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GPS Modules Meld Filter and Amplifier

Nov. 12, 2009

Model ALM-1912 from Avago Technologies is a Global Positioning System (GPS) front-end module that combines a film-bulk-acoustic-resonator (FBAR) filter with a high-gain low-noise amplifier (LNA). The module, which is designed to simplify GPS handset applications, features an LNA with 1.62-dB noise figure and 19.3-dB gain. The amplifier and filter combine for an input third-order intercept point of +1.5 dBm and more than 50-dB out-of-band rejection. The ALM-1912 includes a shunt inductor at the RF input pin to enhance electrostatic-discharge (ESD) capability; as a result, the module can survive more than 3 kV discharge voltage per the human body model (HBM). The RoHS-compliant module is supplied in a miniature MCOB package measuring 2.9 x 2.0 x 1.0 mm. It draws typically 6 mA current from a +2.7-VDC supply.

About the Author

Jack Browne | Technical Contributor

Jack Browne, Technical Contributor, has worked in technical publishing for over 30 years. He managed the content and production of three technical journals while at the American Institute of Physics, including Medical Physics and the Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology. He has been a Publisher and Editor for Penton Media, started the firm’s Wireless Symposium & Exhibition trade show in 1993, and currently serves as Technical Contributor for that company's Microwaves & RF magazine. Browne, who holds a BS in Mathematics from City College of New York and BA degrees in English and Philosophy from Fordham University, is a member of the IEEE.