Cordon Electronics Italia constantly research and participate in key EU and ESA projects, in order to keep its Microwave processes, production and technology at state-of-the-art level and to strengthen and expand its network. Here below is a list of the currently active and most recent projects:
Current ESA projects
INCLUSER
INCLUSER project is an European Space Agency – ESA-funded Project whose objective is to enable technology for integrating terrestrial and satellite networks, by:
- developing an integrated wideband multiplexer in the K/Ka-Band, with support to both terrestrial and satellite 5G communications, and compatible with flat-panel antennas,
- validating the functionalities of the wideband multiplexer in the K/Ka-Band on a breadboard, as a first step in technology validation.
The Project is coordinated by RINA, leading a Consortium in which Cordon electronics Italia will be responsible for the Test campaign, where the devices will be tested in laboratory environment for radiofrequency and system performance.
Recent EU Projects
H2020 – ICT (Photonic KETS)
The following projects have received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant Agreements indicated on each project’s description.
- PIXAPP (www.pixapp.eu) (GA n.731954, completed 2021). Objectives: Realize the world’s first open-access Photonic Integrated Circuit (PIC) Assembly and Packaging Pilot line, to helps users exploit the breakthrough advantages of PIC technologies. Cordon Electronics Italia role: Optical/Electronic Transceiver integration and prototyping.
- UNIQORN (https://quantum-uniqorn.eu) (GA n.820474, completed June 2022). Objectives: Provide the enabling photonic technology to accommodate quantum communications, by shoehorning complex systems, which are presently found on metre-size breadboards, into millimetre-size chips. These systems will not only reduce size and cost but will also bring improvements in terms of robustness and reproducibility. Starting with advanced components optimised for quantum applications UNIQORN will shoehorn entire quantum-optic systems into system-on-chip (SoC) realizations, leading to highly miniaturized solutions for further system- and network-level integration. Selected quantum applications beyond simple quantum key distribution will build on UNIQORN’s highly integrated and yet cost-effective technology and will be evaluated in lab and field.
- 3PEAT (http://ict-3peat.eu) (GA n.780502, completed January 2022). Objectives: Develop a new kind of integration platform with low optical loss and high integration density for optical switching and remoting sensing applications. To this end an international consortium of companies and research institutes has been formed which is able to cover the whole integration chain of a 3D platform for optical switching and remoting sensing modules.
Previous Projects
H2020 – ICT (Photonic KETS)
The following projects have received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant Agreements indicated on each project’s description.
- OPTIMA (GA n.730149, completed in 2019). Objectives: OPTIMA aims at demonstrating photonic payloads for telecommunication satellites by joining the efforts of industrial and academic European actors from both the worlds of space and terrestrial communications. A major technological breakthrough based on Photonics is needed to meet the capacity increase objectives within the mass, size and power envelope allowed by the foreseen evolution of launchers and satellite platforms.
- HAMLET (www.ict-hamlet.eu) (GA n.688750, completed in 2019). Objectives: Joint development of a new kind of transceiver for future 5G-mobile phone networks in the frequency range of 28 GHz. Cordon Electronics Italia role: Optical/Electronic Transceiver integration and prototyping.
FP7 – ICT
The following projects have received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme for research, technological development and demonstration under Grant Agreements indicated on each project’s description.
- SPIRIT (www.spiritproject.eu) (2013-2017). Objectives: Joint development of a low-cost, energy-efficient flexible transceivers capable of gridless operation with a throughputs up to 1 Tb/s. Microtech role: Optical/Electronic integration, modules packaging, Transceiver integration and prototyping.
- PANTHER (www.ict-panther.eu) (2014-2017). Objectives: Joint development of multi-rate, multi-format, multi-reach and multi-flow terabit transceivers with operation rate up to 64 Gbaud. Cordon Electronics Italia role: Optical/Electronic integration, modules packaging, Transceiver integration and prototyping.
- PARADIGM (www.paradigm.jeppix.eu) (2010-2015). Objectives: The PARADIGM project aims to establish, and facilitate access to, cost-effective Photonic Integrated Circuit (PIC) manufacture in Europe and address the whole product development from InP PICs design to the final packaged components.
- POLYSYS (www.ict-polysys.eu) (2010-2014) Objectives: to realize 100Gb/s serial connectivity for rack-to-rack interconnects, Microtech role is in integration and packaging of 100 Gb/s, 2x 100 Gb/s and Tunable 100 Gb/s serial Transmitters. Cordon Electronics Italia: Optical/Electronic integration, components/modules packaging and prototyping.
