TDD beamformer IC for compact and power-efficient Ku-band SATCOM terminals

Qorvo has released a Ku-band beamformer IC designed to meet the growing demand for terminals that support time-division duplexing (TDD) in compact and power-sensitive SATCOM applications. TDD architectures enable a single antenna array to be used for both transmit and receive, thereby decreasing system size and complexity, and permitting for low-profile, electronically steered terminals. This new device expands the company's SATCOM portfolio, building on its launch of Ku-band FDD beamformer ICs to deliver a complete and scalable solution for TDD and FDD terminal architectures.

This new TDD solution is ideal for terminals in LEO constellations, particularly for airborne or mobile platforms, where power, performance, and cost are critical. The AWMF-0247 supports Ku-band operation from 13.75GHz to 14.5GHz in transmit and 10.7GHz to 12.75GHz in receive, allowing full compatibility with current and emerging SATCOM networks that need compact, electronically steered array architectures. It integrates transmit and receive functionality into a single device, providing considerable efficiency and signal quality improvements. The device reduces receive array power by 40% while enhancing signal clarity by over 20% and offers up to five times greater transmit efficiency compared to competing solutions. Even in situations where EIRP efficiencies are similar, the company achieves them with a particularly smaller die area, allowing easy integration and cost-effective terminal designs.

"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 and Systems Engineering at Qorvo. "It offers customers the tools to deliver more capable and compact arrays while reducing power and system cost."