Ultra-compact tuners help counter adversarial threats

The high-performance design and compact size of the new AM9018 and AM9030 modules brings faster broadband RF processing to mission-critical operations in harsh environments, where space is at a premium such as in small ISR drones and man-portable SIGINT systems.

Why it matters

Mercury’s microwave technology provides the agile broadband RF needed so that SIGINT solutions can quickly identify and counter a target’s electronic signals and communications.

“Our customers require broadband performance in a compact size for their processing-intensive SIGINT applications like electronics intelligence (ELINT),” said Clay Couey, Senior Director and General Manager, Mercury Microwave. “By developing our own monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) devices, we can design very small tuners – approximately the size of a few credit cards – that enable customers to build signal collection platforms compact enough to fit in a UAV, directly supporting mission needs to counter adversarial threats.”

Mercury’s new, SWaP-optimised RF tuners leverage the Company’s custom MMIC design capability resulting from their recent Atlanta Micro acquisition. These custom semiconductor devices, available as stand-alone products, allow maximum space savings and broadband performance.

Built with MMIC technology for maximum SWaP optimisation

• Extremely low-power 2–18 GHz tuner module
• Ultra-compact form factor: approximately 1.4" x 3.0” x 0.3"
• 1 GHz instantaneous bandwidth for fast signal intercept
• Transmit (AM9030) and receive (AM9018) variants available