ESA Open Invitation to Tender AO9527
Open Date: 19/03/2019
Closing Date: 30/04/2019 13:00:00

Status: ISSUED
Reference Nr.: 18.1ET.18
Prog. Ref.: Technology Developme
Budget Ref.: E/0901-01 – Technology Developme
Special Prov.: BE+DK+FR+DE+IT+NL+ES+SE+CH+GB+IE+AT+NO+FI+PT+GR+LU+CZ+RO+PL+EE+HU
Tender Type: C
Price Range: > 500 KEURO
Products: Satellites & Probes / RF / Microwave Communication (Platform and Payloads) / “Communication – BB (Antennas excluded)” / Analog: Clocks (integrated oscillators, time counters, ¿)
Techology Domains: RF Systems, Payloads and Technologies / RF Technologies and Equipment / Time and Frequency
Establishment: ESTEC
Directorate: Directorate of Tech, Eng. & Quality
Department: Electrical Department
Division: RF Payloads & Technology Division
Contract Officer: Casini, Gian Lorenzo
Industrial Policy Measure: C1 – Activities in open competition limited to the non-Larg…
Last Update Date: 19/03/2019
Update Reason: Tender issue

Today, reference oscillators are based on a quartz resonator which is carefully sheltered in order to provide a very stable environment to this key component which in turn provides a very stable and low phase noise reference. This type of oscillator also called Oven Controlled Oscillator (OCXO) is the core technology in most space products requiring either stable frequency or low phase noise or both.Though far more recent on the market, MEMS oscillators are already as good as TCXO while being much smaller (hybrid assembly as compared to single chip solution). The purpose of this activity is to assess whether this type of MEMS oscillator, with the resonator being protected in a similar way than for the quartz in the OCXO, could deliver performances close to OCXO but with a smallerfootprint and lower consumption.The study logic is as follows:- Assessment of commercial MEMS oscillators in protective environment,- Design, fabrication and test of MEMS resonators,- Design, fabrication and test of a high performance MEMS reference oscillatorProcurement 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”.