SatixFy, the designer of next-generation satellite communication systems has announced the availability of functional samples of its Prime - digital-beam-former and Beat - Ku-band RFIC ASICs. In addition to the ASICs, SatixFy also released Prime and Beat Evaluation Boards (EVBs) and a Micro Antenna Test Range (AMTR), used to demonstrate system capabilities and design products based on those chips. Together, these new chips can create new generation of flat electronically steered antennas, with multiple beams and no moving parts, at sizes and price points that were never seen before.
Prime is the first commercial digital beam former ASIC implementing true time delay for satellite communications. It intelligently combines the radiation pattern from 32 elements simultaneously, entirely in the digital domain and can be cascaded to any size of antenna. Prime beam former is at the heart of electronically steered antennas and can point, track and manage multiple beams at multiple polarizations simultaneously.
Beat is a Ku-band RFIC supporting 4 antenna elements. Inside the Beat SatixFy has implemented 4 independent transmit and receive channels which can be used with any polarization. The chip also integrates 8 PAs (Power Amplifiers) and 8 LNAs (Low Noise Amplifiers), thus making the implementation of Electronically Steered Antenna easier and cost effective. It interfaces to the Prime on one side and directly to the antenna radiating elements on the other side.
The design ingenuity lies in the fact that the number of chips can be increased in line with the number of antenna elements, making the architecture fully modular (the same 'building block' can be used for multiple applications) and is scalable. This innovation not only has immediate benefits for the business, but has wide-reaching implications in its everyday application; facilitating the development of products and services which were not feasible until today.
SatixFy will be launching a series of products based on Prime and Beat chips starting Q1 2019: antenna for short messaging mobility applications which can handle IP and has the smallest form factor in the market; In-flight connectivity and COTM (Communications On The Move) terminals capable of multi-beam and LEO satellites applications.
SatixFy UK also hosted a reception recently to celebrate the completion of UK Space Agency backed, Prime and Beat activities implemented under the Core Competitiveness element of ESA's programme of Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems (ARTES).
See the video below or click here to learn more about SatixFy's technology.
