Power amplifier delivers native linearity sufficient for extreme temperatures
The first of several 0.25W linear power amplifiers scheduled for release by Guerilla RF is the GRF5507 which provides 24dBm output power.
The InGaP HBT power amplifier targets 5G/4G wireless infrastructure applications which require “exceptional” native linearity over temperature extremes of -40 to +85°C.
Operating over the 700 to 800MHz frequency range, the GRF5507 is tuned to operate within the n12, n14, n28 and n29 5G new radio (NR) bands. It can deliver over 24dBm of linear power over the entire – temperature range while maintaining ACLR levels of better than -45dBc, IMD3 levels less than -20dBm, EVM levels less than one per cent and PAE efficiencies above 15 per cent. These are achieved without the aid of supplemental linearisation schemes like digital pre-distortion (DPD).
The ability to beat the -45dBc ACLR performance metric without DPD is critical for cellular applications like home and commercial repeaters/boosters, femto cells, pico cells and cable loss compensators associated with automotive ‘shark fin’ antennae. In each of these use cases, the sensitivity to cost, power and size constraints prohibits the use of elaborate linearisation techniques like DPD, explains Guerrilla RF. Designers therefore have to rely on the power amplifier’s native linearity to meet the stringent emissions mask requirements demanded by the latest 5G and 4G standards.
Guerrilla RF designed the power amplifiers to be footprint compatible, enabling customers to rapidly customise their designs for a range of cellular frequencies.
The GRF55xx family comes in pin-compatible 3.0 x 3.0mm, 16-pin QFN packages. The common footprint enables a single design to address multiple bands via simple component swaps, says the company.
Samples and evaluation boards are available now.
Based in Greenboro, North Carolina, USA, Guerrilla RF provides high performance monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMICs) to wireless OEMs in multiple market segments, including 5G/4G macro and small cell base stations, cellular repeaters/DAS, automotive SDARS/V2X/DAB, mission-critical military communications, navigation and high-fidelity wireless audio.
