• compatibility
• fpga integrated serdes
• fpga serdes
• GTX
• high-speed
• high-speed link
• multi-gigabit
• serdes
• serdes transceiver
• serial interface
• serial link
• serial transceiver
• space fibre
• space qualified serdes
• spacefibre
• SpFi
• TLK2711
• TLK2711-SP

In satellite systems, high-throughput payloads require special high-speed interfaces to transmit large amounts of data on the on-board data handling network. State-of-the-art solutions to achieve data rate above 1Gbps employs high-speed serial transceivers, known as SerDes (Serializer/Deserializer).
On Earth, testing of satellite payloads is performed by an EGSE (Electrical Ground Segment Equipment) which is equipped with its own high-speed serial interface. However, the transceiver embedded in the EGSE does not have to withstand to the harsh requirement typical of space application as it is intended to be used on ground. Considering the very high price of the space qualified devices, this study presents a low-cost solution for EGSE high-speed serial interfaces, based on commercial technologies but fully compatible with State-of-the-Art high-speed serial transceiver (such as the TLK2711-SP from Texas Instruments). The compatibility between commercial and space qualified high-speed serial transceiver is demonstrated in two steps: the simulation of the serial link using the HDL models of the transceivers with a custom testbench for the verification of the logical compatibility and the hardware setup of the serial link for the verification of the electrical compatibility.