GaAs Chips Help VSAT Systems

A family of Ka-band GaAs chipsets has been developed by TriQuint Semiconductor for use invery-small-aperture-terminal (VSAT) satellite communications systems. The family includes a variable-gain amplifier, a 1-W power amplifier (PA), a subharmonic frequency upconverter, and a block frequency downconverter. The model TGA4541-SM variable-gain driver amplifier operates from 28 to 31 GHz with 33-dB maximum gain and +23-dB output power at 1-dB compression. It offers an output third-order intercept point of +31 dBm. The gain can be varied over a 30-dB range. The model TGA4539-SM power amplifier supplies +30-dBm output power (1 W) from 28 to 30 GHz with 20-dB gain and output third-order intercept point of +33 dBm. The model TGC4408-SM block downconverter has an input range of 18.3 to 20.2 GHz and an intermediate-frequency (IF) range of 950 to 1950 MHz with conversion gain of 8.5 dB and noise figure of 6.5 dB. The downconverter has phase noise of -73 dBc/Hz offset 10 kHz from the carrier and -126 dBc/Hz offset 1 MHz from the carrier. It is supplied in a 32-pin 5 x 6-mm QFN package.

The model TGC4407-SM subharmonic upconverter has an integrated local-oscillator (LO) buffer amplifier with an input frequency range of 21.5 to 32.5 GHz, wide IF range of DC to 7 GHz, and subharmonic LO frequency of 11 to 16 GHz. It accepts LO signals from 0 to +7.5 dBm and yields conversion gain of -9 dB.

TriQuint Semiconductor, Inc., 2300 NE Brookwood Pkwy., Hillsboro, OR 97124; (503) 615-9000, FAX: (503) 615-8900, www.triquint.com.