Ka-Band Beamforming ICs for Phased-Array SATCOM Terminals

Ground terminals for satellite communications increasingly require flat antennas capable of tracking multiple spacecraft without mechanical steering, especially for mobility, maritime, and aviation connectivity. Sivers Semiconductors introduced general-availability Ka-band beamforming ICs and matched antenna panels for phased-array SATCOM terminals.

Multi-orbit links without mechanical tracking
The Cloudchaser chipset targets electronically steered antenna systems operating in the Ka-band used by modern broadband constellations. It combines the BLUEWAY1721 receive beamforming IC with STAMPEDE2731 and STAMPEDE2731LP transmit beamforming ICs.

The architecture supports two simultaneous beams. This enables “make-before-break” handovers — maintaining an active connection while switching satellites — and allows concurrent links across different satellites, orbital regimes, or network providers. Such capability is relevant for aircraft connectivity, maritime terminals, and vehicle gateways where link continuity is required during movement.

Two transmit IC variants provide different output-power classes. Terminal manufacturers can therefore balance antenna size, thermal load, and power consumption depending on installation constraints such as low-profile vehicle mounts or higher-gain fixed infrastructure nodes. In practical terms, the RF front-end can be tuned for either compact terminals or longer-range links without redesigning the entire antenna.

Integrated RF front-end shortens terminal development
To reduce RF and antenna co-design effort, the company also released the Maverick BFM02701 and BFM02702 array panels. These flat panels integrate the Cloudchaser beamformer ICs with the antenna array and RF distribution network.

Because phased arrays require tight control of phase and amplitude across many radiating elements, integration affects calibration complexity and manufacturing repeatability. Pre-integrating the RF front-end with the antenna reduces tuning steps and lowers the barrier for terminal vendors building broadband ground equipment for emerging multi-orbit networks.

The panels therefore act as a ready RF subsystem rather than a discrete semiconductor component, enabling faster evaluation and system-level testing of electronically steered antennas in Ka-band satellite links.

Implications for phased-array SATCOM ground equipment
Ka-band SATCOM terminals are shifting toward flat electronically steered antennas to support low-earth-orbit constellations and hybrid networks. Multi-beam capability allows seamless handover across satellites and improves link uptime — a requirement for transport connectivity and remote industrial sites.

By combining beamforming ICs with integrated antenna panels, the platform addresses two persistent engineering constraints:

The release expands available hardware options for phased-array SATCOM deployments where antenna thickness, energy consumption, and handover reliability determine usability in real-world mobility scenarios.

www.sivers-semiconductors.com