SAGE SatCom of San Diego, CA, USA (part of telecoms solutions provider REMEC Broadband Wireless), which provides compact Ka-band block up-converter (BUC) and transceiver solutions, is now shipping its high-power 20 watt linear Ka-band BUC solutions to integrator partners in the US and in Europe.
The firm says that gallium nitride (GaN) solid-state technology allows for significant power consumption and size savings compared to the widely used gallium arsenide (GaAs) technology, without compromising RF performance or reliability. The overall size improvement is enough to enable simplified installation directly on the antenna feed arm, without the need for pedestal mounting. The GaN-based 20W linear Ka-band BUC product is shipping in the same physical enclosure as the firm's GaAs-based 12W linear Ka-band BUC. SAGE SatCom claims that its Ka-band BUC products offer the highest linear power levels in the most compact and lightweight package on the market.
The block up-converters are built using military-grade components and corrosion-resistant materials, allowing them to withstand extreme weather conditions worldwide. For satellite service providers and integrators that offer solutions using both military and commercial Ka-bands, the BUCs offer simplified system planning, logistics and sparing as they cover the entire 29-31GHz frequency band in a single unit. Flexibility of monitoring & command (M&C) is enhanced through the use of both RS-485 and HTTP (Ethernet) interfaces. Field-replaceable fuse and weather-proof fans simplify maintenance.
"As the adoption of Ka-band satellite spectrum increases, satellite operators, service providers and integrators are looking for a BUC solution that provides high power, reliability and efficiency along with low CapEx," says CEO Dave Newman. "SAGE SatCom's 20W GaN-based block up-converter delivers industry-leading power efficiency and packaging," he claims.
