GaAs MMIC amplifiers and mixers to debut at IMS 2013
The company’s suite of all-positive bias amplifiers demonstrates that by eliminating the negative voltage supply, you can simplify the biasing schemes for many low-noise and power RF/microwave amplifiers without sacrificing performance. Products employing this approach include the CMD187, a wideband GaAs MMIC amplifier die for applications from 2 to 20 GHz. This device delivers greater than 22 dB of flat gain with a corresponding output 1 dB compression point of +14 dBm, and a noise figure of 4.5 dB at 20 GHz.
Other such devices include the CMD164, 165, and 173 distributed amplifiers, and the CMD166 driver amplifier. These products feature ultra-wideband performance, low noise figure, and low current consumption. Concerning the distributed amplifiers, the CMD164 (DC-30 GHz) and the CMD165 (2-30 GHz) each deliver greater than 12 dB of gain with an output 1 dB compression point of +15 dBm and noise figure of 2.4 dB at 10 GHz. The CMD173 operates from DC-20 GHz and delivers greater than 15 dB of gain with an output 1 dB compression point of +18 dBm and noise figure of 2 dB at 10 GHz. As a driver amplifier, the CMD166 operates from 20-40 GHz with 9 dB of gain and an output 1 dB compression point of +17 dBm.
Also on display will be a general purpose, double-balanced fundamental mixer—the CMD178C3. This latest mixer can be used for up- and downconverting applications between 11 and 21 GHz. In terms of performance, the CMD178C3 has typically 6 dB of conversion loss with very low LO leakage to both the RF and IF ports (-25 dBm and -30 dBm respectively). It can operate with an LO drive level as low as +9 dBm, and has a wide IF bandwidth from DC to 6 GHz.
Another mixer being featured is the CMD182C4, a passive 6-10 GHz I/Q mixer. When paired with an external IF hybrid, the CMD182C4 can be used as either an image reject mixer or single sideband modulator, with 5.5 dB of conversion loss and 30 dB of image rejection/sideband suppression. It supports an IF bandwidth of DC to 3.5 GHz and features very low LO to RF leakage of -35 dBm and an input P1dB of +9 dBm.