Abstract: An overview of Maxim's RF power amplifier (PA) products targeted towards cellular, PCS, 802.11a/b/g, cordless phone and Bluetooth applications. Table compares operating voltage, supply current, output power, package, power added efficiency, and features of Maxim PA ICs. Another table assists selection by market application.
Maxim's RF power amplifiers (PAs) address both linear-modulation formats, such as QAM and QPSK, and nonlinear modulation, such as FM and FSK. PAs designed for the TDMA markets have improved performance features like auto-ramping to reduce spectral splatter. Auto-ramping helps keep a steady VCC and reduce VCO pulling. Automatic thermal protection is available to temporarily reduce output power yielding a very robust PA. PAs for the CDMA markets have been optimized to achieve the lowest current draw in the most probable operating output power levels for urban and suburban CDMA environments. CDMA PAs spend most of their time in the lower output power settings.
For 2.4GHz ISM applications such as 802.11b WLAN, Bluetooth, HomeRF, and cordless phones, Maxim provides low-cost, ultra-small power amplifiers in the ultra-chip scale package. These PAs feature analog or digital power control, closed-loop power control, dynamic bias control, integrated detector, and high efficiency performance.
These are some of the key advantages offered by silicon bipolar RF power amplifiers:
Lower cost, due to higher die yield and simple device
fabrication (compared to Heterojunction devices)
Small solution size due to the ultra-chip scale package and minimal
external components
No negative bias supply required, such as for many
GaAs amplifiers
Robust device performance over temperature and load
variations
Auto-ramping feature
The table below shows a sampling of our power amplifiers and their capabilities to date. Note that several of these PAs have been re-tuned to specific performance characteristics and at center frequencies other than as shown.
+22.5dBm Output Power at -33dBc ACPR for 802.11b
28.5dB Power Gain
External Bias Control for Current Throttleback
On-Chip Power Detector
Output Power Tunable from +10dBm to +22dBm
High Linear Output Power: +25dBm with < -33dBc
ACPR
(1st side lobe) and < -55dBc ACPR (2nd side lobe) (802.11b) +17dBm and 3%EVM (802.11g)
25% Efficiency with Linear Output Power
29dB Power Gain
On-Chip Power Detector
External Bias Control for Current Throttleback
On-Chip Input Matching
0.5µA Shutdown Mode
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