BASINGSTOKE, England – Link Microtek Ltd UK in Basingstoke, England, is introducing a complex RF and microwave feed assembly for use in Ku-band mobile satellite communications (SATCOM) antenna systems.
Widely used around the world by news crews, first responders, government agencies and military units, such mobile antenna systems provide a durable and quickly deployable solution for anyone requiring reliable satellite communications facilities in remote locations.
The Link Microtek assembly incorporates a feed arm, transmit and receive filters, a rotary joint, and an orthomode transducer. In addition to satisfying the tight space constraints, the feed assembly must meet strict requirements for low transmission losses and cross polarization, as well as high isolation between transmit and receive channels.
The feed arm is formed of WR75 waveguide to handle the Ku-band frequency ranges of 13.75 to 14.5 GHz for transmit and 12 to 13 GHz for receive. This is linked via a length of semi-rigid waveguide to a transmit filter, which bends round to interface to the rotary joint - the purpose of which is to accommodate one of the degrees of movement as the foldaway SATCOM system unfurls once in situ.
Related: Compact SATCOM amplifier for military communications introduced by Comtech Xicom
The simple external appearance of the rotary joint masks the complexity of its internal design, which consists of more than 40 separate precision-engineered parts, including connectors, pins, cages, spring mounts, and bearings.
On the other side of the rotary joint is the orthomode transducer, which separates the transmit and receive signals, and achieves an isolation figure of more than 100dB.
For more information contact Link Microtek online at www.linkmicrotek.com.
