Cutting the cost of hi-rel satellite devices

NEC's low-earth orbit L-Grade high-reliability devices include transistors and monolithic microwave ICs (MMICs) in both silicon and gallium arsenide (GaAs) technologies.

NEC's low-earth orbit L-Grade high-reliability devices include transistors and monolithic microwave ICs (MMICs) in both silicon and gallium arsenide (GaAs) technologies offering substantial cost savings when compared to competitive devices.

By carefully selecting and testing the devices from commercial wafers, NEC are able to offer their L-Grade hi-rel devices within as little as 4 months from ordering.

NEC is well established as a key space components supplier and the company's experience in developing outstanding quality hi-rel devices and equipment over many years, means it is able to offer such devices at a lower cost while ensuring that all the stringent quality requirements of low-earth orbit satellite applications are met.

NEC's L-Grade devices are tested thoroughly to a cost-reduced full screening system making them highly suitable for price competitive commercial satellite applications.

Commercial satellite designers have strict reliability requirements, but rapid growth and intense price competition, especially in the field of digital communications, have created a need for devices capable of meeting these requirements at a reduced cost and improved delivery times.

Conventional hi-rel devices have been prohibitively expensive and often meant waiting times of 6 to 9 months.

To combat this, NEC is offering a range of flight units in both hermetically sealed ceramic surface mount packages and in die form for chip-and-wire assemblies.

Devices available cover a variety of small signal bipolar and field effect transistors, as well as MMICs, also in both silicon and GaAs, offering such functions as prescalers, amplifiers and up/down convertors.

This range of devices cover the VHF, UHF, L and S frequency bands.

The range is available with a flexible service and ordering process, with full support to non-ESA (European Space Agency) projects and offering turnaround times as short as 4 months.

NEC has a long record of achievement in the satellite business.

The company developed Japan's first satellite, Osumi, which was launched in 1970.

In 1975, NEC developed Kiku-1, the National Space Development Agency of Japan's (NASDA) first engineering test satellite, and since then had provided system integration for the Himawari series of geostationary meteorological satellites and Momo-1, Japan's first real earth observation satellite.

NEC transponders and sensors are widely used in European and the U.S.

satellites, and recently the company and Russian Satellite Communications Company entered into a comprehensive alliance on the payload for a Russian commercial telecommunications satellite.

NEC's hi-rel devices are available now through specialist distributor Castle Microwave.

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