Giga-tronics Incorporated Introduces New Wide Bandwidth RF Playback Solution for Radar and Electronic Warfare Applications

DUBLIN, Calif., Aug. 17, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Giga-tronics Incorporated (OTCQB: GIGA) (the “Company”) announced today the immediate availability of a wide bandwidth RF Playback solution specifically designed for military electronics applications.  The fully integrated system is part of the Company’s COMPASS platform (Coherent Multi-Channel Playback Acquisition Streaming System) and incorporates state-of-the-art Digital and RF/Microwave technology for use in the design, verification and operational validation of modern Radar and Electronic Warfare systems.

This configuration of the Giga-tronics COMPASS architecture utilizes two 16-bit dual-DAC cards running at 4.8 Gigasamples/second (GSpS) integrated within a high-performance 4U height 19” width rack mountable PC workstation driving the Company’s microwave upconverters to deliver four phase coherent channels of analog RF.  The resulting RF signals exhibit superior spectral purity, phase noise and frequency tuning resolution across the entire Radar and EW spectrum.

Each channel can support the playback of either synthesized or previously digitized (captured) signals with up to 2 GHz of instantaneous bandwidth (IBW) directly from the DAC cards and up to 1 GHz of IBW at RF frequencies to 20 GHz.  To facilitate the analysis of advanced Electronic Attack (EA) and Electronic Protection (EP) techniques on a variety of tactical Radar and EW platforms and programs, it is also possible to present the RF playback at any center frequency between 0-20 GHz while maintaining the original spectral content and time/bandwidth parameters as the original regardless of it being synthetic or from what system it may have been captured on if not on COMPASS itself. The end-to-end RF capture/RF playback loop of COMPASS has superior Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) and Dynamic Range to provide the fidelity critical to the proper testing and evaluation of these tactical platforms.

In addition, outstanding timing synchronization between channels is achieved through the use of carefully designed clock generation/distribution and triggering circuits providing worst case 200ps skew from one channel to any other. This is critical for supporting development of coherent EA, DRFM-based Jammers and Angle-Of-Arrival (AOA)/Direction Finding (DF) techniques used in modern EW systems.

COMPASS RF Capture & Playback combination systems can be configured with up to 64 Terabytes of solid-state disk storage permitting uninterrupted playback times per channel ranging from several hours to a full 24-hour day thanks to the system’s variable sample rate feature.  The Giga-tronics COMPASS can playback greater than 7.4 hours per channel when running at its maximum sample rate.  For even greater durations, RF Capture-only COMPASS configurations can be configured with up to 192TB of total storage capacity.

The modular architecture offers scalability from one to four channels with the ability to repurpose the same Digital and RF/Microwave base assets in the future between capture and playback or combinations of both functions.  Rack mounted solutions for a lab environment and rugged transit case options for field or range use are available.

Armand Pantalone, Chief Technology Officer of the Company, said, “Giga-tronics will continue to deliver state-of-the-art capability within the COMPASS platform to support all levels of System Design, Development, Verification, Validation and Operational testing of Radar and EW systems.”

About Giga-tronics Incorporated

Giga-tronics is a publicly held company, traded on the OTCQB Capital Market under the symbol "GIGA".  Giga-tronics produces Radar filters and Microwave Integrated Components for use in military defense applications as well as sophisticated Radar and Electronic Warfare (Radar/EW) test products primarily used in electronic warfare test & emulation applications.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements in this press release, other than statements of historical facts, are forward-looking statements. Generally, forward-looking statements and information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “expects” or “anticipates”, or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “should", “would” or occur.  Forward-looking statements include those concerning future product developments, future operating results, future orders, and future revenue, future growth and margin, future market share, future profitability, expected shipments, customer acceptance products and the ability to meet customer needs.  Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Company and its management, are inherently uncertain. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include the Company’s ability to successfully manufacture its Radar/EW test products and to design and implement new features; the receipt or timing of future orders for products or services, cancellations or deferrals of existing or future orders; the Company’s need for additional financing; the Company’s ability to manage costs; the results of pending or threatened litigation; the Company’s ability to successfully implement its business plan; the Company’s ability to pay off or refinance existing debt, the Company’s need to modify its business plan as a result of these or other risks; the volatility in the market price of the Company’s common stock; and general market conditions.  You should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which are made as of the date of this press release. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly any of these forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, new information or future events, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting forward-looking statements. For further discussion, see the Company’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 28, 2020 Part I, under the heading "Risk Factors" and Part II, under the heading "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and those in other public files the Company may make with the SEC.