DORADA 

Radio Technologies for Broadband MM-Wave Satellite Communication Systems

Research

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Main areas of research activity and structure of the DORADA project

SOLID STATE POWER AMPLIFIERS The High Power Amplifier section is one of the most critical components of the system since it requires a challenging combination of high power output, large bandwidth and high power efficiency at mm-wave operating frequencies.The objectives of DORADA within this activity include:
- Explore innovative concepts for optimised mm-wave power combiner solid-state High Power Amplifier that improve efficiency and reduce the number of Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuits
- Develop novel broadband compact efficient and resilient power combiner architectures.
- Investigate cost-efficient techniques suitable for large scale manufacturing and assembly.
- Theoretical and experimental demonstration of the developed technology.

 

 

TUNABLE FILTER DEVELOPMENT, DORADA aims to:

- Investigate novel materials technologies and techniques suitable for reconfigurable circuits that can be exploited in the microwave and mm-wave ranges for low and medium/high power applications.
- Identify favourable topologies for reconfigurable narrowband filters based on tunable resonators and/or tunable coupling structures at microwave and mm-wave bands.
- Develop tunable resonators and filter architectures and demonstrate their functionality testing fabricated prototype in isolation as well as part of a system.
- Extract accurate models for the selected reconfigurable radio technology and explore the impact of employing similar techniques in other passive elements such as matching circuits and antennas.

TRACKING ANTENNA SYSTEMS The antenna occupies most of a satcom terminal’s real-estate/volume and therefore there is significant scope in reducing its footprint, mass and profile. The key objectives here are to:

- Explore Q/V-band reflector antenna architectures that optimise the illumination efficiency.
- Investigate electronically adjustable primary feeds (including subreflectors) that can offer electronic beamsteering capability and/or sum-difference monopulse patterns
- Develop a Q/V-band VSAT reflector antenna system integrated with a control unit and a gyro system to provide fast and accurate tracking functionality.
- Test a prototype in isolation as well as on-the-air


SYSTEM INTEGRATION AND DEMONSTRATION a modular test bed where the developed prototypes can be flexibly integrated and their effect on the overall system performance can be assessed is a high priority for DORADA. The primary goals are:


- Develop fast converging system modelling tool that accounts for the RF front-end as well as the parameters of the propagation channel.
- Study and optimise suitable system architectures for a system demonstrator.
- Co-ordinate at a technical level the previous activities and deliver efficient transfer of the knowledge developed in those.
- Develop a modular test-bench comprising RF front-end and in-house components.
- Lab verification of components, subsystems and system.
- Air-test exploiting the payload on-board the ALPHASAT satellite.
- Develop a technology roadmap for Q/V-band VSAT.


MANAGEMENT and DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES and are active for the whole duration of the project.  For further information regarding DORADA activities please contact Professor George Goussetis

 Members can link to the DORADA Sharepoint