SWISSto12 contributes AM to satellite communications collaboration
June 28, 2021
SWISSto12, Renens, Switzerland, a provider of additively manufactured antenna and RF system products for the aerospace and defence industries, has teamed up with ASIC and satellite communications producer SatixFy, headquartered in Rehovot, Israel, in order to further the development and commercialisation of end-to-end MEO (medium earth orbit) and GEO (geosynchronous equatorial orbit) telecom satellite payloads.
The companies are currently working together on multiple advanced payload programmes and opportunities for telecommunication satellites, contributing with products that are essential and complementary to the structure of advanced digital payloads. Such systems require highly capable on-board digital signal processing capabilities to deliver re-configurable, channelised, switchable and regenerative payloads capable of beam-hopping and beamforming processes.
These advanced digital payloads need to work with active antennas that have the capability to deliver high power, creating RF beams that follow customer demand. The combination of these technologies enables flexible telecom payloads – a game changer for satellite operators hoping to boost profitability and reduce business risk in their operations. The technologies, being digitised and software-defined, allow for a highly programmable, self-calibrating software-defined payload, enabling an unprecedentedly fast time to market.
SatixFy contributes to this partnership with its software-defined, high-bandwidth product portfolio in flexible digital payloads and beamforming technology that leverages upon its radhard SX4000 and Prime2 ASICs. SWISSto12 brings its disruptive active antenna technology that leverages its AM capabilities for RF applications. As a partnership, the two aim to seize the opportunity to co-engineer end-to-end payloads with an optimal integration, systems engineering and optimisation approach for maximum performance of telecom missions.
Dr Emile de Rijk, CEO of SWISSto12, stated, “This partnership with SatixFy will bring both our unique product capabilities together for the benefit of next-generation advanced telecom satellite payloads. We look forward to our work with satellite integrators to provide these new payload products.”
