At the IEEE MTT International Microwave Symposium (IMS 2017) in Honolulu, Hawaii (6-8 June), the Microelectronics Products and Services’ (MPS) business of Northrop Grumman Corp of Redondo Beach, CA, USA announced that its monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) products are aligned with the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) 5G frequency allocations.
Northrop Grumman says that it is leveraging more than 20 years of microelectronics development to offer a suite of MMICs that are applicable for 5G applications. With the expanded 5G network frequencies, Northrop Grumman’s MPS technologies and products can be used to provide low noise, high linearity/high output power and/or frequency conversion across all of the 5G frequency bands. The products meet user demands for multi-media access, high quality of service (QoS) and anytime access.
“MPS’s low-noise and high-power technologies and products provide a differentiating advantage that allows operators the ability to maximize the number of users and revenue generation,” claims Northrop Grumman MPS’ general manager Chris Brown. “The Northrop Grumman power amplifiers provide the high-linearity performance near peak output power levels required for complex modulations, which optimizes the data throughput within the FCC allocated bandwidth,” he adds. “This same performance advantage is realized in the 5G receivers through the use of the Northrop Grumman low-noise amplifiers utilizing our gallium arsenide (GaAs) and indium phosphide (InP) technologies. Between the power amplifiers, the low-noise amplifiers and the mixers, we can address all of the 5G frequency bands.”
Also at IMS, Northrop Grumman presented on high-power and high-efficiency chipsets for Ku-band, Ka-band, V-band, Q-band, E- and W-band communications, and on optimizing ground, airborne and space-based communication links using its semiconductor products and technologies.
The MPS team also presented enhanced gallium nitride (GaN) manufacturing options showing the transition of communications products in everyday use.