A custom L-to-Ka band block up-converter (BUC) for millimetre wave testbeds

In this paper, an L-to-Ka-band block up-converter (BUC) is presented. The system design is based on a connectorized solution that has the versatility of modifying the architecture or interchange individual components. The input signal of 1.5 GHz is up-converted to 30 GHz with an output P1dB of 30 dBm. A prototype is mounted and its measurements are and results discussed. Furthermore, guidelines to design a BUC are provided.