SUCCESS STORY
Key Challenges
K/Ka-band satcom systems can provide constant,
uninterrupted access to information, driving companies to
invest heavily in this spectrum for global broadband
services. These systems are enabled through high-power
amplifiers (HPAs), which form the final link in the RF power
chain of next-generation, satellite-based, RF front-end
components. Arralis has developed the Leonis chipset,
originally as part of the European Space Agency (ESA)
Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems
(ARTES) program, to address the growing demand for
lower cost K/Ka-band satellite equipment.
The chipset includes IQ and subharmonic mixers, upcon-
verter and downconverter core chips, switches, phase
shifters, low-noise amplifiers (LNAs), and PAs. Within this
chipset is the company's LE-Ka1330308, a high-power
monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) amplifier
that was fabricated on space-qualified 0.25μm gallium
nitride on silicon carbide (GaN on SiC). The three-stage
MMIC amplifier was fabricated on the United Monolithic
Semiconductors (UMS) GH25-10 process. Arralis has
successfully demonstrated transceiver architectures for
both uplink and downlink communications.
Arralis and Cadence
K-Band Satcom MMIC PA
Using AWR Software
Application
X
MMIC PA
X
Passives
X
PCB
X
Packaging
Software
X
Cadence
®
AWR Design Environment
®
platform,
including:
ɢ Cadence AWR
®
Microwave Office
®
software
ɢ Cadence AWR AXIEM
®
3D planar analysis
ɢ Cadence AWR Analyst™ 3D Finite-Element Method
(FEM) analysis
Benefits
X
Co-simulation ability
X
Complete solution
X
Design ef ficiency
