Solid-State High-Efficiency Radar Transmit Module

10 W C-band GaN PA

The flight capability of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs) is limited by many factors, especially power consumption of the on-board radar. Low-efficiency operation requires additional aircraft weight, more prime power, and effective heat removal. These impacts are expensive since propulsion and power generation are principal cost drivers.

The need for airborne stealth is driving future UASs to be small, light, and capable of high-altitude flight and prolonged flight time. This is currently prevented by UAS radar transmitters that can only operate at 20-30 percent efficiency, forcing on-board power generators to be large and heavy. Having a highly efficient power amplifier would reduce the system power requirement and substantially improve flight and radar performance (i.e., greater “up-time,” decreased fuel consumed, less heat generated, etc.).

400 W GaN PA with integrated drain pulser circuit

Initially, this program delivered a 400-600 W UHF amplifier with 50-70% efficiency. The design was then scaled to C-band and the power was reduced to 10 W-class. The C-band amplifier is currently undergoing measurement and is expected to reach 60% efficiency.

Balanced Solution:

Design and deliver GaN power amplifiers that operate across 405-450 MHz (UHF) and with over 100 MHz bandwidth in C-band. Form factor to be suitable for an airborne platform, i.e., compact and light-weight.