Description
The objective of this activity is to develop, manufacture and test a scaled engineering model of a high linearity Low Noise Amplifier (LNA) module optimised for operation in the 47.5 - 51.4 GHz frequency band and suitable for integration in feed arrays for satellite communications. The LNA shall feature a high intercept point, achieving good performance without distortion or damage in a high interference signal environment.Targeted Improvements:- Improvement of the G/T figure of merit at system level by 0.5 dB.- Removethe need for the filter before the LNA.Description: In conventional payloads, the low noise amplifier is located at a distance from the antenna feed which translates into distribution network losses that degrade the overall noise figure of the receiver, which inturn degrades the system performance (G/T). Additionally, a bandpass filter has to be added in front of the LNA to protect it from unwanted out of band signals. With the advent of Gallium Nitride (GaN) it is possible to design more robust LNA Monolithic MicrowaveIntegrated Circuits (MMICs) which do not require a bandpass filter at the input, or require a less demanding input bandpass filter,hence improving the noise figure of the receiver. The filtering is then implemented later in the payload chain where it has a limited effect on the noise figure. Furthermore, the use of GaN increases the resilience to strong interference. Additionally, the GaN MMIC is able to operate over a wider temperature range than current Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) based products. This helps to locate the LNA closer to the antenna feed, hence further reducing the overall noise figure of the receiver. This activity will study and developa V-band GaN low noise amplifier (LNA) for use in telecommunication payloads. A scaled Engineering Model containing the following critical functions shall be manufactured and tested:- Low noise amplifier chip and substrates- Radio frequency package and transition- DC protection circuitry.Procurement Policy: C(2) = A relevant participation (in terms of quality and quantity) of non-primes (incl. SMEs) is required. For additional information please go to:http://www.esa.int/About_Us/Business_with_ESA/Small_and_Medium_Sized_En…