SATCOM service providers and operators today want more power out of the uplink power—however, if they are operating within the guidelines of most satellite system standards, they will never operate above maximum linear power.
Tango Wave’s PA17 Series Ku-Band TWTA Plaform.
At the same time, what the industry’s customer base is looking for is high output power with less “attached” volume and weight. Available solutions include Tango Wave’s SATCOM power amplifier designs, which are meeting such customer needs by offering 10 percent less volume and weight with their 400W Ku-band offering, 35 percent less volume and weight with the 250W Ka-band product, and 40 percent less volume and weight with their 750W Ku- and DBS-band systems.
Tango Wave’s compact and ultra-compact TWTA designs have common technology and modules (power supply, control and cables) and custom configurable components (RF, TWT, HVPS and cooling), all leading to better products and service for SATCOM system integrators and service providers.
Amplifier solutions for operating in Ku-band, ranging from power levels of 400 watts (peak and CW), 750 watts (peak and CW), and up to 1250 watts (peak), have been developed by the company. Amplifiers are also available for operating in at power levels of 750 watts (peak and CW) in DBS band, and a full lineup of 11 peak and CW amplifiers that range from 120 watts to 550 watts peak, in Ka-band. The smaller, lighter and more efficient amplifier designs are a highly positive delineator for customer consideration.
Smaller and Lighter
Tango Wave has developed two compact platforms that are the basic building blocks of their amplifier designs. The compact PA20 Series measure only 20 x 10 x 10 inches (50.8 x 25.4 x 25.4 cm) and weigh in at just 44 pounds (20kg., typical).
As examples, Model PA20-Ku400 (400W Ku) and Model PA20-Ku750 (750W Ku) amplifiers have the option to operate from 12.75 to 14.5 GHz (extended Ku-Band). These amplifiers are both PA20 Series platform products, which makes these PAs completely interchangeable from a systems upgrade point of view
The ultra-compact PA17 Series amplifiers measure 17 x 8.5 x 8.5 inches (43.2 x 21.6 x 21.6cm) and weigh in at 32 pounds (14.5kg., typical). The Ultra-Compact Model PA17-Ku400P (400W peak) is a more compact product that offers the equivalent performance of the Model PA20-Ku400. The PA17-Ku400P is tuned to limit CW carrier power to values just above the maximum linear power of the amplifier. The amplifier does not have a limiter and can operate to saturation.
The reason for using a limiter is to optimize the TWT collector performance for efficiency. Again, to be clear, operating in peak mode increases amplifier efficiency. With the design of this particular amplifier, the prime power, thermal power dissipation and physical size of the product are all reduced.
Tango Wave PA20 Series Ku-Band TWTA Platform.
Efficiency
TWTA performance advantages are driven by efficiency, which reduces the physical size, unit weight and power consumption down, with the end results being lower operational expenses—UPS, HVAC and electricity usage.
System Solutions
Tango Wave compact universal solutions are specifically designed to be re-purposed with value-added, low loss systems. Redundancy, power combining, polarity switching and load switching functions are compact and broadband in operation—with HPA having integrated system control built-in. Simply put, a 1:2 system can be installed and operated as a 1:1 system until the second polarization is required. The upgrade is achieved by adding just one HPA to be operational as a 1:2 system.
Tango Wave’s affordable line of amplifiers are able to address the global demand for broadband solutions and are designed for Direct-to-Home (DTH), global up-linking, Digital/Satellite News Gathering (DSNG/SNG), broadcasting, voice/data, mobile up-linking and maritime applications.
A company tagline encompasses their product efforts: “Smaller, Lighter and Better SATCOM TWTAs: It’s in Our DNA.”
For further information regarding Tango Wave, please visit http://www.tango-wave.com/
Tango Wave’s objectives are to develop products for commercial platforms that deliver continuous wave (CW) power amplifiers and peak power amplifiers operating in the Ku-, DBS- and Ka-bands. These HPA designs use modern TWTs and linearity pre-distortion techniques for achieving cutting-edge SATCOM uplink amplifier products with high linearity and high efficiency. These technologies also enable the development of compact HPAs that offer advantages in size, weight and power over products currently available in the market. Additionally, these innovative, safe and reliable products, with value-added solutions, are exactly what the Global SATCOM Market demands.
Just recently, Spacepath Communications and Tango Wave agreed to collaborate across marketing activities, service support and new product development solutions. Spacepath Communications, the U.K. company behind the Stellar family of high-power outdoor amplifiers (HPA), has joined with Tango Wave to market a range of new high efficiency SATCOM amplifiers for the global HPA market. Walt Wood, CEO, Tango Wave, said, “The Spacepath team has immense experience in the EMEA satellite arena, and Tango Wave’s new high efficiency products augment the Spacepath range of products perfectly by providing customers across the region with fixed and transportable solutions for commercial and military applications. With the use of Ka-band for SNG applications, where small, high efficiency, lightweight packages are essential. Our new products have been designed especially for this and other high powered gateway applications.”
