Mouser Electronics White Paper
output to the antenna. To reduce system size and complexity,
many FEMs integrate these components into a single chip.
Furthermore, GaN is typically the material of choice for these
chips, due to its robustness, efficiency, and temperature resilience.
Qorvo X-Band Radar Solutions
Qorvo enables small, lightweight phased-array radars with its X-band
product family, helping reduce SWaP-C and providing fast 3D
electronic beam steering to protect against a wide range of threats.
• QPF5010: A multi-die 10W FEM integrating a limiter, LNA,
PA, and T/R switch, ideal for communication and commercial
radar. Supported by the QPF5010EVB evaluation board.
• QPM1002: A GaN T/R module that supports 8.5–10.5GHz
operation with 33dB gain and 32 percent power-added
efficiency (PAE), optimized for high-reliability radar.
Supported by the QPM1002EVB1 evaluation board.
• AWS-0103: A silicon quad-core beamforming
IC with selectable dual Rx beams to support
monopulse or dual polarization operation.
• QPM2637: A GaN monolithic microwave IC (MMIC) FEM
delivering 21dB of gain and a 2.7dB noise figure on the receive
path and 4W of saturated power with 23dB large signal gain on
the transmit path. Embedded thermal mitigation and up to 4W of
input power reduce the need for external limiters and heatsinks.
These components use silicon, GaN, and gallium arsenide (GaAs)
technologies to achieve efficient power handling and stable
thermal performance. They support beamforming configurations
used to improve target detection, tracking accuracy, and
electronic counter-countermeasures (ECCM) capability in
applications such as defense, communications, infrastructure
protection, perimeter monitoring, and traffic management.
System-Level Design Considerations
Designing for X-band requires a balance of performance,
efficiency, and reliability across every level of the system.
Engineers must consider thermal management, power delivery,
and phase accuracy while minimizing size and weight for
airborne or mobile platforms. Qorvo's tightly integrated FEMs,
beamforming ICs, and power management solutions simplify
these challenges, helping designers accelerate development of
compact, high-performance radar and communication systems.
Conclusion
The X-band is widely employed in civil and defense radar systems
as well as in maritime safety applications. The versatile frequency
band is also used in terrestrial and satellite communications,
wireless and networking applications, air traffic control, weather
monitoring, infrastructure protection, and perimeter security.
Through innovations in GaN and GaAs device design,
highly integrated FEMs, silicon beamformer ICs, and
advanced PMICs, Qorvo enables engineers to build
smaller, more efficient, and more capable systems.
Sources
1. https://www.ntia.gov/sites/default/files/2025-09/
ntia-us-frequency-allocations.pdf
2. https://eo-college.org/resource/x-band-for-persistent-scattering-
interferometry/; https://up42.com/blog/how-persistent-
scatterer-interferometry-is-used-to-predict-and-prevent
3. https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/images/pia02726-shaded-
relief-color-as-height-patagonia-argentina/
4. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/
media/5a7f0081ed915d74e33f3c6e/
solas_v_on_safety_of_navigation.pdf
5. https://www.qorvo.com/design-hub/blog/x-band-radar-driving-
defense-applications-with-beamforming-gan-and-gaas-technology
6. https://www.qorvo.com/design-hub/blog/
power-solutions-for-phased-radar
