Frost & Sullivan recognises Advantech for product innovation
Based on its recent analysis of the GaN-based devices market, Frost & Sullivan has recognised Advantech Wireless with the 2014 North American Frost & Sullivan Award for New Product Innovation Leadership.
The award is for Advantech Wireless's new series of GaN-based solid-state power amplifiers (SSPAs) and other telecom devices which have had a significant market impact due to their small form factor, reduced power consumption and heat generation, as well as capital and operating cost-efficiency.
Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents this award to the company that has developed an innovative element in a product by leveraging leading-edge technologies. The award recognises the value-added features/benefits of the product and the increased ROI it offers customers.
Until recently, GaN's linearity, processing, biasing, and cost characteristics appeared to limit the semiconductor's use to devices in low-frequency commercial applications and defence communications, where price was not much of an issue. Advantech Wireless was determined to bring the semiconductor into higher-powered commercial markets, as it was convinced of GaN's potential in radio frequency power amplification and other telecom applications.
Following this vision, Advantech Wireless dedicated significant resources to developing path-breaking technologies such as its high-power amplifier, which can simultaneously transmit to all satellite transponders from a single antenna. This capability facilitates cost-efficient, energy-saving communications connectivity by enabling the replacement of multiple antennas and up to hundreds of TWTs/Klystrons.
"Advantech Wireless noted that the introduction of GaN HEMTs in early 2000 left an undeniable mark on the satellite communication landscape," said Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Mike Valenti. "Therefore, the company launched its ambitious R&D program in 2006 to design and manufacture a complete line of C-, X-, and Ku-band SSPAs that could meet the most demanding satellite communication applications."
Another outcome of the company's intense R&D efforts is the SapphireBlu Series of UltraLinear GaN technology-based, high-power amplifiers. The greater ground power, linearity, and cost-savings of the SapphireBlu Series, along with Advantech Wireless's 13m A-line antenna in a major direct-to-home (DTH) Uplink system in Latin America, allowed viewers in Latin America and Brazil to watch the biggest sport tournament played in Brazil.
"Advantech Wireless develops solutions that balance satellite spectral efficiency to provide the smallest occupied bandwidth at enhanced link availability," noted Valenti. "This results in capital and operating cost-savings that can be passed along to the customer."
With regard to device efficiency, the Advantech Wireless GaN-based SSPA has a 65 percent increase in mean time between failures (MTBF) compared to the company's similar GaAs-based SSPA product because of the reliability of components, number of components, and electrical efficiency of the former. The SapphireBlu Series high-power SSPAs are able to achieve up to 6 kilowatts in radio frequency power, proving their reliability in the most environmentally stringent and demanding work conditions.
