WiMAX GaN-Based Power Amplifiers
MicroWave Technology Inc. (MwT), An IXYS Corporation recently introduced a family of three high linearity and high efficiency RF power amplifier products with output power up to 10 watts based on advanced high reliability GaN device technology.
These new power amplifiers are the MGA-242740-02, MGA-333840-02, and MGA-495940-02, targeted at 802.16d/e WiMax applications and also 802.11a/b/g/n WLAN related applications with three frequencies bands, 2.4 – 2.7 GHz, 3.3 - 3.8 GHz, 4.9 – 5.9 GHz GHz, respectively. All three parts have high output power of 10 Watt (40 dBm) measured at 3 dB gain compression point and linear power gain range from 12 – 15 dB.
These GaN based RF power amplifier parts have achieved extraordinary 23% power added efficiency at 2W (33dBm) linear power (burst power) with 2.5% EVM (Error-Vector-Magnitude) under the 64 QAM 802.16 WiMax digital signal modulation scheme.
The GaN based power amplifiers, biased at 28V on drain with quiescent current between 80 – 300 mA, are available in various packages including the low cost surface mount 02 packages. The MTBF (mean-Time-Before-Failure) for those GaN based microwave/RF power amplifiers is over 100 years at 85C ambient temperature. Evaluation boards for the power amplifiers in 02 packages are available now.
| Model | Case Code Sealed QFN | Freq. Range (GHz) | Linear Gain Typ/Min (dB) | Gain + Flatness Typ/Max (dB) | Input Return Loss Typ (dB) | Output Return Loss Typ (dB) | P3dB Typ (dBm) | Pout @ 2.5% EVM Typ (dBm) | IP3 Typ (dBm) | DC Current Typ/Max (mA) |
| MGA-242740-02 | 02 | 2.4-2.7 | 15.0/12.0 | 1.0/1.5 | 8 | 8 | 40 | 33.0 | 40.0 | 50/400 |
| MGA-333849-02 | 02 | 3.3-3.8 | 12.0/10.0 | 1.0/1.5 | 8 | 8 | 40 | 33.0 | 40.0 | 100/400 |
| MGA-495949-02 | 02 | 4.9-5.9 | 12.0/10.0 | 1.0/1.5 | 8 | 8 | 40 | 33.0 | 40.0 | 100/400 |