MULTI-BAND DUAL-BEAM C-TO-Q/V SATCOM ANALOGUE BEAMFORMING INTEGRATED CIRCUIT (ARTES AT 7B.091) - EXPRO+

Objective: The objective of the activity is to design, manufacture and test a wideband analogue beamforming integrated circuit (BFIC) capable of covering the entire frequency range from Cto Q/V-band, with two beams. This BFIC will serve as a modular and scalable solution for user-terminal flat-panel arrays, enabling multi-band and multi-product compatibility.Targeted Improvements: - Frequency coverage extended from C-band to Q/V-band in a single BFIC.- Fostering high-volume production scalability and economies of scale.- Enhanced design modularity, enabling flat-panel antennas to scale in aperture size (same number of beams) and/or number of beams (same aperture).Description:Conventionally, different BFICs have been used in applications at different frequency bands, e.g., the C- to Q/V-bands relevant to satcom. Also, such conventional BFICs typically generate a single beam. To enable the use of thesame BFIC in a broad range of satcom products, this activity will develop a next-generation dual-beam analogue BFIC with wideband coverage from C- to Q/V-band. Thus, the envisioned BFIC will serve as a fundamental building block for future flat-panel antenna arrays, supporting scalable designs by allowing additional BFICs to be integrated based on performance requirements. The development of this BFIC shall leverage insights from recent state-of-the-art wideband single-/dual-beam BFICs, such as the C- to Ka-band BFICs, which are developed outside ESA Member States. These contributions highlight the growing industry demand for multi-beam and frequency-agnostic BFIC solutions, which can reduce system complexity and accelerate product development, with the potential for higher volumeproduction in comparison to single-band BFICs. Therefore, the envisioned BFIC will cover the entire C- to Q/V-band range and generatetwo beams, which will enable its reuse across multiple product lines and reduce the need for band-specific BFICs. The design willemphasise performance consistency across the wide frequency range, minimising variations in gain, noise figure, and linearity.Additionally, the activity will assess the thermal and power consumption challenges associated with multi-beam and broadband analogue BFICs at millimetre-wave frequencies, ensuring that the proposed solution is viable for both low- and high-end satcom applications. Successful execution will position Europe as a leader in wideband BFICs, securing our competitiveness in the evolving satcom ecosystem. The wideband analogue BFIC will be tested against DVB-S2/S2X or 5G-NR waveform in a relevant environment.