Russian Space Systems Holding specialists (RSS, part of Roscosmos) have developed and put into production new onboard transceivers for advanced spacecraft. This will ensure reliable information exchange via the satellite-to-Earth line. A universal development, it has no rivals in the Russian market, implemented using only domestic electronic components.
High-speed radio lines transceivers are designed to transmit and receive large quantities of target information: satellite images, radar images, etc. The devices consist of receiver and signal conditioner modules, switch and amplifier operating in the X-frequency range.
The modules are based on Low Temperature Co-Fired Ceramic (LTCC) technology used by leading telecommunications equipment manufacturers. It provides higher electrical characteristics and thermal conductivity, mechanical protection of monolithic integrated circuits and tightness of modules, high reliability and fault tolerance. The use of LTCC ceramics in the creation of microwave devices made it possible to switch from metal case modules to small-sized ceramic modules, and implement three-dimensional structures inside.
Andrey Buyankin, Head of the RSS Onboard Microwave Devices Development Department: ‘When developing new microwave devices, we faced the fact that electronic components available on the domestic market did not ensure the required operating frequencies and significantly complicated the device circuit. As a result, we have mastered the development of our own microwave monolithic integrated circuits. This solution gave us the opportunity to be more flexible in the design of microwave modules.
We were able to increase the speed of information transfer, reduce the number of active elements on the board from 18 to 9, and halve the dimensions – from 60 × 60 to 30 × 30 mm. The development of our own microwave MIS takes no more than three months and costs tens of thousands of rubles apiece, while ordering a new circuit from an external manufacturer, subject to development costs, costs about 60 million rubles and lasts about four years.’
The devices are to be used in the creation of advanced satellites for broadband communications and Earth remote sensing.