Qorvo announced the release of a Ku-band beamformer IC designed to meet the growing demand for terminals that support time-division duplexing (TDD) in compact and power-sensitive SATCOM applications. TDD architectures enable a single antenna array to be used for both transmit and receive, reducing system size and complexity, enabling low-profile, electronically steered terminals. This new device expands Qorvo’s SATCOM portfolio, building on the company’s March launch of Ku-band FDD beamformer ICs to offer a complete and scalable solution for both TDD and FDD terminal architectures.
This new TDD solution is ideally suited for terminals in LEO constellations for airborne or mobile platforms, where power, performance and cost are critical. The AWMF-0247 supports Ku-band operation from 13.75 to 14.5 GHz in transmit and 10.7 to 12.75 GHz in receive, enabling full compatibility with current and emerging SATCOM networks that require compact, electronically steered array architectures. It integrates transmit and receive functionality into a single device, providing significant efficiency and signal quality improvements. The AWMF-0247 reduces receive array power by 40% while improving signal clarity by over 20% and offers up to 5x greater transmit efficiency compared to competing solutions. Even in situations where EIRP efficiencies are similar, Qorvo achieves them with a significantly smaller die area, enabling easy integration and cost-effective terminal designs.