Ka-band LNAs
Paradise Datacoms Ka-band LNAs are optimized for best noise temperature performance in various subands. Currently available models cover the 18.3-20.2GHz and 20.0-21.0GHz bands. These LNAs are available with a low loss isolator to mask ripple in the noise temperature due to antenna feed and filter VSWR effects. Noise temperatures with an isolator are in the 140o to 160oK range. Noise temperatures without the front end isolator are in the 110oK to 130oK range. The Ka-band LNAs are fully equipped with transient and regulator protection as well as alarm circuitry.
Ka-band SSPAs
Complementing Paradise Datacoms family of Solid State Power Amplifiers (SSPAs) are the new HPAKa series of Ka-band amplifiers.
The HPAKa040AC is a 40W saturated output power amplifier that covers the 30.0-31.0GHz band and produces a linear output power of 20-25W across the full WGS band. The amplifier is packaged in Paradise Datacoms Compact Outdoor amplifier chassis. The Compact Outdoor is one of the industrys most recognizable packages as it has been in production for over 10 years.
An industry standard, the Compact Outdoor amplifier is known for its ruggedness and high reliability as well as its ease of field maintenance. It is one of the industries only SSPAs that has been independent test lab certified to 50g shock and vibration making it a natural for transportable VSAT terminals.
Monitor + Control
The Paradise Datacom Compact Outdoor SSPA incorporates the most comprehensive monitor and control of any Satcom amplifier. Among the standard interfaces include: Ethernet, RS485/422/232, and parallel I/O, in the form C alarms and opto isolated discrete signals. The Ethernet interface can be integrated into higher level monitor and control systems by SNMP or UDP programming. For simplicity, there is also a built-in web browser that enables a very easy monitor and control with a computer running a web brower application. Figure 4 shows a computer screen shot of the built-in web browser.
There are also rack mount (1RU) remote control panels and a Fiber Optic interface link that work seamlessly with the Compact Outdoor amplifier. Alternatively, when an amplifier includes an integrated L-band to Ka-band block up converter (BUC,) the amplifier can be controlled via the FSK control signal multiplexed on the IFL by an L-band modem. There is also a weatherized, tri-color, LED visual display on the monitor and control panel for local visual fault status monitoring. As shown in Figure 3 there is also a switch and link port that is standard on the amplifier. These ports enable the amplifier to be placed in automatic switch-over redundant systems without the need for a separate controller.
State-Of-The-Art Microwave Design
Extremely efficient microwave combining techniques are utilized in the HPAKa040AC Ka-band SSPA. The latest 3D Electromagnetic (EM) modeling techniques are used to design spatial waveguide combining networks that are optimized to achieve the lowest possible insertion loss the band of interest. This allows the effective power combining of numerous devices to achieve high output power levels.
The two tone peformance is slightly worse that the single carrier spectral regrowth due to the higher crest factor. Two tone intermod levels are typically characterized by evaluating the amplitude separation between the third order intermod product and the single tone power in dBc. This is characterized over a wide range of output power to obtain a characteristic as shown in Figure 7.
As is standard on all Compact Outdoor SSPAs, integrated output power detection is included along with a -40dBc sample port. Paradise Datacoms Ka-band ZBUC can be integrated in the Compact Outdoor SSPA so that L-band operation is accommodated.
The Ka-band ZBUC has an efficient and low phase noise local oscillator that is phase locked to a stable reference source. A high stability reference is included in the block up converter. Internal reference stability is of the order +1.10-9. ZBUC technology provides for auto-detection and switchover to an externally applied reference. This is an extremely useful feature to be able to switch the block up converter to an external reference without requiring any factory modifications.
In addition, the ZBUC is capable of automatically phase locking to a variety of external reference frequencies including: 5, 10, 20, 25, and 50MHz without hardware modification.The ZBUC is characterized by its signature outstanding spurious and phase noise performance.
Paradise Datacom manufactures a variety microwave components that are ideally suited for Ka-band satellite ground terminals. Their electrical performance is well within the operating parameters established by MIL-STD-188-164 and used in Wideband Gapfiller Satellite (WGS) applications.
Low Noise Amplifiers are available with noise temperatures ranging from 100o to 160o K. Solid State Power Amplifiers are available in saturated output power levels of 12W, 20W, 40W, and 80W. Built upon the legacy of the Compact Outdoor robust design, Paradise Datacom Ka-band SSPAs offer superior reliability and performance.