Scalable Modular Architecture for RF Transceivers
Alphacore is teamed with Southwest Advanced Prototyping (SWAP) HUB at Arizona State University (ASU) that has been awarded $29.6 million to develop the SMART project using Microelectronics Commons funding.
Alphacore is teamed with Southwest Advanced Prototyping (SWAP) HUB at Arizona State University (ASU) that has been awarded $29.6 million to develop the SMART project using Microelectronics Commons funding.
SMART — Scalable Modular Architecture for RF Transceivers: The project team is Alphacore, ASU, Rice University, Lockheed Martin and Auburn University. The project aims to advance radio frequency transceiver technology to improve national defense and commercial capabilities. Integrating communications and sensing in a single system-on-a-chip increases resource efficiency, optimizes spectrum utilization, reduces latency and improves reliability while reducing the size and cost of transceivers. The goal of the project is to create a transceiver integrated on a single microelectronics chip, capable of both communications and sensing functions with novel capabilities for devices using 5G and 6G mobile networks and beyond
The Microelectronic Commons, established by the U.S. Department of Defense in 2023, is set to receive a total of $2 billion through 2027. The initiative focuses on bridging the gap between microelectronics technical development, laboratory prototyping, and fabrication.
In total five projects, led by the Arizona State University’s (ASU’s) Southwest Advanced Prototyping (SWAP) HUB at ASU, to advance national security have been awarded nearly $30 million in federal funding. White House and U.S. Department of Defense officials joined industry and ASU partners on September 17, 2024, to announce the funding.
The five projects will help strengthen the nation’s chip-making capabilities and reduce dependency on foreign sources of microelectronics. They are among 33 projects across the nation awarded a total of $269 million under the bipartisan Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) and Science Act-funded Microelectronics Commons initiative, as announced by the U.S. Department of Defense.
Headquartered in Arizona, ASU’s SWAP Hub is part of the Microelectronics Commons, a nationwide network of eight regional technology hubs. It connects the Southwest — the fastest-growing and largest semiconductor cluster in the U.S., with more than $100 billion in private investment — to a growing network of defense and electronics partners across the country.
Radio Frequency Interference Mitigation ASIC
Radio frequency interference (RFI) is a growing issue in numerous applications such as ground and spaced-based system, in both passive and active microwave remote sensing applications. Key sources of RFI include: television, FM radio transmissions, and communication signals for GPS, cellphones, and aircraft.
Alphacore’s low power RFI Mitigating ASIC effectively detects and mitigates the effects of RFI. It is a radiation-hardened, low power, low mass, low data rate RFI mitigation solution, with maximum power dissipation well under half a watt.
It is available as a portable Intellectual Property (IP), integrated with our novel digital signal processor (DSP). The standalone IP can be combined with our GHz data converter IP, and offered as a full RF transceiver solution.
Radio Frequency (RF) Power Amplifiers
Alphacore develops state-of-art Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuits (MMICs) for aerospace, defense, and communications applications. We engage with established foundries, and our design approach allows us to offer clients highly cost-effective MMICs with performance specifications exceeding currently available solutions.
We have designs that address the growing demand for high-power amplifiers to support satellite-to-ground communication. By exploiting the advantages of gallium nitride (GaN) technology, such as power density and high operating frequencies with low parasitic capacitance, we have designed:
- A V-band PA MMIC with a frequency range of 69 – 78 GHz, saturated output power of over 30 W, and a power added efficiency (PAE) level over 30%.
- A Ka-band GaN Power Amplifier worth a PAE >20% and Gain=35 dB
Our Solid State Power Amplifier (SSPA) designs are ideal for military communication, airborne and aircraft applications, jamming systems, electronic countermeasures technologies, UAVs, SATCOM and other national security measures, as well as space-based remote sensing platforms, including nanosatellites. Alphacore’s innovative PA design can easily be repurposed for automotive radar as well (77 GHz).