TRAK estimates that over 400,000 microstrip, surface mount and stripline isolators and circulators have been manufactured in Dundee for the space, defence and industrial communities over the past 20 years.
This total including ~80,000 devices delivered and known to be in orbit, ~280,000 devices supplied for defence (primarily radar applications) and a further 40,000 devices delivered and known to be in the process of being integrated into payloads and defence radar systems (AESA).
In point of fact the microstrip (pattern on ferrite) circulator has been a feature of systems produced in TRAK Dundee since the mid 1970s! We know that the devices we produce today are a far cry from those pioneering products just as we know those early assemblies are still in service with naval air forces around the world today.
Each type has certain advantages over the others and choice is generally governed by a complex set of system, budgetary and technical considerations. TRAK’s ability to design and produce all types, while not unique, allows us to look at each application and tend advice to each prospective customer that is based on experience, heritage and unbiased capability.
TRAK produces Microstrip, Surface Mount and Stripline products for a broad range of civilian, defence and space applications using a variety of interfaces including MIC, tabbed and SMD interfaces designed to operate in assigned bands from 400 MHz to 31 GHz.
TRAK has a breadth of experience and heritage extending from L to K band on isolators, circulators and MFAs as circulators in TRMs used in radar and beam forming networks to isolators and duplexers used in hybrids and equipment intended for communication, radar and related applications.
The devices opposite were developed and supplied for the CSA’s RCM program. These C-Band miniature devices were manufactured using processes especially developed for this particular program to ensure the devices were suitable for extreme and rapid changes in temperature throughout their operating life.
Drop-ins ranging from 800 MHz to 27GHz, whether tabbed or with Alumina interfaces, have been supplied to space applications for over 20 years. Microstrip as a technology is a relative newcomer but with almost 75,000 junctions supplied, and currently in orbit, it forms a substantial part of TRAK’s heritage.
By Frequency Band *
| Operating Band | Drop-In FMs | MICPuck FMs | Microstrip FMs | Total FMs |
| UHF | 96 | – | – | 96 |
| L | 26637 | 25 | – | 26662 |
| S | 1887 | 98 | – | 1985 |
| C | 4651 | 1359 | 3642 | 9652 |
| X | 4036 | 4351 | 40527 | 48914 |
| Ku | 1325 | 1989 | 236 | 3550 |
| K | 249 | 495 | 523 | 1267 |
| Ka | – | – | 20 | 20 |
| Total | 38881 | 8317 | 44948 | 92146 |
By Function *
| Band | Drop-In FMs | MICPuck FMs | Microstrip FMs | Total |
| Multi-Function Assemblies | – | – | 25958 | 25958 |
| Circulator | 17240 | 112 | 15572 | 32924 |
| Isolator | 18762 | 8180 | 606 | 27548 |
| Load/Termination | 2879 | – | – | 2879 |
| Total | 38881 | 8292 | 42136 | 89309 |