Akoustis Technologies, an integrated device manufacturer (IDM) of patented bulk acoustic wave (BAW) high-band RF filters has received a new order for a C-band XBAW filter that will be used in Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UASs) for control and non-payload communication (CNPC) links.
Under the new purchase order, Akoustis will develop and deliver samples of the XBAW filter for the UAS application by the end of September 2020 for testing and evaluation. The Company expects it will be able to deliver qualified XBAW filters and expects to receive orders for the commercial product by the end of March 2021.
CNPC is Command and Control (C2) frequency modulated radio intended for point-to-point or networked UAS operations for Beyond Line of Sight Operation (BLOS). The new customer is in the defense business, but the filter will have wider market applications including commercial and consumer drones and other aircraft.
The new filter will operate in a key C-band frequency (within the 4-8 GHz frequency spectrum), that is under consideration for licensing by the FCC, where Akoustis has historically focused its development efforts and has delivered its first designs for high-band WiFi, 5G infrastructure, 5G mobile devices and defense applications. The filter is expected to use the same supply chain and packaging as the current 5 GHz WiFi filters and 5G infrastructure filters.
Jeff Shealy, Founder, and CEO of Akoustis, stated, with the continued sampling of their existing high-band WiFi filters, 5G filters, and defense solutions, Akoustis is experiencing interest from new peripheral applications for their high-performance XBAW filter products.
The UAS XBAW WiFi Filter Features:
- Low insertion loss passband filter
- High-frequency C-Band operation
- Wide bandwidth
- High rejection
- Single ended Tx/Rx ports
- High power rating, maximum +30 dBm
- Ultra small form factor 2.5 mm x 2.0 mm x 0.9 mm
- Performance over -40 to +85 Degrees C
- RoHS compliant, Pb-free package
The UAS filter will be designed and manufactured using the Company’s patented XBAW process housed within the Company’s Si-MEMS Wafer Fab located in Canandaigua, NY.
Akoustis has introduced several new filters over the past twelve months including a 5.6 GHz Wi-Fi filter (AKF-1256), a 5.2 GHz WiFi filter (AKF-1252), a 4.9 GHz band n79 filter for small cell network infrastructure, a 3.8 GHz filter (AKF-1938), five S-Band filters for defense phased-array radar applications, and a 3.6 GHz filter for the CBRS 5G infrastructure market. The company is also developing several new filters for the sub-7 GHz bands targeting 5G mobile devices, network infrastructure, Wi-Fi CPE and defense markets.
