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w w w. m r c y. c o m WHITE PAPER 4 A 2.5D SiP development effort can also include patented IP chiplets, giving defense contractors a straightforward way to build unique, differentiating capabilities into a solution offering. Even after deployment, there is added value. If a chiplet, or chiplets, can be replaced without modifying external interfaces, it becomes possible to upgrade silicon during a platform's lifetime without the expense and program disruption of a major redesign. Engage with Mercury to See if 2.5D Fits Your Program Mercury Systems is the leader in making trusted, secure mission- critical technologies profoundly more accessible to aerospace and defense. Building on a track record of successfully developing integrated subsystems and modules, we can now design customized 2.5D SiP solutions and then fabricate them within our own U.S.-based facility. Moving forward with 2.5D SiP products, we will also be championing the industry effort to define an open systems architecture for chip- scale development. An environment where IP chiplets can be easily and confidently reused will benefit all parties in defense electronics. As a high-tech company focused on the defense industry, it is our role to serve as a channel for new developments in the commercial semiconductor industry. Our technology innovations are complemented and enhanced by customer partnerships, collaborating to solve problems. We see close cooperation with technology visionaries, program managers, and engineering teams as key to getting the maximum value from our 2.5D SiP solutions. Engage with our team to explore how they can meet your embedded requirements and move your programs forward by emailing us at custom.microelectronics@mrcy.com. Enabling New Solutions, Like Multifunction AESA 2.5D SiP integration is already being used to move existing radar and EW application into very small packages that operate on the sensor edge. It can also be used to implement new types of solutions that are not possible with traditional RF and digital-processing technology. For example, in a traditional (AESA) radar, a signal is distributed to multiple antenna elements, with the signal's phase adjusted to steer the beam. These systems are optimized for specific applications, such as long- range surveillance radar or electronic warfare. An ideal solution is a single AESA that can perform multiple functions. For example, in a standard mode, the system will scan the spectrum for threats, such as the targeting radar of a missile. If a threat is identified, the multifunction AESA will reallocate a portion of the array to mitigate the threat through electronic attack functionality and use a different part of the array to target a weapon on the attack source, all while continuing to scan for new threats with the remaining elements. Achieving this level of sophistication is no simple task. It requires not only advanced processing at each element of the antenna array, but also the ability to operate over extremely wide bandwidths. Since the antenna elements are small, the processing and digitization modules must also be very compact. Using broadband 2.5D SiP technology, the digitization and signal-processing functions can be integrated into a device that fits in the palm of a hand and is still able to support this demanding application. Figure 6: Example of SWaP-constrained airborne AESA radar system

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