Chipset cuts costs for X-band radar

Edited by the Electronicstalk editorial team May 23, 2006

A new gallium arsenide chipset for X-band radar applications offers higher power and higher integration for superior performance at a reasonable price.

Mimix Broadband has developed a gallium arsenide (GaAs) chipset for X-band radar applications.

This cost competitive, superior performance chipset includes a digital attenuator, phase shifter, driver and power amplifier.

The XP1006 is a 10W-plus power amplifier that is offered in both bare die and packaged form.

The XP1014 is a 1W buffer amplifier that drives the XP1006.

The digital attenuator and phase shifter, XA1000 and XS1000 respectively, provide excellent linearity performance with low phase and attenuation errors.

X-band radar is used in a number of systems such as phased array antenna systems, air traffic control and weather monitoring.

Traditionally, MMIC devices in X-band phased array antenna have formed a significant proportion of the cost due to the number of elements that dictate the performance level of the overall system.

However, these MMIC devices offer higher power and higher integration for superior performance at a reasonable price.

Engineering samples are available today from stock with production volumes available within 10 to 12 weeks of order placement.