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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
[Image description:\u00a0A close-up view of a dark green electronic circuit board with many thin, gold-coloured lines spreading out from a small black chip in the centre. These lines curve outward like branches and connect to several small gold plugs that line the edges of the board. The board is lying on a white table, and the image is focused on the chip and connectors.]<\/i><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n