23 May 2016

Arralis releases first 94GHz transmit and receive core chips

At the IEEE's International Microwave Symposium (IMS 2016) in San Francisco (22-27 May), Arralis Ltd of Limerick, Ireland, a developer of RF, microwave and millimetre-wave technology (focusing on the W-band), is launching what are claimed to be the first fully integrated transmit and receive 94GHz core chips.

Fabricated from gallium arsenide (GaAs) pseudomorphic high-electron-mobility transistors (pHEMTs) and measuring just 5.2mm x 2.2mm, the monolithic integrated circuits (MMICs) make the highly desirable attenuation window of 94GHz available for commercial applications such as fully autonomous radar for drones and self-driving vehicles as well as 'wireless fiber' communication speeds for 5G backhaul.

The new MMICs function as an up-converter and a down-converter, greatly simplifying system integration and widening market access at the center frequency of 94GHz. The up-converter consists of a mixer with integrated medium-power amplifier. It offers conversion gain, high image rejection and an output power of more than 13dBm. The down-converter consists of a low-noise amplifier (LNA) and a mixer, giving a noise figure of less than 5dB and a gain of more than 10dB.

"Our focus at Arralis is scale and integration, which for our customers means easier system development and lower cost. These transmit and receive chips deliver both," says chief technology officer Mike Gleaves. "This delivers on our promise to our customers that we would make our aerospace technology integrated and available for commercial applications," he adds.

The new devices are currently in the hands of Arralis' lead customers, in advance of full commercial roll out in the coming months.

The launch adds to Arralis' family of W-band millimeter-wave MMICs. Traditionally, due to high cost and the difficulty of integration, 94GHz has been used almost exclusively in the military radar market. The 90-100GHz frequency range is attractive due to its ultra-small system size, high resolution and unique propagation (long-range) features. Arralis says that its developments in technology and scale enable this frequency range to be used in a wide range of commercial applications including 5G, mega constellations, drones, driverless vehicles and the Internet of Things (IoT). In addition, the firm manufactures complementary electronic beam-forming and scanning antennas, including the use of meta-materials. 

Tags: GaAs MMIC pHEMT LNAs PAs

Visit: www.arralis.com