LNA Mobility Transmitter Released By Mitsubishi Electric

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation has developed a full-mold package low noise GaAs high electron mobility transistor (HEMT), the MGF4921AM, highly suitable for low noise amplifiers in satellite digital radio reception systems. This product can also be used in low noise amplifiers for C-band direct broadcast satellite (DBS) reception systems, with shipments to start on January 26, 2009.

Mitsubishi Electric will begin shipment of a HEMT with low noise characteristics that are top-level in the industry at a wide range of frequency waves from S- to C-bands. By optimizing gate width and by improving stability at low frequency bands, Mitsubishi Electric has improved device noise figure to 0.35 dB, an industry top-level low noise characteristic and 0.1 dB lower than the company’s 12 GHz model, the MGF4953A, when measured at 2.4 GHz on a stable matching circuit. Using this product in the first stage of amplifiers, which strictly requires low noise characteristics, improves sensitivity in reception converters for satellite digital radios, helping to expand radio coverage area and decrease production costs in reception converters. The MGF4921AM has an industry standard 4-pin full-mold package. An unchanged foot pattern from the previous model will shorten development periods for satellite communication equipment manufacturers. Mitsubishi Electric will increase its lineup of low noise GaAs HEMTs for the second and third stage in amplifiers with improvements in output power and distortion characteristics.

Multi-UAVs — Single Commander — Proxy Aviation Systems Technology Funded

Proxy Aviation Systems received $4.4 million in federal funding to advance their unmanned aerial systems and unique cooperative flight technology.
The new funding could lead to increased effectiveness of the current fleet of UAV's by enabling multiple the craft to share information and work together simultaneously in the same airspace. What differentiates Proxy is its unique software, the Universal Distributed Management System, which allows one ground station to manage as many as 12 unmanned aircraft at the same time. Proxy's technology offers an advantage over existing systems which require one pilot to direct each individual aircraft, as the system allows one pilot to control multiple aircraft, each flown by a virtual pilot. The money will be used to fund Phase 2 of Proxy's cooperative flight demonstrations that will take place in the summer and fall of 2009. Phase 1 was contracted by the U.S. Air Force and took place at Creech Air Force Base in July of 2007. At Creech, Proxy demonstrated the value of unmanned cooperative flight and the enhanced ability to identify more targets, such as IED's (improvised explosive devices). Phase 2 will take autonomous control and cooperative flight to the next level. Multiple tier II and tier III UAV's will be controlled by one mission commander from a single ground station.