CHIPKA - Diplex

AO/1-10689/22/UK/AL ON-CHIP INTEGRATED KA-BAND DIPLEXER FOR GROUND TERMINALS
Activity No. 1000031171 in the esa-star system

CHIP-KA- Diplex aims to develop a compact, high-performance SiGe BiCMOS Ka-band diplexer for ground terminals. The project will be focused at providing extremely low insertion losses and high compactness. The project will be carried out by three Italian partners: ANTECNICA, NOW, and the University of Calabria - MAIC LAB.

Project objectives

The project aims to meet critical technical requirements for the performance of a diplexer, focusing on three main challenges: ensuring the insertion loss is kept below 1 dB, achieving a level of rejection sufficient to prevent blockage from TX leakage, and maintaining the diplexer's size under 1x1 mm². These objectives are somewhat conflicting, necessitating a comprehensive system analysis of the phased array to evaluate and balance these requirements. An initial part of this analysis involves assessing the impact of diplexer loss on the antenna and on the LNA and PA.

The suggested design optimally leverages the capabilities of the technology, particularly in the SiGe BiCMOS integration domain. This approach enables a smooth integration with the Rx and Tx front-ends, resulting in a reduced size for overall integration and enhanced performance. Additionally, the impedances of the Rx and Tx ports can be adjusted to improve performance and more effectively align with the requirements of the LNA and PA.

Funding

CHIPKA-Diplex is funded by the European Space Agency (ESA) under the framework of the ESA Advanced Technology research program (ARTES 5.1). 

 Funded by ESA: