Slipstream unveils ASTRO at European Microwave Week 2024

Developed by a team of radar engineering experts, ASTRO represents a breakthrough in Direct RF-on-the-edge technology designed to accelerate digital beamforming capabilities.

The product's introduction, led by Managing Director Phillip Wilson, garnered significant attention from radar industry professionals at EuMW who witnessed live technical demonstrations.

ASTRO is a state-of-the-art Wideband Adaptive Radar Processor resulting from Slipstream’s focused R&D initiatives. This innovative module advances the performance and flexibility of sensing and communication systems by improving overall system agility and sustainability in development and rationalisation of manufacturing.

Mike Roberts, Slipstream Design Technical Director, says: “ASTRO represents Slipstream Design’s mission to create truly agile radio platforms with in-mission re-configurability. Offering flexibility that can evolve with changing communication and radar conditions, ASTRO combines the very best knowledge of Digital and RF to accelerate access to data collection for the radar practitioner.”

Slipstream’s expertise in adaptive, system-level digital RF design has been instrumental in ASTRO’s development. The module is engineered for seamless integration with various radar architectures, featuring a high-power, ultra-low SWAP-C (Size, Weight, Power, and Cost Configuration). The inclusion of reconfigurable clocking allows users the flexibility to switch between onboard or external RF sampling clocks, further enhancing system compatibility and performance.

Optimised for rapid deployment, ASTRO supports fast waveform generation and comes equipped with an RF application and board support package (BSP) for streamlined firmware and software development. Slipstream’s integration specialists provide additional support to ensure smooth integration with existing systems.

The module also features synchronised converters for multi-channel, multi-module element-level beamforming, making it ideal for advanced radar target generation, communication systems, and beyond.

With a strong heritage in bridging digital and RF technologies, Slipstream continues to innovate by collaborating with leading engineering talent worldwide, addressing the complex demands of modern wireless environments. ASTRO represents a critical advancement in radar processing, enabling more complex waveform transmission and setting the stage for next-generation networked sensing and communication systems.