Affordable Phased-Arrays for Ku and Ka-band SATCOM: Making LEO and MEO Satellite Communications a Reality

Gabriel M. Rebeiz
Distinguished Professor,
Wireless Communications Industry Chair Professor,
Member of the National Academy,
University of California, San Diego

Abstract:

Affordable phased-arrays, built using low-cost silicon chips, have become essential technology for high data-rate terrestrial systems (also called user terminals) to their high gain, electronically steerable patterns, narrow beamwidths, high tolerance to interference and adaptive nulling capabilities. High performance satellite phased-array communication systems are therefore the main component for all LEO (low-earth orbit) satellites such as Starlink, Kuiper, and Telesat, and also, for MEO constellations such as SES mPower. This talk will present the chips and architectures for SATCOM and gives several examples of working systems. Also, wideband SATCOM covering C/X/Ku/Ka will be presented, to address the growing constellations at different frequencies.

Speaker’s Bio:

Prof. Gabriel M. Rebeiz is Member of the National Academy (elected for his work on phased-arrays) and is a Distinguished Professor and the Wireless Communications Industry Endowed Chair at the University of California, San Diego. He is an IEEE Fellow and is the recipient of the IEEE MTT Microwave Prize (2000, 2014, 2020) all for phased-arrays. His 2×2 and 4×4 RF-beamforming architectures are now used by Renesas, ADI, NXP, Infineon, Sivers, Qualcomm, Intel, Samsung, Boeing and others, and most companies developing communication and radar systems. All SATCOM affordable phased-arrays are based on his work and architectures. He has published 900 IEEE papers with an H-index of 104 and has graduated 125 PhD students including the former CEO of Qualcomm and several VPs in the communications and defense industry. He is a cofounder of Extreme Waves Inc., San Diego, CA, a company of 30 RF engineers doing advanced SATCOM systems, communication systems and phased-arrays.