W-band Transmitter

ABSTRACT: The Air Force has identified a need for efficient, lightweight, millimeter-wave transmitter development that supports future generations of bandwidth efficient military satellite communications and communications links between Remotely Piloted Aircrafts (RPAs), satellites and terrestrial terminals. As RPAs and associated battlefield sensors proliferates, requirements for additional military satellite communications capacity will continue for the foreseeable future. In order to provide Airborne Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance communications between the RPA, warfighter and analysts, to transfer command and control communications to the RPA, the Air Force is interested in utilizing the W-band frequency range (81-86 GHz). InnoSys proposes to develop high performance solid state vacuum device (SSVD) traveling wave tube 81 to 86 GHz power amplifiers to provide affordable compact, lightweight, highly efficient and linear W-band high power transmitters that meet or exceed the following specifications: bandwidth of +/- 3 GHz, ripple less than 0.4 dB, an input less than 1 mW, a power output greater than 50 W, gain higher than 49 dB, harmonics less than 10 dBc, a VSWR less than 1.3:1, weight less than 10 lbs, efficiency greater than 30 percent, an operating temperature range of -40 to +55C, and reliability consistent with typical airborne terminal life of 10^5 hours. BENEFIT: The anticipated benefits and potential commercial applications for W-band power amplifiers and related applications include: radar, automotive radar, airborne radar, high data rate satellite communications, road condition detection, intelligent highway systems, imaging, vision systems, mm-wave landing systems, directed energy, active denial, radar imaging, UAV guidance, point-to-point/point-to-multi point transmitters and repeaters, communications, chemical sensing, sensors, cloud measurement systems, molecular spectroscopy, plasma diagnostic sensors, environmental sensor systems, amplifiers for"Comms on the Move", high speed wireless internet, high speed data-links, secure communications, security and proximity detection and control, high altitude, and other rarified atmosphere applications, RF-based commercial satellite communications programs (e.g. Iridium, Globalstar and Spaceway), and commercial SATCOM broadcast programs including XM radio, Sirius Radio and DirectTV. Future commercial applications for these source products also include monitoring and detection systems for all-weather, day-and-night operations (i.e., mm-wave imaging, airport surveillance, intrusion detection, and harbor traffic monitoring), fusion plasma research and thermal interactions and processing of materials, and a host of other fundamental scientific, academic, and research applications.