Spectrum Control Recognized with MAE Innovators Platinum Award

FAIRVIEW, Pa., Oct. 22, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- Spectrum Control, a leader in RF miniaturization and RF+Digital™ integration, has been honored with a Platinum award in the 2026 Military + Aerospace Electronics (MAE) Innovators Awards. The MAE Innovators Awards, sponsored by Military + Aerospace Electronics, an Endeavor B2B brand, celebrate outstanding innovation in defense and aerospace technology. The Platinum award, the highest possible, was given to Spectrum Control for its 16-channel DirectRF+™ Wideband Direct Sampling Transceiver in 3U VPX, a groundbreaking solution in the field.

The 2026 MAE Innovators Awards recognize companies, designers, and innovators who have contributed to the advancement of technology through their creative and impactful designs. The Platinum award is specifically given to a superb innovation that is a groundbreaking approach to meeting a need or a new level of performance, efficiency, or ease of use. DirectRF+™ represents a significant advancement in this category, as it addresses two key challenges in defense systems.

First, DirectRF+™ shortens the time from signal to response, which is crucial for real-time operations in military and aerospace applications. Second, it shrinks the system footprint by placing the data converters and edge processing in the same location, making it more compact and easier to integrate into existing systems. This is particularly important as edge systems are moving to smaller, standardized footprints while becoming more capable and complex.

The Platinum award highlights the innovative approach Spectrum Control has taken in developing the RF-and-digital boundary. The company has been developing RF+Digital™ building blocks, such as DirectRF+™, which remove integration work from the customer's bench. This approach reflects the actual demands of the market, where edge systems are evolving to smaller, standardized footprints, and mission needs are pushing wideband sampling beyond the traditional 2 GHz to 18 GHz range, towards 32 GHz and above. Channel counts are also rising sharply, as more channels in less space means hardware that is more compact and more closely aligned with the mission requirements.

DirectRF+™ brings this vision to a single card, integrating everything for wideband, 16-channel, high-speed direct sampling on a single SOSA-aligned 3U VPX card. The data converters are only part of the challenge; clocking, power, I/O, and the RF front end still need to be engineered. However, Spectrum Control has addressed this by integrating these components on a configurable mezzanine, allowing the same card to be tailored to different missions and frequency plans without affecting the digital design. This flexibility is a significant advantage in the rapidly evolving defense and aerospace sectors.

Spectrum Control provides high-reliability products for mission-critical applications in aerospace, defense, communications, and industrial sectors. The company's approach is defined by its ability to innovate, adapt, and deliver. It brings RF and digital together in RF+Digital™ building blocks like DirectRF+™, which remove integration work from the customer's bench. It offers a portfolio spanning components, integrated microwave assemblies, subsystems, and custom solutions, all designed to be modular and adaptable to the mission rather than redesigned for it. In-house design and manufacturing are built for production, not just prototypes, ensuring reliability and efficiency in the production process.

The 2026 MAE Innovators Awards have recognized Spectrum Control's DirectRF+™ as a groundbreaking solution, reflecting the company's commitment to innovation and its ability to meet the evolving needs of the defense and aerospace industries. This award underscores Spectrum Control's leadership in RF+Digital™ integration and its continued dedication to developing cutting-edge technology for mission-critical applications.