Filtronic have today announced signing an exclusive agreement with Comotech Corporation. Comotech are mmWave specialists based in South Korea, with specific expertise in Telecommunications Infrastructure and Aerospace & Defence. They offer design and manufacturing services and provide a range of high-performance E-band radio links. They also have an established offering for ultra-low latency trading, complimenting Filtronics expertise in this niche market.
South Korea is an exciting market for E-band, and as E-band pioneers Filtronic’s product portfolio of high-performance transceivers and power amplifiers enables Comotech to target their domestic market and develop further their established route to market. The company was established in 1999 and since that time they have grown their application experience to include V-band, W-band, as well as E-band.
Comotech have a strong customer base, across multiple verticals, providing access into geographic territories that Filtronic traditionally have had limited access to. They are one of South Korea’s leading mmWave engineering specialists, with specific expertise in 60GHz, 70/80GHz, 90GHz and 110 GHz. Comotech have recently expanded their business into Sub-THz (terahertz), principally 140GHz, 170GHz and 295GHz, joining a next generation 6G research project led by ETRI the national research centre and some of South Korea’s major telecommunication companies.
“Comotech’s values and culture of innovation, customer service, quality and high performance fit Filtronic’s approach perfectly. We are looking forward to working collaboratively with Comotech to the mutual benefit of our organisations,” said Dan Rhodes, Director of Business Development. “Comotech’s markets and product experience complement our core mmWave capabilities perfectly.”
“We are excited by this prospect,“ said Youngsu Kim, CEO of Comotech Corporation. “Their mmWave knowledge is second to none, we have been working with their business development team for a while now on various opportunities and we look forward to representing them in South Korea.”
Helen Duncan, MWE Media Ltd Tel: +44 (0)7765 250610 Email: [email protected]
About Filtronic: Filtronic plc is a designer and manufacturer of advanced RF communications products, supplying leading Original Equipment Manufacturers and Mobile Network Operators in the mobile telecommunications infrastructure and mission-critical communications markets.
We are pleased to announce that Filtronic has signed an exclusive agreement with Globes Elektronik GmbH & Co KG. The RF and microwave experts are based in Germany, with three strategically located sites near Munich, Hamburg and Stuttgart.
Globes represent a range of RF and Microwave technology companies in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. They have experience from a few MHz to over 100GHz, complimenting Filtronics extensive technology capabilities.
With a track record of sales across Germany and into Eastern Europe, the company was founded in 1995 and has a very experienced leadership and engineering team. It has extensive experience across a range of communication-based industries. Their strategy to develop long term partnerships with their clients aligns with Filtronics approach.
“Globes are an excellent partner for Filtronic, they have proven success and experience across many of our core markets including Aerospace and Defence, Telecommunication Infrastructure and Space. We are excited about this opportunity and look forward to building a long-term successful relationship,” said Jerry Sanham, Director of Business Development. “Globes have technical and commercial contacts within strategic targets of Filtronic, and we look forward to working with their team to expand our presence in Germany and neighbouring countries.”
“We are delighted to work with a technology leader such as Filtronic,“ said Ulrich Blievernicht, Managing Director of Globes. “Their product range and engineering capabilities complement our existing customer channels perfectly. Filtronic are a well-respected brand, and we look forward to representing them in Germany and other strategic locations.”
Helen Duncan, MWE Media Ltd Tel: +44 (0)7765 250610 Email: [email protected]
About Filtronic: Filtronic plc is a designer and manufacturer of advanced RF communications products, supplying leading Original Equipment Manufacturers and Mobile Network Operators in the mobile telecommunications infrastructure and mission-critical communications markets.
Filtronic today announced that it has been honoured with a Queen’s Award for Enterprise for International Trade.
Filtronic is one of 205 organisations nationally to be recognised this year with a prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise, of which 122 are for International Trade. Filtronic’s successful award entry focused on the outstanding short-term growth in export sales of its microwave and mmWave solutions over a three-year period.
Filtronic was founded in 1977, and specialises in RF, microwave and mmWave subsystems. Its E-band transceivers are used in 5G backhaul, and also find applications in test & measurement, and in High Altitude Platform Stations (HAPS) and Low Earth Orbit (LEO satellites). New markets continue to be nurtured, for example E-band transceivers have recently been supplied for a successful trial of a 10Gbps track-to-train backhaul solution in Asia.
“Filtronic’s award celebrates the global nature of our business. It specifically acknowledges the export success of our E-band mmWave transceiver products, of which we have shipped over 50,000 units to date with 99.9% destined for customers outside the UK,” said Walter Magiera, Chief Commercial Officer of Filtronic. “We are very proud to have been honoured with this award, and consider it an exceptional achievement for a company with a 40-year heritage to be growing exports at such a rate.”
“We continue to invest in both capability and research & development, to help us increase our share in the rapidly growing telecom market,” said Richard Gibbs, CEO of Filtronic. “Over the past 18 months we have invested over £1 million in new equipment, and have expanded our workforce, in our hybrid microelectronics assembly facility in Sedgefield, County Durham. This has enabled us to significantly increase capacity, keep production going throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and maintain a strong order book during the 2021 fiscal year.”
Now in its 55th year, the Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are the most prestigious business awards in the UK, and are designed to acknowledge and encourage outstanding achievements in the fields of innovation, international trade, sustainable development and promoting opportunity through social mobility.
Helen Duncan, MWE Media Ltd Tel: +44 (0)7765 250610 Email: [email protected]
About Filtronic:
Filtronic plc is a designer and manufacturer of advanced RF communications products, supplying leading Original Equipment Manufacturers and Mobile Network Operators in the mobile telecommunications infrastructure, mission-critical communications and defence electronics markets.
Filtronic is AIM listed on the London Stock Exchange, with operations in the UK and the USA
Filtronic, manufacturer of critical communication RF systems, enjoyed a successful night at the recently held virtual Electronics Weekly annual awards. This event celebrates the electronics industry in the UK, championing innovation and best practice.
Filtronic successfully won the Manufacturer of the Year category, a testament to the resilience and strength of Filtronic, during a very challenging year globally for all organisations. The judges commented that Filtronics submission stood out due to the investment and innovation, coupled with the impressive array of projects and a clear strategy for the future.
This was then surpassed when crowned Enterprise of the Year. This honour is given to the organisations, whose submissions scores highest on the night. Filtronics entry was judged the best by the expert assessors, commenting that Filtronic were an “outstanding winner”.
“We are delighted to win these accolades” said Richard Gibbs, Chief Executive Officer of Filtronic. “These awards are recognition for the entire Filtronic team, their hard work and dedication. Being named Manufacturer and Enterprise of the year at such a prestigious award is a great result and a source of pride for us an organisation.”
Editorial contact details:
Fin Farrelly, Marketing Manager, Filtronic plc Email: [email protected]
PR contact:
Helen Duncan, MWE Media Ltd Tel: +44 (0)7765 250610 Email: [email protected]
Filtronic today announced that it has signed an exclusive agreement with WTG Marketing the wireless telecom equipment specialists based in Texas. WTG Marketing will expand Filtronic’s sales channel in North America and will cover Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas.
WTG Marketing brings over 25 years of successful sales and marketing experience in the Wireless Industry, with leadership roles in many leading organisations. They have long standing relationships with key carriers and contractors that will enable Filtronic to further strengthen its position within the North American Public Safety market.
“WTG have the experience and relationships to open up the South-Central region of North America. We are excited about this opportunity and look forward to working together,” said Walter Magiera, Chief Commercial Officer of Filtronic. “WTG have a range of complimentary products which will enable Filtronic to expand our regional presence and bring cutting-edge solutions to the market. We are happy to bring on additional partners to our growing North American sales network, and we are keen to hear from other organisations who can help us expand into other key territories.”
“We are delighted to add Filtronic to our list of partners,“ said Jeff Walker, President of WTG Marketing. “Their product range compliments our experience and existing customer channels perfectly. Filtronic are a well-respected brand and have a good reputation in the North American market, and we are excited about helping Filtronic on the next stage of their strategic growth plans.”
If you would like to join Filtronic’s growing network of sales partners, please contact us today @ [email protected]
Editorial contact details:
Fin Farrelly, Marketing Manager, Filtronic plc Email: [email protected]
PR contact:
Helen Duncan, MWE Media Ltd Tel: +44 (0)7765 250610 Email: [email protected]
‘Connecting the Unconnected’, working with the HAPS Alliance to accelerate global connectivityFiltronic plc (AIM: FTC), the designer and manufacturer of RF, microwave, and mmWave products for the wireless telecoms, mission-critical communications and defence applications markets, today announced that it has joined the HAPS Alliance, a non-profit association dedicated to building a High Altitude Platform Stations (HAPS) ecosystem that brings digital connectivity to everyone, everywhere.
As a member of the HAPS Alliance, Filtronic will collaborate with world-leading telecommunications, technology, aviation, and aerospace companies to accelerate commercial adoption, advocate for safety and regulatory standards, and help build a cooperative HAPS ecosystem. This cross-industry collaboration is designed to eliminate the ‘Digital Divide’, accelerating the development and adoption of HAPS technology, thus bringing better connectivity to areas globally not served by traditional telecoms infrastructure.
Filtronic has been a major mmWave technology provider to the HAPS industry for several years. Joining the HAPS alliance is an exciting opportunity to take Filtronic’s involvement to the next level, collaborating and innovating with other leading members.
“Our passion for innovation and connectivity is driving us to explore new markets,” said Richard Gibbs, CEO of Filtronic. “We recognise HAPS as a core element within the converging terrestrial and non-terrestrial telecoms ecosystem moving forward. We at Filtronic are excited to become a member and are enthusiastic about exploring the stratosphere as a viable solution to address the lack of broadband connectivity in developing countries.”
The HAPS Alliance members collaborate with other organisations to influence regulatory direction, while promoting the benefits of HAPS in the stratosphere. The HAPS Alliance working groups bring together industry leaders to develop product specifications and promote standardisation in the following ways:
Telecom: Advocate for global harmonisation of HAPS spectrum at ITU and national level; influence emerging commercial standards, including 3GPP non-terrestrial networks.
Aviation: Promote industry-managed cooperative separation in the upper airspace, including collaborative testing, simulations, and pilot programs.
Commercialisation: Demonstrate the industry’s viability to potential customers and build a cooperative HAPS ecosystem.
Interoperability: Develop product specifications and promote the standardisation of interoperable HAPS network elements.
Editorial contact details:
Fin Farrelly, Marketing Manager, Filtronic plc
Email: [email protected]PR contact:
Helen Duncan, MWE Media Ltd
Tel: +44 (0)7765 250610
Email: [email protected]
This article describes a collaborative project between Filtronic and the UK National Physical Laboratory on next-generation mmWave technology projects up to 175GHz, to enable emerging 5G wireless XHaul requirements up to 100Gbps
E-band is well established as an attractive and cost effective, high capacity solution for mmWave XHaul applications, capable of supporting radio links up to 20Gbps. The spectrum allocations available in E-band are 71 – 76GHz and 81 – 86GHz. However, the ever-increasing demand for data means that still higher capacity is going to be required in 5G XHaul networks, and the need for links up to 100Gbps has already been identified. Moving up the frequency spectrum to W-band and D-band systems, where huge amounts of further bandwidth become available, will likely prove to be part of the solution.
Higher order modulation techniques can also increase data rates, but these demand higher signal-to-noise ratios and very linear components in order to keep error rate to a minimum. Multi-channel systems like XPIC (cross-polarization interference cancelling) and line-of-sight MIMO have also been demonstrated to provide enhanced data rates, but require more expensive radio equipment.
Higher bands
W-band refers to the range of the radio frequency from 92GHz to 114.5GHz, and D-band normally refers to frequencies in the range 130 – 175GHz, as shown in Figure 1. The atmospheric attenuation in W-band is very similar to that in E-band, while the rain attenuation in D-band is only around 2dB higher and is almost flat across the frequency range.[i]
An antenna of the same size will also give a higher gain in D-band compared to one at a lower frequency. All these features make the D-band system a good candidate for the next generation ultra-high capacity wireless links. System simulations carried out by the ETSI mWT ISG (GR mWT 008) suggest that link distances of several hundred metres are practical at D-Band frequencies with antenna sizes comparable to those at E-Band.[ii]
In 2018, the European CEPT Electronic Communications Committee (ECC) issued recommendation 18(01) identifying sub-bands totalling more than 30GHz over the following frequencies, for potential use at D-band for fixed service backhaul and fronthaul: 130 – 134GHz, 141 – 148.5GHz, 151.5 – 164GHz and 167 – 174.8GHz.[iii] These bands, and the bandwidth each makes available, are summarised in Figure 2. This CEPT recommendation generated a significant level of interest in developing the D-band component technologies that will be required to produce such links in the future.
In terms of the semiconductor technologies for use in D-band, the proposed bands can be supported with III-V MMIC technology. 100nm InGaAs mHEMT devices can be used for power amplifiers (PA) up to 155GHz, and InP pHEMT devices on a 100nm process can be used for PAs up to 170GHz. InP DHBT processes with fMAX greater than 650GHz are emerging which are showing promising performance across the whole of D Band. For low-noise amplifiers (LNA), devices on both 35nm InP pHEMT and 50nm InGaAs mHEMT processes can perform up to 185GHz and beyond.
Silicon-based technologies have demonstrated PAs and LNAs operating up to 160GHz in the case of SiGe and 140GHz in the case of SOI-CMOS. SiGe technology continues to develop and specialist foundries are offering processes with Fmax > 400GHz. All of these devices would be custom, however, as no standard commercial devices are currently available in these frequency bands.
Collaborative project
An Innovate UK-funded project[iv] was carried out to build upon previous research work on D-band components, and to develop methods for integrating them into a transmit-receive module for use in high speed links. In particular, it concentrated on developing a robust method for making low loss connections between the active circuits in the module and to the external interface, which is generally a waveguide port connected to an external antenna. Filtronic and the UK’s NPL (National Physical Laboratory) collaborated on the project, which concluded successfully in January 2019. Filtronic explored designs and assembly techniques to provide low loss D-band transitions between mmWave integrated circuits (MMIC) and various external circuits – these designs were successfully fabricated and demonstrated. New methods of on-wafer calibration and measurement were developed collaboratively by NPL and Filtronic, and these were described in detail in a presentation by Xiaobang Shang of NPL at the ARMMS RF and Microwave Society meeting in November 2019[v]. Figure 3 shows the test setup used by NPL for these measurements.
The work included trials of hot via technology. This is where via holes that connect between the top surface of the IC and pads on the backside of the IC are bonded directly to the tracks on the circuit board. This technique eliminates excess bond wire inductance, and allows surface mounting of MMICs.
Ongoing work
Filtronic continues to cooperate with NPL on D-band measurements, and NPL was recently awarded a grant from EURAMET for “Knowledge Transfer of Planar Calibration and Measurement Techniques at Millimetre-wave Frequencies”. Filtronic is the primary industry supporter for this project.
Filtronic is also an Industrial Partner within the UK EPSRC “DLINK” project, led by Lancaster University and the University of Glasgow, established to explore use cases within D Band.[vi]
by Dan Rhodes and Mike Geen, Filtronic
This editorial was orginally posted on Everything RF
Helen Duncan, MWE Media Ltd Tel: +44 (0)7765 250610 Email: [email protected]
This article describes a collaborative project between Filtronic and the UK National Physical Laboratory on next-generation mmWave technology projects up to 175GHz, to enable emerging 5G wireless XHaul requirements up to 100Gbps
E-band is well established as an attractive and cost effective, high capacity solution for mmWave XHaul applications, capable of supporting radio links up to 20Gbps. The spectrum allocations available in E-band are 71 – 76GHz and 81 – 86GHz. However, the ever-increasing demand for data means that still higher capacity is going to be required in 5G XHaul networks, and the need for links up to 100Gbps has already been identified. Moving up the frequency spectrum to W-band and D-band systems, where huge amounts of further bandwidth become available, will likely prove to be part of the solution.
Higher order modulation techniques can also increase data rates, but these demand higher signal-to-noise ratios and very linear components in order to keep error rate to a minimum. Multi-channel systems like XPIC (cross-polarization interference cancelling) and line-of-sight MIMO have also been demonstrated to provide enhanced data rates, but require more expensive radio equipment.
Higher bands
W-band refers to the range of the radio frequency from 92GHz to 114.5GHz, and D-band normally refers to frequencies in the range 130 – 175GHz, as shown in Figure 1. The atmospheric attenuation in W-band is very similar to that in E-band, while the rain attenuation in D-band is only around 2dB higher and is almost flat across the frequency range.[i]
An antenna of the same size will also give a higher gain in D-band compared to one at a lower frequency. All these features make the D-band system a good candidate for the next generation ultra-high capacity wireless links. System simulations carried out by the ETSI mWT ISG (GR mWT 008) suggest that link distances of several hundred metres are practical at D-Band frequencies with antenna sizes comparable to those at E-Band.[ii]
In 2018, the European CEPT Electronic Communications Committee (ECC) issued recommendation 18(01) identifying sub-bands totalling more than 30GHz over the following frequencies, for potential use at D-band for fixed service backhaul and fronthaul: 130 – 134GHz, 141 – 148.5GHz, 151.5 – 164GHz and 167 – 174.8GHz.[iii] These bands, and the bandwidth each makes available, are summarised in Figure 2. This CEPT recommendation generated a significant level of interest in developing the D-band component technologies that will be required to produce such links in the future.
In terms of the semiconductor technologies for use in D-band, the proposed bands can be supported with III-V MMIC technology. 100nm InGaAs mHEMT devices can be used for power amplifiers (PA) up to 155GHz, and InP pHEMT devices on a 100nm process can be used for PAs up to 170GHz. InP DHBT processes with fMAX greater than 650GHz are emerging which are showing promising performance across the whole of D Band. For low-noise amplifiers (LNA), devices on both 35nm InP pHEMT and 50nm InGaAs mHEMT processes can perform up to 185GHz and beyond.
Silicon-based technologies have demonstrated PAs and LNAs operating up to 160GHz in the case of SiGe and 140GHz in the case of SOI-CMOS. SiGe technology continues to develop and specialist foundries are offering processes with Fmax > 400GHz. All of these devices would be custom, however, as no standard commercial devices are currently available in these frequency bands.
Collaborative project
An Innovate UK-funded project[iv] was carried out to build upon previous research work on D-band components, and to develop methods for integrating them into a transmit-receive module for use in high speed links. In particular, it concentrated on developing a robust method for making low loss connections between the active circuits in the module and to the external interface, which is generally a waveguide port connected to an external antenna. Filtronic and the UK’s NPL (National Physical Laboratory) collaborated on the project, which concluded successfully in January 2019. Filtronic explored designs and assembly techniques to provide low loss D-band transitions between mmWave integrated circuits (MMIC) and various external circuits – these designs were successfully fabricated and demonstrated. New methods of on-wafer calibration and measurement were developed collaboratively by NPL and Filtronic, and these were described in detail in a presentation by Xiaobang Shang of NPL at the ARMMS RF and Microwave Society meeting in November 2019[v]. Figure 3 shows the test setup used by NPL for these measurements.
The work included trials of hot via technology. This is where via holes that connect between the top surface of the IC and pads on the backside of the IC are bonded directly to the tracks on the circuit board. This technique eliminates excess bond wire inductance, and allows surface mounting of MMICs.
Ongoing work
Filtronic continues to cooperate with NPL on D-band measurements, and NPL was recently awarded a grant from EURAMET for “Knowledge Transfer of Planar Calibration and Measurement Techniques at Millimetre-wave Frequencies”. Filtronic is the primary industry supporter for this project.
Filtronic is also an Industrial Partner within the UK EPSRC “DLINK” project, led by Lancaster University and the University of Glasgow, established to explore use cases within D Band.[vi]
by Dan Rhodes and Mike Geen, Filtronic
This editorial was orginally posted on Everything RF
Helen Duncan, MWE Media Ltd Tel: +44 (0)7765 250610 Email: [email protected]
Filtronic, the designer and manufacturer of RF, microwave, and mmWave products for the wireless telecoms, mission-critical communications and defence applications markets, is celebrating a decade of manufacturing transceivers for use in E-band backhaul radio links, which operate in the mmWave frequency ranges 71 – 76GHz and 81 – 86GHz.
E-band spectrum offers OEMs wide bandwidth, enabling them to provide 5G mobile network operators with high-capacity backhaul, midhaul and fronthaul (collectively known as XHaul). Dell’Oro estimated the global market for E-band transceivers at 83,000 in 2018, which then accounted for around 7% of wireless links being installed. Since then it has been growing at over 35% year-on-year, and is forecast to reach around 370,000 units by 2023.
“When we first developed our Proteus transceiver modules ten years ago, E-band was an attractive but challenging new technology for backhaul applications, offering a much higher data rate than had been possible in the traditional licenced microwave bands. Also, the highly integrated, pre-calibrated architecture was the first to simply drop-in between the baseband modem board and the antenna, enabling an extremely rapid time to market for our clients,” said Dan Rhodes, Director of Business Development ‒ mmWave Technology at Filtronic. “Since then, the use of E-band links for backhaul, and more recently for fronthaul and midhaul, has grown rapidly. Most recently this has been fuelled by the deployment of 5G networks, where more than 50% of the cells are being backhauled by wireless links rather than fibre.”
In February 2020 Filtronic launched Morpheus II, its latest generation of E-band mmWave transceiver modules, and in July 2020 it celebrated the milestone of having shipped a combined total of 50,000 units (including Proteus and its successors Theseus, Orpheus and Morpheus II).
Systems containing Filtronic’s core E-band technology have been successfully demonstrated at data rates up to 40Gbps. The compact form factor of Morpheus II modules makes them suitable for use in all types of mmWave XHaul applications, and their readily reconfigurable architecture also provides the ideal basis from which to develop systems for application in High Altitude Pseudo-Satellites (HAPS) and ultra-high capacity trackside to train links.
Helen Duncan, MWE Media Ltd Tel: +44 (0)7765 250610 Email: [email protected]
Filtronic has been shortlisted for the prestigious Made in the North East Export Award. For North East based manufacturers who are classified as outstanding exporters in terms of international presence, export growth, and exports as a proportion of sales.
2020 has been a very challenging year for all businesses, against this disruptive background, several innovative initiatives have been implemented that have complimented our export growth. Including developing a “best-in-class” Tower Top Amplifier for the public safety market. Plus winning a contract from a leading US technology company for the development and delivery of long-distance, high-capacity, low-latency transceiver modules for use in High Altitude Pseudo-Satellites (“HAPS”) applications. Another significant development includes a very successful trial in Asia of a 10Gbps track-to-train backhaul solution delivering fast, reliable internet connectivity improving safety on behalf of passengers and railway personnel. Against this backdrop we have also invested in our facilities, installing and commissioning automated placement and bonding machinery in our Sedgefield operation to double capacity and improve product yields.
“In a really challenging year, we are proud to be nominated for this award, export is a core part of our growth strategy and a key ingredient to our success over the years.” said Walter Mageira, CCO of Filtronic. “This recognition is testament to all the hard work put in by the team at Filtronic.”
About Filtronic: Filtronic plc is a designer and manufacturer of advanced RF communications products, supplying leading Original Equipment Manufacturers and Mobile Network Operators in the mobile telecommunications infrastructure and mission-critical communications markets.
