- Satellite Evolution
Comtech Xicom ships world’s first 250W V-band

Comtech Xicom Technology has been the leader in mm-wave TWTA design. The team announced another milestone, shipping the world’s first commercial V-band TWTAs for a high throughput satellite (HTS) gateway application. The XTD-250QV is a 250W liquid cooled TWTA featuring 80W of linear power across 47.2 to 51.4 GHz.
V-band is ideal for the next generation of HTS systems. It enables the gateway traffic to go up to the satellite at higher frequencies, opening more Ka-band spectrum for users. V-band also has 4 GHz of allocated spectrum, which is a considerable increase in available bandwidth. The increase in the spectrum, coupled with spot-beams on the spacecraft can reduce the cost per bit enabling a wide range of new applications and services. For example, satellites can provide broadband internet connectivity to communities and industries that are difficult to reach via fiber.
The XTD-250QV is a compact self-contained antenna mount power amplifier designed for low cost installation and long life. Cooling and monitor & control systems are all self-contained within the amplifier.
TWTs are available delivering 250 Watts peak power across the 47.2 to 51.4 GHz band. A predistortion linearizer is also included to optimize linear power at the HPA flange.
The XTD-250QV provides several methods of tube protection including output power monitoring.
The amplifier is available with multiple options including redundant configurations, preamplifiers with fixed or variable gain.
A remote external controller is available to operate the HPA from a user selected location.