19 February 2015

A large US Government Agency has selected ETL Systems, a global designer and manufacturer of RF signal distribution equipment for satellite communications, to provide RF equipment.

In this case, the customer required a 256 x 128 matrix system, so two Vulcan matrices were used in conjunction with combiners to design the overall system which will be operated in Australia. ETL’s Alto amplifier platform will also be utilised to provide signal management flexibility within the system. Both technologies were selected due to their compact design and performance attributes.

“This particular US Government Agency is a historic ETL customer and has been very pleased with ETL’s exceptional performance in the past,” said Susan Saadat, Vice President of ETL’s North American Sales and Operations. “We are looking forward to working with them once again and providing them with the most suitable RF solution for their unique set of challenges.”

There are currently 30 Vulcan matrices in service around the world, providing 128 inputs x 128 outputs distributive routing in a single 16U chassis, with dual redundant power supplies and hot-swappable RF components. The Vulcan features remote control and monitoring facilities that give the user the ability to set alarms if any levels drop below pre-determined thresholds. It can be expanded whilst in service, either by inserting more input/output cards or by using extra matrix modules for larger systems. 

The Alto product line is an amplifier system that provides resilience whilst providing compensation for cable and other system losses. A variety of amplifier modules are available which can be configured in a variety of chassis ranging from 1U to 3U, and with redundant configurations. Hot swap amplifier modules and hot-swap dual redundant power supplies offer resilience in service.