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Gold-coloured connectors line the edges of an electronic circuit board with a tiny black chip nestled in its centre.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hidden inside this little chip is an innovation that enables the deployment of next\u2011generation satellites\u00a0carrying either\u00a0digital communications, Earth observation,\u00a0or\u00a0navigation\u00a0payloads. It is a key building block\u00a0\u2013\u00a0a\u00a0multichannel transceiver capable of converting wideband radio\u2011frequency signals directly into digital data\u00a0and the other way around.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
In\u00a0radio\u00a0electronics, a\u00a0transceiver is a device that combines a transmitter and\u00a0a\u00a0receiver in one, enabling two-way communication\u00a0or simultaneous transmission and reception of radar\u00a0signals.\u00a0<\/p>\n
IMST, a German engineering company,\u00a0recently\u00a0demonstrated\u00a0a prototype of their\u00a0new product\u00a0in the\u00a0Microwave Lab at ESTEC,\u00a0the European Space Agency\u2019s technical heart.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOur transceiver\u00a0supports a wide range of radio frequencies, allowing for a high degree of programmability\u00a0and reconfigurability on the go,\u201d comments Jan Steinkamp,\u00a0radio frequency\u00a0engineer\u00a0at IMST. \u201cBy integrating multiple capabilities onto a single chip, we simplify\u00a0a\u00a0system’s\u00a0hardware complexity\u00a0while significantly reducing its power consumption at the same time.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIMST’s new\u00a0highly integrated circuit represents another critical European\u00a0intellectual property\u00a0(IP) block\u00a0developed in one of Europe\u2019s deep\u2011submicron semiconductor\u00a0technology nodes,\u201d adds\u00a0V\u00e1clav\u00a0Valenta,\u00a0ESA\u2019s microwave engineer.\u00a0\u201cIt is suitable for a wide range of applications, including software\u2011defined radios and digital beamforming\u00a0\u2013\u00a0strategic\u00a0technologies at the heart of modern satellite constellations.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n