Game-changing solution for ultra-high-power E-band links
The Hercules II combines Filtronic’s Morpheus II transceiver and either a Cerus 4 or 8 SSPA module, revolutionising high-speed backhaul networks with its unmatched performance and versatility.
Higher power: boosting capacity, reliability and linearity in high-frequency communications
Filtronic designs and manufactures high-performance SSPAs for high-frequency applications – helping satellite operators keep pace with demand for more data enabled by wider bandwidths. In the drive for greater output power and capacity, we are pushing SSPA capabilities further up the RF spectrum, leading the way into uncongested mmWave frequency bands, including Ka, Q, V, E, W and D.
Solid-state power amplifiers explained
SSPAs boost low-power radio frequency (RF) signals to significantly higher power levels for transmission over long distances. SSPAs are compact, efficient semiconductor-based devices that provide reliable RF power in smaller, lighter packages than traditional travelling wave tube amplifiers (TWTAs).
Advances in semiconductor technology are enabling SSPAs to move up into higher mmWave frequencies – supporting the expansion of high data-rate, low-latency communications.
Frequency expansion:
moving up to mmWave
To fulfil growing demand for data, satellite communications are moving into higher frequency mmWave bands to access wider areas of uninterrupted bandwidth. As a leading specialist in high-frequency innovation, we are expanding our range of SSPAs and the mmWave frequencies they can support by embracing advances in semiconductor technology and novel combining techniques.
Where are SSPAs deployed in satellite networks?
SSPAs are used in both satellite ground stations and satellite payloads, supporting high-bandwidth uplinks and downlinks, inter-satellite, direct-to device and satellite-to Earth communications.
Ground stations
feeder links to satellites in multiple orbits
- High-power SSPAs for satellite ground-station uplinks provide reliable, efficient communication between Earth and orbiting satellites.
- Feeder links demand high-power, highly linear amplification to overcome the vast transmission distances.
- Our SSPAs enable the delivery of large, distortion-free data packets to satellites in LEO, MEO, and GEO.
Payload
inter-satellite and downlink connections
- mmWave power amplifiers enable high-bandwidth links between satellites and between satellites and ground stations
- Payload-mounted SSPAs minimise size and weight while maximising output power
- Support high-data-rate, low-latency communication
- Radiation-tolerant, thermally optimised payload devices
- Deliver reliable, long-life performance in harsh space environments
Filtronic SSPAs: powering next-gen satellite links
SSPA module: Cerus
The Cerus series offers unmatched power performance at V-band (47-52GHz), E-band (71–76GHz, 81–86GHz) and W-band (92–100GHz, 102–114GHz), meeting the growing demand for high-frequency links between the ground and space.
Cerus modules are available in 1, 4, 8, 16 and 32-way amplifier configurations. Cerus 32 is the most powerful, comprising 32 GaAs MMICs in combination and providing up to 47dBm of saturated power for long-range E-band signals.
Cerus 1
E band | 0.65W
Cerus 4
E band | 2W
Cerus 8
E band | 4W
Cerus 16
E band | 8W
Cerus 32
E band | 40W
Cerus 32
V band | 100W
Prometheus
47GHz – 114 GHz
SSPA amplifier: Prometheus
Prometheus is a self-contained, packaged amplifier system ready for deployment. It combines gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductor technology with our Cerus 32 SSPA, packaged alongside cooling, power supply, control and other ancillary systems to create a complete, plug-and-play amplifier. It operates in the 47.2–52.4 GHz range (V-band), providing typical saturated output power up to 56dBm with excellent linearity – making it the highest power V-band SSPA on the market.
Solid state vs travelling wave
Travelling wave tube amplifiers (TWTAs) were the original amplifier technology used in RF communications. As the challenger technology, semiconductor-based SSPAs are replacing TWTAs across the frequency and power spectrum. Thanks to innovations from Filtronic, SSPAs can now outperform TWTAs in higher frequency bands, such as Ka, V, E and W band, where TWTAs had previously dominated.
| Travelling wave tube amplifier (TWTA) | Solid-state power amplifier (SSPA) |
|---|---|
| Structurally complex, time-consuming and expensive to manufacture | Can be manufactured quickly, and cost-effectively at scale |
| High efficiency at higher output powers | GaN SSPAs deliver comparable efficiency at high output powers |
| Poor linearity – requires linearisation (Plin < Psat) | Intrinsically better linearity (Plin ≈ Psat) |
| Lifetime of 5-7 years | Lifetime of 15+ years |
| Warm up time: 3 minutes (average) | No warm-up time – instant operation |
| Single-point failure | Graceful degradation |
| Typically bulky and heavy | Compact, lightweight and easy to integrate |
Success stories
Related resources and media
Whitepapers
- Benefits of a Solid State Power Amplifier over a Traveling Wave Tube Amplifier
- High-frequency solutions: how to manage burgeoning data traffic on a finite RF spectrum
- How to accelerate product development for complex mmWave technologies in LEO satellite communications
- How upgrading tower top amplifier specification has improved first responder radio communications
- mmWave – the cornerstone of a high-speed connected world
- Power up: The rise of GaN as an alternative to GaAs for enhanced power and efficiency
Flagship products
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- Filtronic to unveil next-generation Cerus V-band high-power amplifiers for low Earth orbit at European Microwave Week 2025