Rohde & Schwarz has finally entered the market for satellite uplink amplifiers in the Ku band. The R&S PKU100 ushers in a true technology shift in uplink signal amplification. The device uses solid-state output stages throughout and offers a genuine alternative to conventional tube technology. Should individual transistors fail, for example, the amplifier will continue to operate at a reduced power level.
It is just as light, compact and energy-efficient as conventional tube based amplifiers and therefore clearly superior to comparable semiconductor-based products. This amplifier also offers adaptive linearization (no other instrument on the market offers adaptive linearization). This improves signal quality, enabling network operators to transmit significantly more data over the same signal bandwidth. The amplifier offers excellent efficiency, reducing operating costs.
Rohde & Schwarz has put a lot of thought into the amplifier's power supply concept. If fitted with an optional redundant power supply, which allows the R&S PKU100 to continue operation even if one of the power supplies fails.
The solid-state amplifier is available in two versions, one with an output power level of 400 Watts and the other with 750 watts. Each version supports a frequency range from 12.75 GHz to 13.25 GHz and 13.75 GHz to 14.5 GHz, covering the Ku band. The R&S PKU100 can be fitted with a block upconverter (BUC), allowing low-frequency L-band signals to be processed and converted to the Ku band. The amplifier can be controlled remotely; it supports all common standards such as a web interface, SNMP, RS-232 and parallel I/O interfaces.
It is available in indoor and outdoor versions and can be used in ground stations and satellite news gathering (SNG) vehicles. The R&S PKU100 will be available from Rohde & Schwarz as of June 2018.
