Satnews Daily
September 2nd, 2015

Mission Microwave Technologies Pushes Envelope For U.S.A.F.... SSPAs Achieve Same Power Levels As TWT Amplifiers


[SatNews] Mission Microwave Technologies, Inc. manufacturer of compact, efficient Solid State Power Amplifiers and Block Upconverters, announces they have been selected through the U.S. Air Force SBIR Program for a Phase I contract to develop highly efficient and linear highpower Ka-Band Solid-State Amplifiers (SSPAs).

The SBIR program topic (AF151-150) is entitled “Ka-Band Efficient, Linear Power Amplifiers for SATCOM Ground Terminals,” and aims to deliver greater than 70W of linear RF power over 30-31 GHz, with efficiencies in excess of 35 percent.

“At Mission Microwave, we have created industry-leading Ku- and Ka-Band BUCs and SSPAs using innovative power combining technologies and system designs,” said Francis Auricchio, President and CEO of Mission Microwave.

“We are pleased to extend our technology innovation toward the development of high-power, high efficiency Ka-Band SSPAs on this program. The program goals are aggressive, targeting 35 percent system efficiency with linear operation, but we believe this is achievable by combining multiple innovations in SSPA design, advanced GaN semiconductor technology, and end-to-end system architecture optimization. By pushing the envelope of what is currently thought to be possible, we can extend the usefulness of Solid State Power Amplifiers into power levels previously only achievable using TWT Amplifiers.”

Mission Microwave’s Ku- and Ka-Band BUC products provide high reliability even in the most demanding applications and extreme environments. In addition, their Ku-Band BUCs offer selectable standard and extended frequency bands with full band performance, and their Ka-Band BUCs offer three selectable bands for full 29-31 GHz coverage. The Stinger and Javelin products offer multiple interface options, including RS232, RS485, Ethernet, and wireless Bluetooth, complete with a simple-to-use app interface for iOS.