Hittite Microwave Corp of Chelmsford, MA, USA (which designs and supplies analog, digital and mixed-signal RF, microwave and millimeter-wave ICs, modules and subsystems as well as instrumentation) has launched a gallium arsenide (GaAs) pHEMT monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) power amplifier and an analog variable gain amplifier (VGA) suitable for Ka-band VSAT, high-capacity microwave radio and radar systems in the 27.5-31GHz frequency range.
The HMC7441 is a three-stage GaAs pHEMT power amplifier that operates between 27.5 and 31GHz. The PA provides 23dB of gain and +34dBm of saturated output power at 25% power-added efficiency (PAE) from a 6V supply. With an output IP3 of +38dBm, the it is suitable for linear applications demanding +34dBm of efficient saturated output power. The RF I/Os are DC blocked and matched to 50 Ohms for ease of integration into multi-chip modules (MCMs).
The HMC6187LP4E is a GaAs MMIC pHEMT analog VGA and/or driver amplifier that operates between 27 and 31.5GHz and delivers what is claimed to be excellent gain flatness. The amplifier provides up to 19dB of gain, +24dBm output P1dB, and +31dBm of output IP3 at maximum gain, while requiring 230mA of current from a +5V supply. A gain control voltage (Vctrl) is provided to allow variable gain control up to 13dB. The HMC6187LP4E is housed in a RoHS-compliant 4mm x 4mm plastic QFN leadless package and is compatible with high-volume surface-mount manufacturing.
Both products complement Hittite's line of microwave power amplifiers and analog VGAs, which provide continuous frequency coverage from 0.01 to 86GHz. Samples are available from stock.
