PRODUCTS MILITARY, AEROSPACE & DEFENCE
GAN-ON-SIC TRANSISTORS FOR AVIONICS
QPD1025L gallium nitride (GaN) on silicon carbide (SiC) transistors from Qorvo are now available from Mouser Electronics. Operating with
1.8kW at 65V, this is said to be the industry’s highest-power GaN-on-SiC radio frequency transistor, delivering the high signal integrity and extended reach essential for L-band avionics and identification friend or foe (IFF) applications. This high-electron-mobility transistor (HEMT) supports both pulsed and continuous wave (CW) operations to more efficiently offer performance comparable to silicon-based LDMOS devices, the company explains. These are suitable for defence and aerospace applications such as radar, communications and navigation.
Mouser Electronics
www.mouser.com HIGH CAPACITANCE MLCCS LAUNCHED
The Novacap branded MLCCs from Knowles Precision Devices (KPD) are suitable for military and medical applications where a high capacitance value is required. These RoHS compliant BME MLC chip capacitors are manufactured in stable Class II
dielectrics X7R and X5R. The range is offered with a spread of capacitance values from 6.8nF to 100μF. Because of the extremely low ESR characteristics they can be used to replace Tantalum and low ESR electrolytic capacitors without polarity concerns. According to the company, they find
application as power supply bypass capacitors, smoothing capacitors, input/output filters in DC-DC converters, and in digital circuits and LCD modules. ±10% and ±20% capacitance tolerances are available. Nickel Barrier termination options include
tin, tin/lead or gold flash – all of which are suitable for reflow soldering processes.
Knowles Precision Devices
www.knowlescapacitors.com
PLUG-AND-PLAY ANTENNA CHIP SIMPLIFIES THE DESIGN OF PHASED ARRAY RADAR SYSTEMS
Now available from Analog Devices is a highly integrated, active antenna beamforming chip that allows designers to quickly replace bulky, mechanically steered antenna platforms with a compact, solid-state solution for phased array radar and communications systems. The plug-and-play ADAR1000 chip is said to
simplify design and significantly reduces the size, weight and power of phased array radar systems for defence, surveillance, air traffic control, communications and weather monitoring. For avionics
designers, the ADAR1000 enables flat-panel antenna arrays, which shrinks the profile of conventional radar systems and facilitates the design of smaller, lighter aircraft. According to the company, the four-channel ADAR1000 active antenna beamforming
chip replaces 12 discrete components needed for antenna phase-gain adjustments and digital controls. The IC supports time division duplexing (TDD) across the X and Ku bands. It includes an integrated T/R switch that can be used to select the common port as an input for transmit (Tx) or an output for receive (Rx). The four pairs of Tx and Rx channels have independently programmable gain and phase settings. Of additional benefit, the chip can be configured to directly control all aspects of
external T/R module pulsing with minimal extra circuitry. Analog Devices
www.analog.com
RUGGED TRI-BAND TRANSMITTER FOR USE IN HARSH CONDITIONS
An Airborne Tri-Band Multimode Transmitter which provides high RF power efficiency has been introduced by Curtiss- Wright’s Defense Solutions division. The rugged TTS-9800-2 Tri-Band Multimode Transmitter is suitable for use in aerospace and defence applications, such as flight test instrumentation, Remotely Piloted Vehicle (RPV) communications, and launch vehicle telemetry. According to the company, the use of a user- programmable multimode transmitter speeds and simplifies RF band selection in the field, which saves time and cost, lowers program risk, and reduces inventory complexity. The Transmitter supports transmission in L-Band (all), S-Band (all), and C-Band (lower and middle). Suitable for use in harsh environmental conditions,
this provides state-of-the-art modulation, Forward Error Correction (FEC) and Space-Time Coding (STC) compatibility to the IRIG-106-17 telemetry standard. This also has user programmability options which are provided via serial and parallel interfaces.
Curtiss-Wright: Defense Solutions division
www.curtisswrightds.com
BESPOKE STEERING SYSTEMS FOR MILITARY VEHICLES
In 2010, an armoured military vehicle successfully endured the extreme terrain of the Baja 1000 off-road race. Taking place in Mexico every year, this two-day, 1000-mile race is one of the most gruelling motorsports events in the world and is ideal for testing vehicles to their limits. Since then, the capabilities of armoured vehicles have continued to take huge strides. Throughout years of developments, the priorities have remained: safety,
speed and low life-cycle costs. As a result, leading tier one manufacturers aren’t choosing out-of-the box steering columns, bevel boxes or drag links for the steering systems, but instead are sourcing bespoke systems designed specifically for the vehicle application. Pailton Engineering, for example, works closely with tier one military
vehicle manufacturers to ensure every part is designed, manufactured and validated against the conditions the vehicle will face throughout its lifespan. Such collaborations between the steering supplier and tier one company makes for a highly capable, lightweight, steering system. This has enabled speeds of up to 70mph in some tactical vehicles. Because lifecycle costs are also an important consideration, steering systems must be low maintenance and reliably last the test of time. The
22 JUNE 2018 | DESIGN SOLUTIONS
only way to deduce the true fatigue life of the system is through rigorous testing both on-site at the steering supplier’s location and at the tier one’s testing assault course. This cross referencing of data validates the reliability and repeatability of the test results. As well as high-speed capabilities and physical testing, military vehicles
must also be able to endure varied environmental conditions such as deep water wading, changes to temperature and humidity variance. To make sure this is the case, Pailton carries out environmental testing processes. When the armoured military vehicle successfully endured the extreme terrain of the Baja race it pushed the vehicle to the extremes. During a good year, only 58% of the vehicles that start the race cross the finish line. If the tactical vehicle is capable of this challenge, then it is certainly capable of handling the rough terrain it will face in service. This race may have been a huge test for the vehicle, but it was in fact
the testing that occurred prior to this race that really mattered. Without such validation, the vehicle would have never taken on this high impact 1000-mile mission in the first place.
Pailton Engineering
http://pailton.com/
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