 |
|
APN180FP 27-31 GHz Flange Mount GaN Power Amplifier.
Image credit: Northrop Grumman
|
[Satellite TODAY 06-06-13] Northrop Grumman has developed a new gallium nitride (GaN) flange packaged power amplifier designed for military and commercial Ka-band communication applications. The APN180FP is the first commercial availability of a packaged, GaN-based component from the company.
The APN180FP is a 0.2 mm GaN HEMT MMIC power amplifier chip mounted in a flange mount package. It operates at between 27 and 31 GHz and is optimized for operation between 29-31 GHz. This power amplifier operates with a drain voltage of +28V and provides 21 dB of linear gain, +37 dBm (5.0 W) of output power at 1 dB gain compression and +39 dBm (8 W) in saturation with Power Added Efficiency (PAE) of 26 percent at midband. For less-demanding applications, the APN180FP can be operated from a drain voltage as low as +20V while still producing +37 dBm (5 W) of saturated output power.
According to Frank Kropschot, general manager of the microelectronics products and services business unit of Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems, the amplifier expands the accessibility of Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuits (MMICs). Prototypes are undergoing initial engineering evaluation sampling and are expected to become widely available by the end of this year.
"We are targeting the APN180FP for the growing Ka-band satellite communication terminal and the commercial wireless infrastructure marketsk," Kropschot said. "This new product is a follow on to the GaN MMICs we released in November 2012, and is the first of several package and module products we plan to introduce during the next few months."
