GXSC Beamformer Replaces ADAR1000 in Early Warning Radar Applications

Early warning radars serve as sensing devices in fields such as national defense and security, airspace control, meteorological monitoring, and border security. With the widespread adoption of phased array technology, electronic scanning has replaced traditional mechanical scanning as the mainstream development direction for early warning radars. High-integration, low-SWaP (size, weight, and power), and high-precision beamforming chips have become the key enablers for enhancing the performance of early warning radars.

The GXSC beamformer features wide-band coverage, precise amplitude and phase control, high integration, and comprehensive control and protection mechanisms. When applied to early warning radars, it can significantly simplify the design process of phased array antennas, reduce system complexity, and enhance detection performance. The device’s overall architecture primarily consists of an RF front-end module, a digital control module, and a calibration algorithm module. Data exchange and control command transmission between modules are achieved via high-speed digital interfaces, ensuring system synchronization and high response speeds.

In the RF front-end module, each channel is equipped with a low-noise amplifier, a phase modulator, and an amplitude controller. These components utilize advanced microwave integration technology to effectively amplify input signals while enabling precise phase and amplitude adjustments with minimal noise. The phase modulator in each channel is based on high-precision digital control technology. It generates a stable reference signal via an internal PLL (phase-locked loop) system, keeping phase error at an extremely low level. Additionally, the mutual isolation design between multiple channels effectively suppresses crosstalk, ensuring the independence of each channel’s signal and preventing mutual interference.

Designed for phased array applications, the GXSC beamformer supports an operating frequency range of 5 GHz to 18 GHz, covering the C-band, X-band, and Ku-band. The chip integrates four receive channels, four transmit channels, and corresponding power combining/distribution networks, making it a highly integrated silicon-based beamforming chip. Both its receive and transmit channels support amplitude and phase control. Phase control features 7-bit precision, supporting 2.8° increments over a 360° range; amplitude control features 6-bit precision, supporting 0.5dB increments within a 31.5dB dynamic range.

GXSC Beamformer Features:

 5–18 GHz operating range

Receive/transmit time-division half-duplex

4T4R RF channels with integrated power splitting/combining networks

360° phase control range / 7-bit / LSB = 2.8°

31.5 dB amplitude control range / 6-bit / LSB = 0.5 dB

 Integrated bias and channel control

Integrated temperature sensor

Integrated quantized ADC

Integrated beam storage

Integrated power detection

Single-pin control for fast transmit/receive state switching

Standard 4-wire SPI control logic

WLCSP package (6.20 x 6.05 x 0.725 mm)

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