs and a path bypassing much normal processing, A/B boot images and PolarFire monitoring of fault conditions. These are design mechanisms, not demonstrated whole-system reliability.
Supports: Capability · core features
Opal supports two receive/two transmit antenna interfaces and configurable external LNA/HPA modules. Antenna arrangement, link budget and front-end modules remain configuration-specific.
Supports: Capability · summary
Opal supports two receive/two transmit antenna interfaces and configurable external LNA/HPA modules. Antenna arrangement, link budget and front-end modules remain configuration-specific.
Supports: Capability · catalogue teaser
The supplier describes four dedicated hardware-decoded256-bit Firecodes with independent outputs and a path bypassing much normal processing, A/B boot images and PolarFire monitoring of fault conditions. These are design mechanisms, not demonstrated whole-system reliability.
Supports: Capability · defence applications
The software API accepts NSP- or CSP-formatted packets. Apsis Radio Shell allows low-level console access over physical serial or RF; optional external clock and1PPS inputs support timing and two-way symmetric ranging.
Supports: Capability · technical tags
The supplier describes four dedicated hardware-decoded256-bit Firecodes with independent outputs and a path bypassing much normal processing, A/B boot images and PolarFire monitoring of fault conditions. These are design mechanisms, not demonstrated whole-system reliability.
Supports: Capability · core features
Opal lists S-band uplink2.025–2.110GHz and X-band8.025–8.400GHz or Ka-band25.5–27GHz downlink, full-duplex rate up to5Mbit/s and RF output up to2W.
Supports: Capability · core features
The software API accepts NSP- or CSP-formatted packets. Apsis Radio Shell allows low-level console access over physical serial or RF; optional external clock and1PPS inputs support timing and two-way symmetric ranging.
Supports: Capability · summary
Opal TT&C is explicitly pre-market and in development; specifications are preliminary and subject to development/qualification changes.
Supports: Capability · display lead
Opal lists S-band uplink2.025–2.110GHz and X-band8.025–8.400GHz or Ka-band25.5–27GHz downlink, full-duplex rate up to5Mbit/s and RF output up to2W.
Supports: Capability · defence applications
The supplier describes four dedicated hardware-decoded256-bit Firecodes with independent outputs and a path bypassing much normal processing, A/B boot images and PolarFire monitoring of fault conditions. These are design mechanisms, not demonstrated whole-system reliability.
Supports: Capability · summary
The software API accepts NSP- or CSP-formatted packets. Apsis Radio Shell allows low-level console access over physical serial or RF; optional external clock and1PPS inputs support timing and two-way symmetric ranging.
Supports: Capability · capability type
Opal TT&C is explicitly pre-market and in development; specifications are preliminary and subject to development/qualification changes.
Supports: Capability · name
Opal TT&C is explicitly pre-market and in development; specifications are preliminary and subject to development/qualification changes.
Supports: Capability · slug
Opal TT&C is explicitly pre-market and in development; specifications are preliminary and subject to development/qualification changes.
Supports: Capability · summary
Opal lists S-band uplink2.025–2.110GHz and X-band8.025–8.400GHz or Ka-band25.5–27GHz downlink, full-duplex rate up to5Mbit/s and RF output up to2W.
Supports: Capability · technology readiness level
Opal TT&C is explicitly pre-market and in development; specifications are preliminary and subject to development/qualification changes.
Supports: Capability · maturity
Opal TT&C is explicitly pre-market and in development; specifications are preliminary and subject to development/qualification changes.
Supports: Capability · technical tags
Opal TT&C is explicitly pre-market and in development; specifications are preliminary and subject to development/qualification changes.
The visually inspected p3 diagram places modem DSP/fault monitoring in Microchip PolarFire FPGA and client API/Radio Shell/A-B boot handling in TI MSPM0 running Zephyr RTOS; baseband and RF-conversion boards connect through ADC/DAC paths. This does not identify the CSA JESD204B design as Opal.
Supports: Capability · summary
The visually inspected p3 diagram places modem DSP/fault monitoring in Microchip PolarFire FPGA and client API/Radio Shell/A-B boot handling in TI MSPM0 running Zephyr RTOS; baseband and RF-conversion boards connect through ADC/DAC paths. This does not identify the CSA JESD204B design as Opal.
Supports: Capability · maturity
Public sources cited · Facts and assessments kept separate · Human review
Opal’s preliminaryp2 table lists10–35V input,0.5W receive/12W transmit+receive,-20to50C operating,-40to80C storage,NASAGEVS vibration andESTIMATED20kradTID. Those table entries do not establish completed whole-radio qualification or a certified encryption implementation.
Supports: Capability · technical tags
The visually inspected p3 diagram places modem DSP/fault monitoring in Microchip PolarFire FPGA and client API/Radio Shell/A-B boot handling in TI MSPM0 running Zephyr RTOS; baseband and RF-conversion boards connect through ADC/DAC paths. This does not identify the CSA JESD204B design as Opal.
