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Defence & Aerospace

FREQUENCY CONVERTERS, PRE- AND POST PROCESSORS

Frequency converters are found in all telecom payloads, and KONGSBERG has specialized in two families, cross-band converters, and Pre/Post processing converters for High Throughput (HTS) and Very High Throughput Satellites (VHTS).

All frequency converters build on similar building blocks and can be adapted to the program requirements, wrt. frequency plan, number of channels and channel bandwidth. All with a minimum NRE and re-qualification cost.

Pre & Post Processors for HTS and VHTS

Key functions

  • Conversion between RF frequency and selected ADC/DAC Nyquist Zone
  • Filters adapted to RF and IF bandwidth and spur requirements
  • RF bands: from C-Band to Ka-Band
  • IF bandwidths from 350 MHz to 2 GHz
  • IF ranges from L-Band to Ku-Band
  • Stand-alone or assemblies, pending on program needs
  • Special variants available for L&S-Band Mobile and Navigation Systems satellites available
  • Low PN LO embedded, fixed or flexible conversions, or supplied from an external source
  • If internal LO, reference from an internal or external source
  • EPC and platform TM/TC embedded as by customer and program needs
  • Flight proven designs and implementation

Cross-Band converters for bent pipe systems

Key functions

  • Conversion between RF and/or IF frequencies in single or dual steps
  • Often SAW filters for channel definition
  • Stand-alone or assemblies, pending on program needs
  • Low PN LO embedded, fixed or flexible conversions, or supplied from an external source
  • If internal LO, reference from an internal or external source
  • PC and platform TM/TC embedded as by customer and program needs
  • Flight proven designs and implementation

Frequency Converters for L-& S-Band Mobile and Navigation Systems

KONGSBERG has delivered, or in progress of delivering, close to 3,000 frequency converters for L&S-band mobile communications systems and L-Band Navigation systems.

The mobile systems are characterized by the satellite multi-beam systems, where the signals in typically 100-150 beams, or antenna elements in case of digital beamforming, are converted between the antenna/radio frequency and the digital channelizers & beamformers. As for modern HTS systems, they come in pre- post-processing variants.

Navigation systems perform similar functionality, yet only in the transmit direction, as the digitally generated navigation signal is transported up to the radio frequency.

Common for all such systems is stringent requirements on signal dynamics and rigid control of amplitude and phase.

Pre / Post Processing for Digital Beamforming Mobile Systems

Key functions

  • Frequency Translation between Digital Signal processor and RF (L- or S-Band)
  • Spectrum cleaning with strict in-band amplitude and stop-band rejection control
  • Embedded LO w/ strict phase control
  • Embedded redundancy
  • Interfaces
    -Digital Signal processor
    -L-Band Receive and Transmit Sections

Frequency Converters for Navigation Systems

Key characteristics

  • Frequency translation to L-Band
  • Spectrum cleaning with strict in-band amplitude and stop-band rejection control
  • Embedded LO w/ strict phase control
  • Embedded redundancy
  • Enterfaces-Navigation Signal Generator
    -Clock Monitoring Unit
    -L-Band Transmit Section

How can I help you?

Øyvind Andreassen

Dir. Business Development