Smiths Interconnect announces today the release of the SpaceNXT™ HC Series high reliability temperature variable and fixed chip attenuators for next generation commercial space applications. The HC series is the latest addition to Smiths Interconnect’s extensive high reliability solutions for the space market and offers many enhancements over a QPL or COTS product.
The HC Series is being released as part of an overarching new initiative by Smiths Interconnect that entails the creation of higher reliability products for next generation space applications that are readily available to the market. By offering components that are pre-tested and qualified for space use Smiths Interconnect helps customers reduce their lead times.
The SpaceNXT™ HC Series attenuators can be quickly quoted and purchased from the standard products price list without additional charges for flight testing. Extremely cost-effective, the HC Series offers 100% flight product testing for mission assurance (Group A). Additional testing (Group B and C) are also available for further product qualification. All data is provided to the customer for compliance to specification.
Both fixed and temperature variable attenuators operate from DC to 18GHz and are available in the same footprint offering customers the flexibility to tailor the response over variations in temperature. The temperature variable attenuators feature the patented Thermopad® technology, a totally passive, surface-mounted device that offset gain variation over temperature. The Thermopad® can be used in place of a standard chip attenuator to combine level setting or buffering and temperature compensation in a single chip design. Compared to other alternatives, Thermopad® offers significant advantages including zero distortion and compact PCB footprint.
“The SpaceNXT™ product portfolio provides our customers with a combination of highly reliable technology and lower cost of ownership”, says Paul Harris, VP of Marketing & Sales. “We are creating a more streamlined customer experience by shifting the product testing responsibility from the customer to us. This allows them to enjoy the benefits of our renowned expertise in the space market.”