CPI 1.25 kW Ku-band SuperLinear TWTA.
Image credit: CPI

[Via Satellite 09-16-13] CPI Satcom Division has shipped its 100th 1.25 kW Ku-Band SuperLinear TWTA. This amplifier provides more than 500 W of linear power and it is available in both outdoor and rack-mount configurations.

According to CPI Satcom Division, a comparison between a 1.25 kW Ku-band SuperLinear TWTA and a 1.25 kW Ku-band GaN-based SSPA shows that the TWTA is 90 percent more power efficient and provides 35 percent more linear output power. It costs 40 percent more to run a single GaN-based SSPA than it does to run a SuperLinear TWTA.

In addition, the rack-mount version of the TWTA is significantly lighter than the GaN product, while the outdoor TWTA is less than half the weight. When compared on an equivalent output power basis, the difference is even greater. SuperLinear TWTAs also produce less heat in the enclosure than traditional TWTAs or SSPAs. The difference in power consumption also manifests itself in lower UPS and air conditioning costs, according to CPI.