Wideband, Low-power Multi-mode MMIC Radar Transceivers with Phase Control and Integrated Baseband Signal Processing

NASA has numerous missions that involve radar and radiometry. In the past, the practice has been to build each system as a one-off program, which makes MMIC design unattractive from a cost perspective. In an era of reduced budgets and the need for higher efficiencies both in R & D cost reduction and performance, a better approach is needed. Linear Signal proposes a wideband analog blockset approach, where critical design blocks can be used at multiple bands, on multiple platforms, and for both radar applications and satellite communications markets. Transceiver components can be used for chips targeted for communications application or radar application from P band through X band, for pulsed, chirped pulse and FMCW applications. The work proposed in Phase I and II would result in core IP blocks that can be quickly and relatively inexpensively adapted to a single chip radar transceiver for mission specific objectives. Linear Signal's expertise in wideband SiGe designs and beamforming applications is perfectly suited for this effort.