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MeirG
The processing needed is essentially FFT. Many IP cores exists for this, either ...
Dr DSP
It would be interesting to know if any FPGAs are being used for some of the ...
Startup preps phased array satellite system
Nick Flaherty
6/13/2012 11:18 AM EDT
A UK startup is set to launch a phased array antenna system that allows moving vehicles to communicate with satellites, or antennas that track satellites, in real time with no moving parts.
Phasor Solutions Ltd. (Ledbury, England) is using the 155-GHz SiGe process from TowerJazz rather than GaAs for the transceivers alongside its phase array antenna design. With a launch at the Farnborough Air Show next month it is targeting the multi-billion dollar satellite communications and radar market that it says provides order of magnitude improvement over competing solutions.
The Phasor chips include all the radio frequency functions (amplifiers, oscillators) and phase shifting circuits, as well as the logic and data modulation/demodulation required. This approach to phased array technology aims to reduce costs by over 10x and provide a flat design less than 1 inch high, conformal to any surface, a modular approach, and high reliability as there are no moving parts. One of Phasor's initial targets is the provision of wireless internet access on trains, an estimated available market of over 500 million users worldwide. However airborne satcoms and other Comms-On-The-Move (COTM) applications are likely to be larger markets.
"Phasor is carving the way for the next decades of phased arrays by providing a paradigm shift in satellite communications. It took the industry over 40 years to develop phased arrays which are typically expensive to buy and to operate. But now, with the invaluable support of our partners, and in particular TowerJazz, we have been able to deliver semiconductors which provide an order of magnitude reduction in costs compared to current solutions," said David Garrood, Managing Director, Phasor Solutions. "Phasor has been able to achieve this milestone with the support of the TowerJazz team and relying on the stability and performance of its SBC18HX process."
Phasor Solutions was founded by venture capital firm Anglo Scientific and circuit designer Richard Mayo in 2005 to develop flat and conformal high gain antennas to fit on the roofs of moving vehicles.
This article appears courtesy of EE Times Europe
Related links and articles:
www.phasorsolutions.com
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Dr DSP
6/13/2012 4:56 PM EDT
It would be interesting to know if any FPGAs are being used for some of the complex processing required for this application. The FPGA companies make it sound like this is an ideal application for their DSP blocks. What is under the hood?
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MeirG
6/14/2012 6:24 AM EDT
The processing needed is essentially FFT. Many IP cores exists for this, either for a custom IC or an FPGA, which are equipped with lots of Multiply-Accumulate (MAC) building blocks.
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