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Amplifier Die Boost 27.5 To 46.5 GHz

July 13, 2012

A trio of power amplifier chips from Hittite Microwave Corp. is designed for terrestrial and satellite-communications (satcom) systems at millimeter-wave frequencies from 27.5 to 46.5 GHz.

Jack Browne

A trio of power amplifier chips from Hittite Microwave Corp. is designed for terrestrial and satellite-communications (satcom) systems at millimeter-wave frequencies from 27.5 to 46.5 GHz. The devices are based on GaAs pseudomorphic-high-electron-mobility-transistor (pHEMT) technology and offer different combinations of efficiency, power, and linearity. For example, model HMC1014 is a four-stage amplifier that provides 21-dB gain and +27.5-dBm output power at 1-dB compression from 33.5 to 46.5 GHz. It boasts 27% power-added efficiency (PAE) from a +6-VDC supply and achieves an output third-order-intercept point (OIP3) of as high as +35 dBm. This makes it a likely candidate for high-linearity communications applications in point-to-point and point-to-multipoint commercial and military radios. The other two amplifier chips are models HMC1024 and HMC1029, both four-stage GaAs pHEMT MMIC designs. The former provides 1-W (+30-dBm) output power at 1-dB compression from 27.5 to 33.5 GHz; the latter offers 2-W (+33-dBm) output power at 1-dB compression from 27 to 37 GHz. The HMC1024 features 24-dB gain, +40-dBm OIP3, +31.5-dBm saturated output power, and 29% PAE from a +6-VDC supply. The HMC1029 delivers 24-dB gain, +42-dBm OIP3 performance, +35-dBm saturated output power, and 25% PAE from a +6-VDC supply. All three of the amplifier die are internally matched to 50 Ω, eliminating the need for external matching components.

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.