Highly Integrated Ka-Band Frontend Module for SATCOM and 5G

This paper presents the concept, the design and the realized prototype of a highly integrated Ka-band frontend module based on standard PCB technology. The integration and packaging techniques are discussed. They combine the antenna and the RF circuitry in a multilayer PCB, the cooling by a metal antenna aperture and backplate and an integrated RF waveguide feed. It will be shown that this modular concept can be applied to large antenna arrays to fulfil the application specific link budget requirements. Depending on the chosen core chips this design concept can be used for SATCOM or for 5G.