Norsat Launches 50W Ka-band Block Upconverter, LNB Down Converters

9000I4-4 LNB. Photo: Norsat.

Norsat International announced the expansion of their Ka-band product lines with the launch of the Atom 50 Watt Ka-band Block Upconverters (BUCs) and Solid State Power Amplifiers (SSPAs), and 4- and 5-band Low-Noise Blocks (LNBs).

Ka-band ATOM BUCs

Extending the current capability offered by the ATOM 25W Ka-band product, the Atom 50 Watt Ka-band BUCs and SSPAs are available in either single or dual-band configurations and provide up to 50W of saturated power in a compact size. Covering transmit frequencies in both military and commercial bands (30.0-31.0 GHz and 29.0-30.0GHz, respectively) the Atom 50W SSPAs and BUCs can be configured to suit operation on any Ka-band satellite, according to the company. Ethernet, redundancy configurations, Electromagnetic Compatibility/Interference (EMI/EMC), and other custom options are also available upon request.

According to Norsat, the 50W BUCs are up to 20 percent smaller, 50 percent lighter, and 5 percent more energy efficient than alternatives, enabling a wide range of applications including Traveling-Wave Tube Amplifier (TWTA) replacement, satellite news gathering, transportable Very Small Aperture Terminals (VSAT), satcom on the move, and radar. The Atom 50W also includes AtomControl, the same management and control software that powers the full Atom Ku and Ka family of products.

4- and 5-band LNBs

The 9000I4-4 and 9000I5-4 series of LNBs extends Norsat’s single, dual, and triple band LNB offering and represent an exciting new part of the Ka product solution. Available both in internal and external reference model families, these two new product series will cover bands from 17.2 GHz to 22.2 GHz. Gain flatness is +/-2.5 dB, noise figure of 3.0 dB max, and input and output Voltage Standing Wave Ratio (VSWR) maximums of 1.5:1 and 2.2:1 respectively — all packaged in 11.2 cubic inches of volume and weighing 550g. An upgraded multi-band LNB controller, which will drive both families of LNBs using 22KHz tone and output volume, completes the system.