A SOLID-STATE C-BAND POWER AMPLIFIER FOR COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITES

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 24-27, 1983 / Sheraton-Harbor Island Hotel and Convention Center, San Diego, California === A solid-state power amplifier now routinely replaces the traveling-wave tube amplifier in C-band communications satellites. The immediate benefit o...

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Main Author: LaPrade, J. Nicholas
Other Authors: RCA Astro-Electronics
Language:en_US
Published: International Foundation for Telemetering 1983
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10150/612840
http://arizona.openrepository.com/arizona/handle/10150/612840
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spelling ndltd-arizona.edu-oai-arizona.openrepository.com-10150-6128402016-06-15T03:03:47Z A SOLID-STATE C-BAND POWER AMPLIFIER FOR COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITES LaPrade, J. Nicholas RCA Astro-Electronics International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 24-27, 1983 / Sheraton-Harbor Island Hotel and Convention Center, San Diego, California A solid-state power amplifier now routinely replaces the traveling-wave tube amplifier in C-band communications satellites. The immediate benefit of superior performance is realized by increased transponder capacity. Long-term benefits of higher reliability and reduced production costs are also projected. This paper describes salient features of the first solid-state power amplifier to fully replace the traveling-wave tube amplifier in spaceborne transponders. The 8.5-watt, 60-dB gain amplifier employs a chain of gallium-arsenide field-effect transistors to provide a 160-MHz usable bandwidth within the 3.7- to 4.2-GHz downlink band. Data typical for this amplifier are presented. The key parameters of efficiency, intermodulation distortion, and phase effects are described in detail. The amplifier is being manufactured for numerous communications satellite programs. Aspects of reproducibility and automated testing at the various stages of amplifier production are addressed. Forty-eight amplifiers are now operational at geosynchronous altitude with several times that number scheduled for launch within the next few years. 1983-10 text Proceedings 0884-5123 0074-9079 http://hdl.handle.net/10150/612840 http://arizona.openrepository.com/arizona/handle/10150/612840 International Telemetering Conference Proceedings en_US http://www.telemetry.org/ Copyright © International Foundation for Telemetering International Foundation for Telemetering
collection NDLTD
language en_US
sources NDLTD
description International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 24-27, 1983 / Sheraton-Harbor Island Hotel and Convention Center, San Diego, California === A solid-state power amplifier now routinely replaces the traveling-wave tube amplifier in C-band communications satellites. The immediate benefit of superior performance is realized by increased transponder capacity. Long-term benefits of higher reliability and reduced production costs are also projected. This paper describes salient features of the first solid-state power amplifier to fully replace the traveling-wave tube amplifier in spaceborne transponders. The 8.5-watt, 60-dB gain amplifier employs a chain of gallium-arsenide field-effect transistors to provide a 160-MHz usable bandwidth within the 3.7- to 4.2-GHz downlink band. Data typical for this amplifier are presented. The key parameters of efficiency, intermodulation distortion, and phase effects are described in detail. The amplifier is being manufactured for numerous communications satellite programs. Aspects of reproducibility and automated testing at the various stages of amplifier production are addressed. Forty-eight amplifiers are now operational at geosynchronous altitude with several times that number scheduled for launch within the next few years.
author2 RCA Astro-Electronics
author_facet RCA Astro-Electronics
LaPrade, J. Nicholas
author LaPrade, J. Nicholas
spellingShingle LaPrade, J. Nicholas
A SOLID-STATE C-BAND POWER AMPLIFIER FOR COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITES
author_sort LaPrade, J. Nicholas
title A SOLID-STATE C-BAND POWER AMPLIFIER FOR COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITES
title_short A SOLID-STATE C-BAND POWER AMPLIFIER FOR COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITES
title_full A SOLID-STATE C-BAND POWER AMPLIFIER FOR COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITES
title_fullStr A SOLID-STATE C-BAND POWER AMPLIFIER FOR COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITES
title_full_unstemmed A SOLID-STATE C-BAND POWER AMPLIFIER FOR COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITES
title_sort solid-state c-band power amplifier for communications satellites
publisher International Foundation for Telemetering
publishDate 1983
url http://hdl.handle.net/10150/612840
http://arizona.openrepository.com/arizona/handle/10150/612840
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