ESA Open Invitation To Tender AO8699
Open Date: 16/09/2016
Closing Date: 16/03/2017 13:00:00

Status: ISSUED
Reference Nr.: 16.1TT.38
Prog. Ref.: ARTES 5 Sub-El. 5.1
Budget Ref.: E/0505-01B – ARTES 5 Sub-El. 5.1
Special Prov.: BE+DK+FR+DE+IT+NL+ES+SE+CH+GB+IE+AT+NO+FI+PT+LU+CZ+RO+CA
Tender Type: C
Price Range: > 500 KEURO
Products: Satellites & Probes / Electronics / EEE Components / Passive Microwave Devices (including for instance, mixers, couplers, isolators and switches)
Technology Domains: RF Systems, Payloads and Technologies / RF Technologies and Equipment / RF Devices
Establishment: ESTEC
Directorate: Directorate Telecom & Integrated Applications
Department: Telecom Technologies, Product& Systems Department
Division: Technologies and Product Division
Contract Officer: Rinaudo, Nicole
Industrial Policy Measure: C1 – Activities in open competition limited to the non-Larg
Last Update Date: 16/09/2016
Update Reason: Tender issue

Objective: This activity is to demonstrate a high linearity GaN mixer device, which can be used for up- and down-converters. Targeted Improvements: Improved Linearity, Bandwidth, and Noise Figure of Frequency Converters operating in Ka-Bands Description: Mixers are a common sub-circuit utilized in the frequency converters of telecom payloads. High Throughput Satellites require a large number of frequency converters (>200 for future mission designs) and hence a large number of mixers are needed. Today, high linearity mixers are made in GaAs (Gallium Arsenide), which are approaching their limits in terms of wideband operation, which precludes specific frequency tuning. The major benefit of using GaN devices is the high linearity performance due to the material wide band gap. (Frequency converter design is always a compromise between linearity and noise figure). Additionally a high breakdown voltage is obtained with GaN technology, therefore enabling more robust devices for space application. The activity will therefore be to investigate the suitability, and to demonstrate, the improved performance that may be possible using a GaN mixer via the design and development of an Engineering Model frequency converter stage. The current state of art mixers used within 30/20 GHz down-converters have an input IP3 limited to +20 dBm, a maximum bandwidth of 6 GHz, and will be discontinued soon. Whereas the achievable targets for the GaN mixer are +25 dBm on input IP3, minimum of 8 GHz of bandwidth, and ACPR = – 77 dBc. Procurement Policy: C(1) = Activity restricted to non-prime contractors (incl. SMEs). For additional information please go to EMITS news “Industrial Policy measures for non-primes, SMEs and RD entities in ESA programmes”.

If you wish to access the documents related to the Invitation to Tender, you have to log in to the ESA Portal.