A low cost data processing system for radio wave propagation research

A small low-cost data recording system, built around personal computers, is described for testing the European Space Agency (ESA) data acquisition (receiving) systems of the proposed experimental satellite known as Olympus. The recording system is used for observing the propagation behavior of the 12.5 GHz beacon signal of an existing communication satellite and the data of a university meteorological station. Three small units were designed; one unit to record three signals over a period of four days with a sampling rate of 1 Hz; a second for nine signals over a period of ten days with a sampling rate of 6 samples/minute, and a third unit that is still under development. An analysis program gives a quick view of the recorded signals and can store and process events (unexpected behavior of the signals).