Qorvo has launched a Ku-band beamforming chip targeted at terminals that support time-division duplexing (TDD) in satellite communication (SATCOM) applications.
According to the company, TDD enables a single antenna array to be used for both transmit and receive. This reduces system size and complexity for low-profile, electronically steered terminals. Qorvo’s SATCOM IC offers engineers the chance to build a complete and scalable solution for both TDD and frequency division duplexing (FDD) terminal architectures.
Qorvo said it is expanding its SATCOM portfolio with beamforming solutions for new architectures and higher frequencies for the next-generation of these space-based communications.
Compatibility
Dubbed the AWMF-0247, the IC supports operation in the Ku-band from 13.75 GHz to 14.5 GHz in transmit and 10.7 GHz to 12.75 GHz in receiver. This allows compatibility with current and emerging SATCOM networks that need electronically steered array architectures.
The chip integrates transmit and receive functionality into a single device while reducing receive array power by 40% and improving signal clarity by more than 20%. Additionally, it offers five times greater transmit efficiency compared to competing solutions, Qorvo said.
“The AWMF-0247 enables a new class of TDD-based SATCOM terminals that demand greater efficiency, integration and signal performance,” said Ryan Jennings, director of SATCOM & Systems Engineering at Qorvo. “It offers customers the tools to deliver more capable and compact arrays while reducing power and system cost.”
