TRAK’s waveguide iso-adapters span from S to Ka-Band and include coaxial and waveguide isolators with transitions to waveguide and integrated assemblies including filtering and waveguide windows.
It was an iso-adapted designed and supplied by TRAK and supplied to what was then Motorola in Chandler, Az. that has provided TRAK with one of its most enviable statistics. The image on the far right in the gallery below has been used on several missions including; the Near Earth Asteroid Recovery probe (NEAR Shoemaker, 2001), the 1st NASA Mars ‘rover’ Pathfinder (1997) and the Cassini/Huygens Saturn/Titan lander. The Huygens probe lasted longer than expected when it landed on Titan back in 2005 and managed to transmit vital data for 45 minutes before succumbing to the environment. The Cassini probe is still working today relaying back stunning images as it flies by Saturn using the TRAK iso-adapter that is part of the C-Band data relay terminal.
Lowest mass waveguide iso-adapter solutions are normally realised by integrating a coaxial isolator with a waveguide transition while waveguide isolators integrated with coaxial transition generally offer a superior electrical performance. Iso-adapter design choices, options and trade-offs are best discussed directly with the factory so that an optimal solution is obtained.
The range of iso-adapters is complemented by TRAK’s waveguide to coaxial transitions and waveguide isolators and circulators.
The device opposite is designed for a compact Ka-band LNA assembly where the coaxial interface is the glass-to-metal seal from the LNA hybrid which couples into a 90 degree WR28 waveguide bend.
Heritage
TRAK has supplied a variety of transitions for the space, defence and avionics industry operating in assigned bands from 1.2 to 48 GHz.
The device illustrated further left in the above gallery is used in airborne satellite systems for airliners. The systems are in use today with a variety of airlines and was designed into another Smiths Group Company, TECOM Industries, Ku-Stream Antenna.
The first stand-alone products, a half-height WR159 to SMA was supplied in 1995 to Saab Ericsson Space for the ESA sponsored Envisat programme and in the same year parts were supplied to JPL that would be on the CASSINI, NEAR and Mars Rover missions. Since then these have been supplied integrated with isolators, MFAs and as stand-alone products.
By Frequency Band *
| Band | Iso-Adapter FMs | Transition FMs | Total FMs |
| S [WR229] | 88 | – | 88 |
| C [WR159] | – | 17 | 17 |
| X [WR112] | – | 15 | 11 |
| X [WR90] | 6 | 27 | 39 |
| Ku [WR75] | 990 | 260 | 1250 |
| Ku [WR62] | 357 | – | 357 |
| K [WR42] | 112 | – | 112 |
| Ka [WR34] | – | 46 | 46 |
| Ka [WR28] | – | 694 | 694 |
| Total | 1553 | 1090 | 2643 |