[SatNews] “This trifecta of benefits gives integrators immediate Ka- access while reducing the time, costs, and operational complexities of alternative solutions.”
Teledyne Microwave Solutions (TMS) today unveiled three Ka-band Satcom-On-The-Move (SOTM) products that provide a unique value proposition for the most demanding SWaP needs of today’s commercial and military customers.
“This trifecta of benefits gives integrators immediate Ka- access while reducing the time, costs, and operational complexities of alternative solutions.”Designed for ultra-lightweight applications such as Airborne and “ManPack” Portable Terminals, the Ka SOTM Trio consists of a wide-band solid state power amplifier (SSPA), a Low Noise Block Downconverter (LNB), and a Block Upconverter (BUC). Both the LNB and BUC can be electronically switched between commercial and military Ka-bands. Leveraging TMS’s 40 experience with ‘chip and wire’technology, the three Ka SOTM products are hermetically-sealed for harsh environments and extremely power-efficient for battery-powered applications.
Unlike much larger and heavier market alternatives, their miniature size enables close-proximity mounting on small antenna feeds for minimal loss or optical distortion. The Trio were designed specifically as a COTS suite of products not subject to ITAR regulations. The products were also designed with a modular approach that enables them to be deployed together as a fully integrated system, or independently giving customers new flexibility and options to maximize performance.
“In addition to setting new SWaP standards, these Ka SOTM products present system integrators with a competitive edge in that they are fully integrated, can be configured for a wide variety of functions, and are switchable between commercial and military bands,” said Mike England, General Manager, RF and Microwave Products. “This trifecta of benefits gives integrators immediate Ka- access while reducing the time, costs, and operational complexities of alternative solutions.”
Each multi-functional converter easily integrates into legacy and new systems, including either internal or external reference at both 10 and 50 MHz along with blanking and attenuation control. Combined with a standard TMS SSPA, a full transceiver can be configured to operate over the 29-31 transmit band and the 19.2 - 21.2 GHz receive band with just three hermetically sealed modules.
A standard TMS SSPA offers 16W P1 or 8W linear output power over the full 29-31 GHz frequency range. The unit also features extensive gain control and forward power monitoring. An internal BIT circuit monitors current, thermal and other critical parameters. TMS also offers a K-band (19.2 - 21.2 GHz) LNA with an industry leading 1.3 dB noise figure over the full 2 GHz bandwidth. With a total weight of 0.5 lbs. and an extremely small footprint, the unit is ideal for today’s integrated, light-weight Ka-band terminals.