In booth 2120 at the IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium (IMS 2013) in Seattle (4–7 June), wireless and optical communications component and module provider Sumitomo Electric Device Innovations USA Inc of San Jose, CA, USA (SEDU, a subsidiary of Japan’s Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd, or SEI) has introduced two 500W single-ended GaN power amplifiers (PAs) with broadband operation, between them covering the entire S-band, for radar applications.
Frequency ranges are 2.7-3.1GHz for the 2731-500W device and 3.1-3.5GHz for the 3135-500W device. Operating from a high voltage of 50V, both devices are internally matched to provide optimum power and gain for 50-Ohm systems. The minimum target gain is 12dB and the typical target efficiency is as high as 60%. Typical pulse width is 150μs and typical duty is 10%. Low thermal resistance enables superior heat dissipation, says the firm.
The devices are reckoned to be the first in their class housed in a space-saving IV package (with a compact footprint of 17.4mm x 24mm x 5mm, about half that of current PAs) while offering high efficiency and gain to radar manufacturers.
“The new PAs are a natural extension of our expertise in GaN technology and reduced footprint, resulting in devices that combine high-power performance into the smallest packages,” says John Wyatt, president of Sumitomo Electric Device Innovations USA. “This expertise enables radar designers to evolve designs into smaller form factors while enhancing performance.”
Sumitomo's overall range of GaN PAs for radar applications span from L-band to X-band, with power levels up to 600W.
