Significantly simplifying the design process, these ultra compact amplifiers occupy the minimum of footprint, essential for today’s space constrained applications and offer the performance consistency required in multiple-antenna systems.
The first devices available cover the 1.8 to 2.2 and 2.3 to 2.7 GHz bands, an example being the BLM9D2527-20AB product. This LDMOS-based PQFN packaged device has a P3dB of 43.5 dBm, a gain of > 28 dB and an efficiency of 44 % @ 8 dB OBO when operating in the 2575 – 2634 MHz band.
Similar products using a 0.25 um GaN process technology are currently being designed for higher frequencies and will be sampled in the 4th quarter of 2016. Modularity is a key feature of this new family, allowing the same mechanical format to be re-used for different base station variants using different frequencies and power outputs.
Similar products for driver applications are also available that use a symmetric Doherty design for enhanced linearity or multi-band operation.