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Highly integrated phased-array antennas are fundamental enablers for space-borne SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) satellites for earth observation and for constellations of LEO (Low Earth Orbit) satellites for telecommunications. Beamforming core-chips are the key components for active phased-array antennas. They allow the integration of all RF functions needed for antenna beamforming like Tx/Rx switching, phase shifting, amplitude setting, and signal amplification in a single chip. This paper presents the current status of the Project COCHISA, in which two integrated circuits (ICs) have been designed to operate at the Ka-band and X-band. Currently, these ICs are being manufactured with the mature BiCMOS SG13RH (rad-hard) process of IHP. Functional and radiation tests of the ICs are scheduled for the next months. Extensive simulation sets of these chips are very optimistic and predict an excellent performance and radiation tolerance. This paper is based on the document “Deliverable D3.1 – Preliminary detailed design report on 10 GHz and 28 GHz”.
