DIFI and Filtronics new ground segment tech - Calibre Defence
Summary
Filtronic launched a Digital Intermediate Frequency (DIFI) solution on March 25 to virtualize satellite ground-segment technology, replacing analogue hardware and heavy wiring with software-run digitizers and RF-over-IP connectivity. The platform digitizes signals at the dish, sends encrypted IP packets, and offers six send/receive channels, 2.5 GHz instantaneous bandwidth, 8–14 bit sampling and a 100 Gigabit Ethernet interface. Filtronic positions the product as IEEE-ISTO Std 4900-2021 (DIFI) compliant, vendor-agnostic, and participates in multi-vendor interoperability trials to ensure open standards and compatibility across satellite providers. The solution aims to reduce ground infrastructure costs, increase flexibility for high-bandwidth Ka/Q/V/E/W-band missions, and bolster resilience for defense and LEO constellation use cases.