News

5 February 2007

M/A-COM expands range of single-stage driver amplifiers for wireless infrastructure

M/A-COM of Lowell, MA, USA, which supplies wireless RF, microwave and millimetre-wave components, has launched a new high-dynamic-range, low-noise, single-stage driver amplifier.

The MAAMSS0070 is fabricated using M/A-COM’s GaAs MESFET process and features output P1dB levels of +22dBm with gain of 12dB at 2140MHz, while achieving high third-order output intercept performance and low noise figure over a broad frequency range.

The usable bandwidth is 250-3800MHz, and it is easily optimized for specific frequency bands through the use of external matching components, says M/A-COM. This suits general-purpose applications in wireless infrastructure such as mobile base-station transceivers, cellular repeaters, WiMax and WiBro customer premises equipment (CPE), and medical and test equipment.

“With the addition of the MAAMSS0070, M/A-COM provides system engineers with a broader array of high-linearity driver amplifier solutions and complements our existing single-stage driver amplifier offering, which includes the MAAMSS0017, MAAMSS0048, MAAMSS0049 and MAAMSS0050 [all housed in SOT-89 plastic packages],” says Gene Ungvarsky, product manager for IC Products.

Also, in recent weeks M/A-COM has launched several other new amplifiers:

* Low-cost SiGe power amplifier for 802.11b/g MIMO WLAN

M/A-COM’s MAAP-008015 is a new low-cost 2.4GHz SiGe three-stage linear power amplifier for 802.11b/g MIMO (multiple-input multiple-output) WLAN applications requiring high gain, high efficiency and small size.

The 3mm 12-lead PQFN plastic package incorporates an integrated power detector for accurate power control and a separate power-mode pin for current saving in the power shutdown mode state.

For 802.11g, the PA generates 16dBm of linear output power (OFDM, QAM-64, 54Mbps) while drawing only 65mA of current and maintaining an EVM of < 3.0%.  For 802.11b, it generates up to 20dBm of linear output power while drawing only 100mA. Typical linear gain is 31dB at an operating voltage of 3.3V.

* 2W HBT MMIC power amplifier for 800-1000MHz band

M/A-COM’s MAAP-007649-000100 is a 2W power amplifier in a 4mm 16-lead PQFN surface mount package for the 800-1000MHz frequency band. Designed in a high-breakdown-voltage GaAs HBT process (meeting the same ruggedness requirements as GSM handsets), it has optimum performance for RFID reader applications, with greater than 1W DRM (dense reader mode) spectral mask linearity, and a flat gain response.

Typical performance at 900MHz is 19dB gain, 34dBm P1dB, and 49dBm output IP3. M/A-COM also claims good ACPR (adjacent channel power ratio) linearity performance for cellular infrastructure. The amplifier requires a single +7.5Vdc supply, in addition to a +4.5V reference pin for power-down and power control capability.

* HBT MMIC broadband driver amplifiers with a single application circuit

M/A-COM has launched two HBT MMIC amplifiers (available in 3mm 12-lead PQFN packages) that use just a single application circuit to cover the frequency bands 50-2000MHz and 50-3300MHz, respectively.

The MAAM-007865-0P1R00 has 20dB gain with +/-1.2dB flatness across the frequency band. The P1dB level is 18dBm and output IP3 is 29dBm.

The two-stage MAAM-007866-0P1R00 has 27dB gain with +/-1.2dB flatness. The P1dB level is 22.5dBm and ouput IP3 is 34dBm.

Both require a single bias supply of +5V, with a +5V reference pin for power-down and power control capability. An on-chip active bias network reduces the number of off-board components.

Visit: http://www.macom.com