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The VertexRSI ModuMAX™ SSPAs are completely modular solid-state power amplifier systems for world-wide satellite communications. |
Most satellite earth stations cannot afford down time due to equipment failure, so they employ redundancy – two of everything – at a significant increase in cost and complexity. This made sense when the final amplifier stage was a single tube and thus a single point failure. However, now that solid state is a viable and practical amplifier technology, solutions other than brute-force redundancy make better sense.
The ModuMAX SSPA consists of eight identical, fully interchangeable RF plug-in modules that are conveniently accessible from the front panel. Module status is visually indicated by an LED on each module as well as the control panel display.
Complete failure of a module causes a drop of only 1.2 dB in output power without the momentary loss of signal caused by redundant switchover systems. Defective modules can be hot-swapped while the SSPA continues to operate. Spare RF modules are affordable, since they contain only a fraction of the RF power transistors in the SSPA.
