The Front Panel Data Port (FPDP) provides a high-speed connection between the A/D converter of a front-end data generating system (such as a radar antenna) and the digital signal processors (DSP) that are used to process the incoming data stream in real-time. However, FPDP has a major limitation – the front-end data generation system must be located within one to five meters of FPDP cable length (depending on the FPDP configuration) of the DSP system. This presents a problem in many real-world applications, that require greater distance between sensor and processor. Land-based radar systems, for example, may require that the A/D subsystem be located as close as possible to the antenna, and the processor system be located in an area quite distant from the antenna. Serial FPDP (VITA 17.1), the technology pioneered in our FibreXtreme products, was developed to overcome this distance limitation. It presents a straightforward approach to serializing the FPDP data stream and transmitting it over extended distances. This paper outlines the concept of Serial FPDP (sFPDP), provides solutions for several types of real-time data scenarios and explains supported topologies.
