Guerrilla RF Inc of Greensboro, NC, USA, which provides monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMICs) to wireless infrastructure original equipment manufacturers, has introduced the newest members of its family of 5GHz ultra-low-noise amplifier (LNA)/linear power amplifier (PA) drivers. The small-footprint, flat-gain solutions are designed for WLAN access points in demanding 802.11ac applications.
"The emergence of high-performance 802.11ac applications has created the need for a new generation of ultra-low noise figure (NF) devices with high gain and outstanding linearity," says Alan Ake, VP of applications and technical marketing. "Guerrilla RF is addressing this growing necessity with high-performance low-noise amplifiers that utilize bypass-mode capability – crucial for today's WLAN access points," he adds.
Market analyst firm Infonetics Research expects the WLAN equipment market to accelerate in 2015 as spending by service providers and education increases and 802.11ac reaches critical mass.
The new GRF2505 features ultra-low noise and high linearity over the 5-6GHz band, making it suitable as either an LNA or as a power amplifier (PA) driver for demanding 802.11ac applications. The strict linearity requirements often demand a high-performance driver between the transceiver output and the input to the final PA, and the GRF2505 - with its high IP3 and compression point - fills this role. As an LNA, the GRF2505's ultra-low NF of 0.8dB and high input-referenced linearity contribute to both maximum receiver sensitivity and linearity, says Guerrilla RF.
The GRF2541 (internally matched to 50 ohms) ultra-low-noise amplifier (with bypass designed for IEEE 802.11 a/n/ac/p applications, 15dB flat gain and 1.0dB NF across the entire 4.9-6.0GHz band) builds on the gain and ultra-low NF of the previously announced GRF2501 by adding bypass-mode functionality. This bypass capability improves the receiver dynamic range for improved data rates in high-signal-strength environments. Guerrilla Armor technology also provides what is claimed to be exceptional off-state isolation in the presence of high RF input signal levels in LNA power-down mode.
Both the GRF2505 and GRF2541 feature adjustable bias current and Vdd, which allows for optimal application flexibility and efficiency, says the firm.
Samples and evaluation boards are available now, with full production scheduled for second-quarter 2015. Pricing for is $1.00 (GRF2541) and $1.05 (GRF2505) each in 10,000-unit quantities.
