GaN Amps Power CATV Applications

March 27, 2013

A pair of miniature power amplifiers use GaN technology for low distortion in CATV applications.

GaN semiconductor technology offers high power and efficiency at RF and microwave frequencies, but RF Micro Devices has been one of the few device suppliers to apply the technology to a large commercial/consumer market in cable-television (CATV) amplification. The firm, well known for its half-micron GaN foundry services, introduced a series of GaN push-pull power amplifiers for CATV applications late last year, including models RFPP2870 and RFCM3080.

Both amplifiers feature 28-dB gain at 1003 MHz with 20-dB input and output return loss and low distortion levels. Model RFPP2870 is supplied in an SOT-115 package while model RFCM3080 is housed in a miniature 11 × 8.5 mm multi-chip-module (MCM) surface-mount package.

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.