Multi-Amplifiers Architectures for Power Reconfigurability

In communication satellite systems, the reconfigurability of the RF power among different beams and channels can be employed in alternative to the well-known multiple antenna beams, in order to improve the payload utilization. The performance of a reconfigurable payload strictly depends on the architecture of the high-power section. Two multi- amplifiers architectures, one based on bias-adjustable Traveling-wave Tubes (flex-TWTAs), the other based on Multiport Amplifiers, will be traded-off against the achievable efficiency and degree of flexibility at payload level.