DBS + VSAT Systems Gain HEMT From Mitsubishi

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation has developed a Ka-band plastic package, low noise, GaAs high electron mobility transistor (HEMT), the MGF4963BL, which is highly suitable for low noise amplifiers in 18-20GHz band direct broadcast satellite (DBS) reception systems and very small aperture terminal (VSAT) systems. Shipment will start on February 25, 2009.

Satellite communication systems have traditionally used mainly Ku-band DBS systems with a downlink of 12GHz and an uplink of 14GHz. With the recent development and spread of high-speed data links and HD broadcasting, increased attention is being paid to Ka-band DBS systems, which are more suitable for high-speed and high-volume data communication with a downlink of 20GHz and an uplink of 30GHz. Especially in North America, the service area for DBS systems that deliver high definition TV (HDTV) content is expanding.

In broadcast satellite reception systems, a reception converter inside the antenna receives 20GHz waves from satellites and converts them into 1GHz band intermediate-frequency waves to be sent to the tuner. HEMTs are used in low noise amplifiers for these reception converters. In the first stage of low noise amplifiers, where low noise performance is required, ceramic package HEMTs are typically used due to their high performance, despite their high price. However, with the spread of HDTV content delivered via Ka band DBS, there is an increasing demand for first-stage HEMTs with high performance at a lower price.

Mitsubishi Electric’s MGF4963BL is a plastic package HEMT that is more cost effective than ceramic packaged models, and which achieves industry top-level low noise and high gain characteristics that enables it to be used in both the first stage and the second/third stages of amplifiers.