Integrasys Solutions for Government Applications in 2021 EDF Proposals: NAUCRATES and RFSHIELD

Aicox is part of the consortium of companies led by Integrasys to coordinate the “RF Interference Removal for Military Services based on Spaces Link”

The European Commission is supporting R&D projects through the program European Defence Fund (EDF) 2021, with almost €1.2 billion for Defence and R&D projects. INTEGRASYS has been selected as one of the companies for obtaining multiple EDF programs, and two projects, thanks to its defence expertise acquired over the years.

Integrasys will be coordinating RFSHIELD “RF Interference Removal for Military Services based on Spaces Link”. The project will take up to 30 months, until June 2025. RFSHIELD will ensure the protection of the SatCom services from intentional and non-intentional interferences, increasing the availability and performance of COMSATCOM/MILSATCOM services for military users. The reason why INTEGRASYS has been designated as coordinator is due to the current expertise that the company has in Interference Removal solutions, with its available CLEANRF product. The consortium of the project is formed by 5 companies, AICOX, MBS, and INGESPACE as INTEGRASYS’ partners, who are also specialized in defence capabilities.

The company has also been awarded NAUCRATES project, which is focused on microsatellites for Geostationary Orbit Surveillance and Intelligence. The project duration will be until December 2025, and the main goal is to design and demonstrate a microsatellite with less than 100kg mass, positioned in a stable orbit outside the GEO belt, as an in-orbit optical sensor with the capability to approach other objects in GEO to take centimetre level resolution images.

Integrasys is highly-oriented to defence solutions as the company is committed to contributing to innovation in this dynamic sector, so EDF 2021 is one of the multiple defence initiatives. “‘’We are very honoured to support defence with the rising threats from more allies nations and we look forward to supporting more missions in the future’’, says Alvaro Sanchez.

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GUI & Firmware Updates

We would like to inform you about our latest gui and firmware updates. You can download the latest versions directly from the download section on our website or use the download links in this newsletter.

Firmware updates:

APULNXX | V0.4.193 | July 2022 | download

APSYN140(-X) | V0.4.193 | July 2022 | download

  • Improved self test.
  • New default settings for frequency and phase modulation

APMSXXG | V0.4.193 | July 2022 | download

  • Fixes an issue regarding the max settable frequency on specific devices

APPH | V0.4.177 | July 2022 | download
(SN [2]**-**[A-Z]******-****)

GUI updates:

APSIN, APMS, APULN, APSYN, APUASYN | V2.129 | July 2022 | download

  • Add interactive IO dialog for sending SCPI commands to a DUT, is accessible via device menu and via Ctrl+I keyboard shortcut.
  • UI display improvements.

APPH | V.1.3.17 | July 2022 | download

(SN [2]**-**[7-9A-Z]******-****)

 

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Aicox and RF will renew the communications of the Soria stations on Vamtac of the Army

The contract will modernize around thirty stations of this model

The Spanish Army has commissioned a temporary union of companies formed by Aicox and RF to integrate new CIS equipment (communications and information) in some thirty Soria stations, installed on Vamtac SOTM (Satcom On The Move) vehicles, for an amount almost three million euros.

The contract seeks to make the leap to what is known as the Soria type 4 station, fundamentally characterized by incorporating the communications managers Gescomet, VMI, and a soundproof generator set integrated into the platform, according to the Army itself.

The Soria station is the main communications hub of the mobile command post and provides support in any tactical situation. It is equipped with different transmission equipment: satellite communications on the move through the Spanish Military Satellite Communications System (Secomsat) and several military and civil communications systems (VHF/UHF, HF, satellite, Inmarsat…).

The winning companies will be in charge of the engineering design, the supply of the equipment; hardware and software installation and configuration work and validation; the necessary transformations in the 30 SOMT Vamtac vehicles (Vamtac S3 and ST5 model); the supply of spare parts and tools for maintenance; staff training; and the final homologation of the modified vehicles.

The contract budget is almost three million euros -2,968,533 euros, taxes included-, divided into three annuities (2022, 2023 and 2024). The estimated value amounts to 3.3 million by including a possible extension for one more year. The Headquarters of Economic Affairs of the Army Logistics Support Command (MALE) selected the offer from Aicox and RF for being the best in terms of quality and price, according to the award announcement.

Up to eight companies submitted offers. The joint venture made up of Aicox and RF competed in the final phase of the contest with the company JPG.

 

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News Telecom Solutions

ANAPIC NEWS

AnaPico

Our partner Anapico would like to inform you about their latest datasheet and firmware updates. You can download the latest version directly from the download section on their website.

TRESCAL signs an alliance with ANAPICO

Trescal, a global leader in ISO/IEC17025 accredited calibration services, announced its partnership with AnaPico, the Swiss manufacturer and supplier of RF and microwave test and measurement instruments. This partnership will benefit AnaPico instrument owners who can now verify and correct their instruments with Trescal in France, thus reducing downtime and transfer costs.

For more information click here .

FILTRONIC NEWS

Filtronic introduces active E-band diplexers with integral AP and LAN

The designer and manufacturer of RF-to-mmWave components and subsystems, today announced the launch of the Hades range of active diplexers, designed to enable original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to manufacture cost-effective E-band radios with significantly higher RF performance. major, for use in military or commercial telecommunications applications, including high-altitude airborne and platform systems (HAPS).

For more information click here .

QUANTUM MICROWAVE NEWS

Low Noise Factory: For quantum computing. A 30% performance improvement on isolators and circulators. New Narrow Bandwidth Isolators and Circulators from LNF. This is very interesting. By growing narrow bandwidth ferrites in a triple junction, the isolation goes from 50dB to 70dB. Improves insulation by 30% in single, dual and triple junctions. If you increase the low-end frequency, the performance improves significantly and the size will be reduced. In this version LNF built a model from 4.3 to 4.9 GHz. The size is based on the low end frequency. Think of the possibilities with this engineering breakthrough. More to come on this topic.

For more information click here .

NEWS RADIO

Innovative solutions for modular avionics

The modular design concept often conjures up images of cubic sections, all fitted neatly into a single unit. Modular solutions are designed to meet efficiency requirements, create smoother interoperability, and simplify the task at hand. This is certainly the case in the world of avionics. Modular avionics solutions offer a variety of benefits for aircraft design, construction and functionality, and in particular for the Modular Avionics Unit (MAU). This part of an aircraft contains hardware that supports avionics network systems, and to keep weight low, density high and cost low, Radiall has designed innovative technologies to meet these needs.

For more information click here .

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GenCell Energy Delivers First Orders to Many New Partners Aiming to Expand Business Reach

Contracts signed to supply support solutions to multiple integrators and telecom and utility customers in EMEA and North America

GenCell BOX™

GenCell Energy, the leading provider of hydrogen and ammonia fuel cell solutions for power, announces that in recent weeks the company has achieved substantial expansion in the telecommunications and utilities sectors and has recognized significant revenue through the signing of contracts for the delivery of initial orders to new integrators and end customers.

GenCell together with Aicox Soluciones, a Spanish group of cutting-edge technology and communications companies that provides engineering developments, systems operation, after-sales services and turnkey project developments to leading companies in Spain and Portugal, has reached an agreement with a leading European tower management company based in Spain to incorporate the GenCell BOX™ into its infrastructure as a first step towards a potentially large order.

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Gallium Nitride (GaN) Amplifiers in Multiple Carrier Operation

GaN amplifier technology has had a real impact on Block Upconverter and SSPA design for Satcom applications. And it’s a hot buzzword in the industry.

Terrasat have implemented GaN into several IBUC models where it is perceived to deliver benefits for customers. It brings advantages:

  • higher power density– delivering higher power in a smaller, lighter enclosure.
  • Reduced power consumption.
  • Cost reduction in some frequency band–output power combinations.

Terrasat Engineers have implemented techniques to compensate for the inherent nonlinearity of GaN devices. This has resulted in a significant reduction in the amount of output power back-off required to meet the MILSTD definition of Linear Power (PLin) which is the useable output power and standard for comparing BUC/SSPA output power performance.

Graph A

 

…significant reduction in the amount of output power back-off required to meet the MILSTD definition of Linear Power (PLin)…

 

 

 

 

 

Limitations that Deserve Respect

All technologies have their strengths and limitations. It is as important to understand the limitations as it is to know the advantages. With GaN devices, limitations can become evident in operations using more than one carrier. This is not to say that it cannot be used with multiple carriers. But GaN performs differently than GaAs or TWTA amplifiers with respect to multicarrier operation. There are two situations where this limitation should be respected.

First, with a GaAs amplifier, you typically see a relatively linear and continuous IMD3 improvement with output power back-off. Below in Graph A is an IMD3 plot for a 200W C IBUC R GaAs amplifier. (The purple line is the -22 dBc IMD3 part of the MIL-STD linearity definition).

Graph B

 

 

GaN performs differently than GaAs or TWTA amplifiers with respect to multicarrier operation.

 

 

 

 

 

GaN & GaAs Challenges

You can see from this plot that IMD3 with a GaAs amplifier decreases rapidly and in a fairly strong correlation to an increase in output power backoff.

With a GaN unit there is a different result. Please see the IMD3 plot below of a 200W Full Ku IBUC G GaN unit. Things start out fine, but the curve quickly starts to flatten. Then at about 6 dB back-off it hits a “floor”. It doesn’t get any better. This is a characteristic of GaN devices that cannot be overcome.

What this means is that there is a limitation to the quantity of carriers that can be accommodated.

The second limitation is a bit scarier. It only shows up in situations with widely separated carriers. By the MIL-STD definition, all manufacturers measure IMD at a 5 MHz offset for specifications shown on the data sheet. Graph C shows IMD products at wider offsets.

The red line is the defined -22 dBc IMD level. The other lines plot IMD above and below the test channels at saturated power and then with 1 dB of output power back-off. At the 5 MHz offset there is clearly no problem meeting the -22 dBc requirement. However, this shows how the intermodulation products are increasing in intensity as the carrier offset increases. Whereas logic from working with amplifiers would say that the further two carriers are from each other, the less they will interact, it turns out that the opposite is true with GaN devices. With carriers spaced more than 25 MHz apart, there will be intermodulation products that may interfere with other services.

Graph C

GaN technology, when implemented well, can provide many benefits in terms of size, weight, and power consumption

At Terrasat we strive to enable our customers to make informed decisions. One thing we do not want is for any of our customers to learn the facts only after they install and commission their terminal. As a general statement Terrasat Engineering advises caution in planning carrier spacing greater than 20 MHz.

In summary, GaN technology, when implemented well, can provide many benefits in terms of size, weight, and power consumption. It is prudent to take the multi-carrier limitations into consideration when determining what BUC to invest in for a site.

Please note that the manufacturers of the GaN devices are working on a next generation of devices that will mitigate these limitations. This information is applicable to GaN amplifiers available as of this writing and we look forward to improvements.

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