Baylin Technologies Inc. announced that its Advantech subsidiary has launched a new family of Ka-band Solid State Power Amplifiers (SSPA). Badged as K-2 Series, Advantech's new line of Ka-band SSPAs and SSPBs are based on a novel, ground-up design that employs the latest in Gallium Nitride (GaN) device technology to deliver the highest RF performance of any amplifier in its class. The K-2 is based on the recently launched Genesis architecture and represents another advancement in high-performance RF products from Advantech for the satellite communications industry.

Initially released in 40W and 80W variants, higher power products are on the near-term roadmap. The Ka-band is the portion of the electromagnetic spectrum that covers frequencies between 26.5 to 40 gigahertz (GHz) with wavelengths ranging from 1 centimeter down to 7.5 millimeters. In satellite communications, the Ka-band allows for higher bandwidth communications and is currently used in GEO, LEO and MEO applications.