Scalable Solid-State Amplifiers

While most of the satcom world’s attention continues to be focused on creating hardware and solutions for higher frequency ranges, such as Ka, Q, V and more, a critical, but less talked about portion of the spectrum continues to be relied upon for critical satellite communications and radar applications. L-band (1-2 GHz) and S-band (2-4 GHz) continue to be important ranges for critical satellite-based applications, from the Global Positing System to Sat-phone for consumer use, as well as Near-Space and Deep-Space communication or TT&C. Determining the optimal band for any application is not just about determining which frequency range works best.

With the proliferation of wireless technologies that began in the 20th century, determining the optimal frequency range and securing the frequency allocation became a 3-D game of chess, competing with a myriad of other applications. The goal was to ensure minimal interference while achieving maximum efficiency (for both performance and cost) for both ground segment hardware, as well as in-orbit assets. L-band offered a good compromise between range and exactness needed for the desired use. S-band is attractive for its ability to penetrate the atmosphere for resilient connectivity.

Providing optimal ground hardware in these bands, including RF amplifiers, became increasingly critical as the demand for the level of data and information transmitted grew exponentially. Certain applications, such as handheld GPS devices, may use only tenths of a watt, while communication for deep space applications may require thousands of watts. While many amplifier technologies can operate over these bands, solid-state based products offer a unique solution. Solid-state devices, and subsequently complete solid-state amplifier units, can be cascaded / tiered to provide varying power levels to fit the link budget requirements for any given application. Advantech Wireless Technologies (AWT) has been providing amplifiers that cover the full range between L-band and S-band to meet the evolving needs of the users in these dedicated frequency ranges. These amplifiers are available using GaN and/or LD-MOS technologies in both indoor and outdoor platforms.

As a result of years of research, development and experience, AWT currently offers three different chassis packages for amplifiers in S-band and L/S band. These single chassis amplifiers range in power levels of 80 watts all the way to 1,250 watts of power. The outdoor package versions offer significant power density in an optimized size, with robust power supplies, all designed for multi-carrier applications. All of the platforms offer excellent linearity performance with the reliability that comes with solid-state technology.

Fast forward to 2024. We are now talking about returning humankind to the moon. We are looking at sending people to Mars in the reasonably near future. We have probes that have left our solar system and are traversing regions that our grandparents could never fathom possible. Our in-orbit telescopes are providing glimpses into the deep expanses of the universe, potentially finding other earth-like planets. This means increased powers and increased bandwidths. Demand for increased reliability is no longer a luxury, but is obligatory for truly “mission critical” applications. These products enable communications link that are the lifeline for astronauts during the mission. AWT’s platforms are built to provide that level of reliability. While the single chassis units are solutions unto themselves, AWT’s design and engineering teams are the leading experts in taking those single chassis units and providing scalable platforms for combining them in evenly matched pairs to provide ever increasing power levels for the power-hungry applications of today and the future. While it may seem a simple task to match up two, four, eight, or sixteen amps and provide a single stable output, the reality is that this is a highly complex process that takes a unique level of expertise and experience. The result is systems in the ranges of kilowatts to teens of kilowatts of power that ensures the links are reliable and consistent.

As with any powerful technology, it’s not just one facet that makes it a better solution. In addition to the power density advantages, access to bandwidth, and accommodating multi-carrier requirements, AWT is a leading provider of the redundancy and combining systems that increase reliability. In addition to “traditional” redundancy architectures, AWT has pioneered the “soft fail” redundancy architecture for use in L/S bands (and all satcom bands). AWT produces systems employ the “N minus one” concept; that is that you size the the system so that the required RF output is met , even in the event of a failure of one of the amplifier modules. This “N minus one” concept provides, not only the power required but includes redundancy to ensure optimal reliability for the systems. These systems go by many brand names: Olympus, Summit, Summit II, to name a few. Regardless of the product family name, the technology is what provides the reliability that customers need and expect from AWT.

AWT is a vertically integrated systems provider, with in-house manufacturing of passive components, which allows us to ensure that the combiners, waveguide, and other critical hardware needed to ensure a reliable combining system to combine amplifiers into a higher power solution are designed precisely and reliably. AWT also has a dedicated software design team with modern digital tools and the expertise to create the software and firmware that ensures all of the individual amplifier modules are in sync with each other and function as a single amplifier.

For more than 30 years, AWT provided standard and specialized solutions for the satcom and RF applications requirements all around the world. Advantech Wireless Technologies’ expertise and experience ensures that the products and systems that bear the Advantech Wireless logo are built on a pedigree of decades, with state-of-the-art engineering and technology. When you need a reliable solution for your critical application, make sure to choose reliable and proven products.