News: Microelectronics
19 July 2024
Guerrilla RF releases broadband pre-driver for wireless infrastructure
Guerrilla RF Inc (GRF) of Greensboro, NC, USA — which develops and manufactures radio-frequency integrated circuits (RFICs) and monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMICs) for wireless applications — has announced the formal release of the GRF5112, a highly linear, broadband gallium arsenide (GaAs) pseudomorphic high-electron-mobility transistor (pHEMT) power amplifier that delivers what is claimed to be excellent compression performance over large fractional bandwidths of up to 40%. Its broad, single-tuned responses enable multi-carrier base stations to simultaneously transmit across two or more cellular bands using a single RF lineup.
“Building upon the GRF5115 core, this latest iteration streamlines tuning while ensuring consistent performance across process and temperature variations,” notes Jim Ahne, VP of marketing. “Our design team has also integrated additional tuning handles within the core to optimize linearity for specific bands and bias conditions.”
The GRF5112 can be tuned to operate over select bands within the 30–2700MHz frequency range. When operated at 1.8GHz, the device delivers 17.1dB of gain, 32.2dBm of OP1dB compression, 40dBm of OIP3 linearity, and a low noise figure of 1.7dB (as measured on the device’s standard evaluation board; de-embedded NF values are about 0.2dB lower). Like other GRF amplifier cores, the GRF5112 features a flexible biasing architecture allowing customizable trade-offs between linearity and power consumption. Supply voltages can vary between 1.8V and 5.25V, although most customers will elect to use a standard 5V supply with 212mA of biasing current.
Packaged in a compact 3mm x 3mm QFN-16 package, the GRF5112 shares a pinout and matching layout with many of the company’s linear drivers and power amplifier cores.
Samples and evaluation boards are available for the GRF5112. Prices start at $1.47 (10,000-up, EXW USA).
Guerrilla samples broadband gain block, extending amp core from 8GHz to 11GHz
