GaN based Solid State Power Amplifiers have extremely attractive properties (e.g. small form factor, high efficiency, high linearity wide bandwidth, and radiation hardness), making them ideal for use both on ground application, as well as for space based satellite communication systems.
Advantech Wireless has pioneered the design and manufacturing of GaN SSPAs, with the launch in early 2010 of a full product line, covering S, C, X, and Ku satellite bands. However, limited amount of information is available on reliability data on this new technology. The purpose of this paper is to describe the underlying complexities associated with the task, and to present the calculus methodology, as well as the findings of an extensive R&D program developed at Advantech Wireless in the years prior to the product launch. The theoretical results correlate with the field data, and underline a major improvement in reliability, superior to all existing technologies.
