“Substrate Embedded FILters for on-board microwave equipment“
The project called SEFIL ‘Substrate Embedded FILters for on-board microwave equipment’ is related to the ARTES ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY, ITT AO10672 (5C.434) for the development and test of new design concepts that integrate high-performance filters in satellite RF modules from L- to Ka-band.
CONTEXT
In satellite front-end microwave equipment where medium to high Q-factor filters are requested waveguide/combline filters with waveguide or coaxial interfaces are generally selected. These are bulky filters requiring, in most of the cases, connectorized interfaces.
The size of the RF module (e.g. frequency converter, low noise amplifier) is often limited by the physical size of the filters that are needed to remove all of the unwanted signals.
Conventional microstrip filters offer a somewhat reduced footprint, but often they do not meet the stringent RF performance specifications. Filtering solutions based on low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) technology or multilayer printed circuit boards (PCB) have been developed in last decades and they offer a good degree of compactness, but at the expense of electrical performance (mainly lower Q-factor). Additionally, the filter integration is mainly achieved by soldering to a PCB surface, which introduces complex RF interfaces that need to be accounted for in the design and testing.
The development of suitable interfaces to other units in the RF chain will make the filter fully embedded in the system.
OBJECTIVES
The main goal of the project is the development and test of new design concepts that integrate high-performance filters in satellite RF modules from L- to Ka-band.
The filters that need to be very compact will require medium/high Q-factor and will be embedded in the system substrate (LTCC and PCB).
The project duration is 24 months.
TRL Level
Target is 4
STATUS
On-going
PARTNERS
RF Microtech S.r.l. Italy – PRIME CONTRACTOR
https://rfmicrotech.com
Thales Alenia Space Italia
https://www.thalesgroup.com/it/italia/global-presence-europe/italia