2 June 2014

API launches 500-1000W, 18GHz GaN-based pulsed power amplifiers for TWT replacement

API Technologies Corp of Orlando, FL, USA, a designer and manufacturer of systems, subsystems, modules and components for RF, microwave, millimeter-wave, electromagnetic, power and security solutions, has expanded its line of gallium nitride (GaN)-based power amplifiers to include designs that operate with pulsed output power levels of 500-1000W and frequencies to 18GHz. The new pulsed solid-state power amplifiers are making their debut at the IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium (IMS 2014) in Tampa, FL (3-5 June).

The new power amplifiers can serve as a cost-effective replacement for traveling wave tubes (TWT), as the amplifiers’ long life and reduced size and weight offer better efficiencies than their TWT counterparts.

API’s GaN-based pulsed power amplifiers can be used in numerous military and high-end commercial applications including radar, communication transmitters, and jamming systems.

The unique power amplifiers are designed and manufactured in the USA and use in-house thin- and thick-film technologies as well as surface-mount technology (SMT). They are offered in hermetically sealed packages using mixed SMT and chip-and-wire (hybrid) manufacturing processes.

For high-frequency applications, waveguide components can be integrated into the floor of the package to reduce combining losses and further increase functionality such as embedded harmonic filtering. Other options of the GaN-based power amplifiers include sleep mode, blanking, forward/reverse power detection, discrete power supply designs for wide DC input voltage ranges, as well as microprocessor-based customer-defined control features for bias optimization, temperature compensation, fault monitoring, and customer interferences.

“API’s feature-rich architectur, combined with complementary design tools provide engineers a suite of customizable solutions to meet challenging requirements in performance, packaging, and lead times,” says Dennis Barrick, API’s technical marketing manager, RF/Microwave & Microelectronics (RF2M-US).

Tags: API Technologies GaN power amplifiers

Visit: http://micro.apitech.com/1000-watt-pulsed-power-amplifier