Established in 1990, dB Control Corp. supplies mission-critical, often sole-source, products worldwide to military organizations, as well as to major defense contractors and commercial manufacturers. dB Control is a subsidiary of the Electronic Technologies Group of HEICO Corp., a publicly traded aerospace and electronics company with more than 60 subsidiaries. dB Control designs and manufactures reliable high-power TWT Amplifiers (TWTAs), microwave power modules (MPMs), transmitters, high- and low-voltage power supplies, and modulators for radar, electronic countermeasures (ECM), and data link applications. The modularity of dB Control’s designs enables rapid configuration of custom products for a variety of platforms, including ground-based and high-altitude military manned and unmanned aircraft. Acquisitions in 2019 (TTT-Cubed, Inc.), 2021 (Paciwave, Inc.) and 2022 (Charter Engineering, Inc.) have added the following to the company’s product offerings: custom RF sources and receivers, RF and microwave components and integrated microwave subsystems as well as precision electromechanical switches and components. The company also offers specialized contract manufacturing and repair depot services from its modern 40,000-square-foot facilities in Fremont, California. dB Control is AS9100D and ISO 9001:2015 certified.

Traveling Wave Tube Amplifiers (TWTAs)

Rugged TWTAs for Critical Military Applications
dB Control’s high-power, helix and coupled cavity traveling wave tube amplifiers (TWTAs) cover the 1 to 50 GHz frequency range and are available with continuous wave or pulsed power. Built to withstand harsh environmental conditions, they are suitable for shipboard and ground-based mobile systems as well as unpressurized airborne environments. Each TWTA incorporates dB Control’s proprietary potting and encapsulation processes to provide extremely dense packaging without sacrificing reliability or performance. Since 1990, dB Control TWTAs have been field tested for radar, electronic countermeasures (ECM), data links, communications and instrumentation applications.

Microwave Power Modules (MPMs)

High-Performance MPMs for Radar, ECM and Data Links
In many military applications, stringent requirements for size and weight must be met without sacrificing power or performance. dB Control’s high-efficiency, conduction-cooled microwave power modules (MPMs) provide extremely dense packaging across the 2 to 40 GHz frequency band. These MPMs are based on a modular design for easy customization and are available with continuous wave or pulsed power. Each MPM is a complete microwave amplifier that uses both TWTs and solid state technologies to provide the best of both worlds for military and commercial applications.

Power Supplies

Reliable Power When and Where It’s Needed
Our tightly packaged high- and low-voltage power supplies are used in airborne, shipboard and ground-based applications. Fully qualified for mission-critical military operations, these power supplies are suitable for very low phase noise and spurious radar transmitters, SAR, multimode radars, data links and more – depending on voltage.

Custom Radio Frequency (RF) Receivers And Sources

FLO – Frequency Locked Oscillators cover frequencies ranging from 2 to 36 GHz. They are capable of changing frequencies in the order of hundreds of nanoseconds. FLOs offer various modulations, such as AM, FM and PM.

IFM – Instantaneous Frequency Measurement units measure frequency, as well as power level. They also detect pulse on pulse signals. The DIFM (also available from dB Control) is a dual-channel IFM.

DCU – Digital Control Units are capable of controlling a single FLO and other RF equipment. The DCU can be controlled and set up with a network port or can be pre-programmed with a removable SCD card.

ACU – Antenna Control Units are able to play prerecorded antenna patterns and can compensate for platform movements. For example, they can compensate for tilt and roll when mounted on an aircraft.

IDCU – Integrated DCUs combine the control and interface power of a DCU with the RF capabilities of a FLO and the capabilities of an ACU for a complete integrated system controller in a single unit.

Other Custom Products – Companies often have a problem of compatibility when they possess RF units of different generations. dB Control analyzes these situations and builds translation units that allow older systems to communicate and interact with newer ones.

Contract Manufacturing

One-Stop Shopping for Build-to-Print Assembly and Test
For companies looking to outsource, dB Control offers specialized contract manufacturing services for high-voltage transformers, power supplies, and high-voltage assemblies. Full vacuum encapsulation, pressure cure, conformal coating laboratory services and transformer winding and testing are also available.

Repair Depot

Repair, Refurbish or Replace Microwave Amplifier Components
dB Control’s repair depot complements its contract manufacturing services with the repair, refurbishment, or replacement of microwave amplifier components. dB Control has an outstanding record of successfully repairing tightly packaged high-voltage power supplies and expertise with high-voltage and high-power microwaves. Specialized testing services are also available. dB Control is proud to be a prime depot overhaul facility for the high-voltage power supplies used in the U.S. Military’s AN/ALQ-172 Countermeasures System (CMS) radar warning system.