High power RF solid state power amplifier system

A high power, high frequency, solid state power amplifier system includes a plurality of input multiple port splitters for receiving a high-frequency input and for dividing the input into a plurality of outputs and a plurality of solid state amplifier units. Each amplifier unit includes a plurality of amplifiers, and each amplifier is individually connected to one of the outputs of multiport splitters and produces a corresponding amplified output. A plurality of multiport combiners combine the amplified outputs of the amplifiers of each of the amplifier units to a combined output. Automatic level control protection circuitry protects the amplifiers and maintains a substantial constant amplifier power output

The 60 GHz solid state power amplifier

A new amplifier architecture was developed during this contract that is superior to any other solid state approach. The amplifier produced 6 watts with 4 percent efficiency over a 2 GHz band at 61.5 GHz. The unit was 7 x 9 x 3 inches in size, 5.5 pounds in weight, and the conduction cooling through the baseplate is suitable for use in space. The amplifier used high efficiency GaAs IMPATT diodes which were mounted in 1-diode circuits, called modules. Eighteen modules were used in the design, and power combining was accomplished with a proprietary passive component called a combiner plate

X-Band, 17-Watt Solid-State Power Amplifier

An advanced solid-state power amplifier that can generate an output power of as much as 17 W at a design operating frequency of 8.4 GHz has been designed and constructed as a smaller, lighter, less expensive alternative to traveling-wave-tube X-band amplifiers and to prior solid-state X-band power amplifiers of equivalent output power. This amplifier comprises a monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) amplifier module and a power-converter module integrated into a compact package (see Figure 1). The amplifier module contains an input variable-gain amplifier (VGA), an intermediate driver stage, a final power stage, and input and output power monitors (see Figure 2). The VGA and the driver amplifier are 0.5-m GaAs-based metal semiconductor field-effect transistors (MESFETs). The final power stage contains four parallel high-efficiency, GaAs-based pseudomorphic high-electron-mobility transistors (PHEMTs). The gain of the VGA is voltage-variable over a range of 10 to 24 dB. To provide for temperature compensation of the overall amplifier gain, the gain-control voltage is generated by an operational-amplifier circuit that includes a resistor/thermistor temperature-sensing network. The driver amplifier provides a gain of 14 dB to an output power of 27 dBm to drive the four parallel output PHEMTs, each of which is nominally capable of putting out as much as 5 W. The driver output is sent to the input terminals of the four parallel PHEMTs through microstrip power dividers; the outputs of these PHEMTs are combined by microstrip power combiners (which are similar to the microstrip power dividers) to obtain the final output power of 17 W

L-Band Solid State Power Amplifier for space applications

This thesis was carried out in the electrical engineering department at the Communications Division of the company SENER Aeroespacial. Due to the increasing demand of GaN Solid State Power Amplifiers (SSPA) for space applications, an internal R+D project was promoted by the company to overcome the key challanges to implement GaN technology in space-qualified power amplifiers by combining the SENER Aeroespacial multi-disciplinary expertise including, RF design, mechanical-thermal design, manufacturing and quality. Among all the cited disciplines, this thesis is focused particularly on the part corresponding to the SSPA RF design and characterization. Complete product design and development is proposed from a GaN power MMIC transistor in die format to the manufacturing of the representative prototypes. Test validation of the prototypes is performed in the Clean Room using RF instruments, then, based on the initial results, correlation of the measurement and simulation is performed to correct and validate the simulation models considered initially

Development of 100W Solid State Power Amplifier at 13.56?1MHz

Project aim is the development of a common source class B, cwrf amplifier by using MOSFET. The work includes literature survey, concept, simulation, design, fabrication and testing of the power amplifier. This single stage amplifier of more than 100W output and gain 13dB needs development in the frequency range of 13.56?1MHz. A temperature sensor at the heat sink mounting must be added along with necessary wiring to switch off the dc supply and thereby protecting the circuit in case of overheating. The ultimately developed amplifier needs testing for the frequency response, power gain and output wave shapes etc. by using a set of appropriate instruments

High Efficiency Ka-Band Solid State Power Amplifier Waveguide Power Combiner

A novel Ka-band high efficiency asymmetric waveguide four-port combiner for coherent combining of two Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit (MMIC) Solid State Power Amplifiers (SSPAs) having unequal outputs has been successfully designed, fabricated and characterized over the NASA deep space frequency band from 31.8 to 32.3 GHz. The measured combiner efficiency is greater than 90 percent, the return loss greater than 18 dB and input port isolation greater than 22 dB. The manufactured combiner was designed for an input power ratio of 2:1 but can be custom designed for any arbitrary power ratio. Applications considered are NASA s space communications systems needing 6 to 10 W of radio frequency (RF) power. This Technical Memorandum (TM) is an expanded version of the article recently published in Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET) Electronics Letters

Solid State Power Amplifier for the L-Band

Cílem diplomové práce je návrh dvoustupňového zesilovače pracující v pásmu vyhrazeném pro sekundární radary 1090 MHz. Výstupní výkon zesilovače má být 20 W a účinnost zesilovače má být co nejvyšší. Proto je koncový stupeň navržen ve třídě C. Obsahem diplomové práce je teoretický rozbor, simulace parametrů, porovnání simulačních programů Ansys Designer a AWR Microwave Office a návrh jednotlivých stupňů zesilovače a následné porovnání naměřených parametrů se simulacemi.The goal of this diploma's thesis is to create a design of a two stages amplifier working in a band reserved for the secondary surveillance radar at the frequency of 1090 MHz. Output power of the amplifier should be 20 W and efficiency should be as high as possible. Because of this the second stage is designed in class C. Contents of this diploma's thesis include a theoretical analysis, simulations of the amplifier parameters, comparison of the Ansys Designer and AWR Microwave Office simulation programs and design of both stages of the amplifier, followed by a comparison of the measured parameters with the simulations.

Instantaneous model of a MESFET for use in linear and nonlinear circuit simulations

A formal approach for nonlinear modeling of FETs is presented. The intrinsic transistor is described by current and charge generators, that are instantaneously dependent on the two internal voltages. The extrinsic parasitic elements are also included. This instantaneous model is obtained from the small signal equivalent circuit computed at a number of bias points, by integration of the bias dependent elements. A program for using this model in nonlinear circuit analysis has been developed. The process has been carried out for two transistors, one being of low noise, and the other a power MESFET. Good agreement has been observed when comparing the nonlinear analysis with measured data. A solid-state power amplifier at 28 GHz has been designed using the power transistor, delivering 21 dBm at 1 dB compression point.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

A 32-GHz solid-state power amplifier for deep space communications

A 1.5-W solid-state power amplifier (SSPA) has been demonstrated as part of an effort to develop and evaluate state-of-the-art transmitter and receiver components at 32 and 35 GHz for future deep space missions. Output power and efficiency measurements for a monolithic millimeter-wave integrated circuit (MMIC)-based SSPA are reported. Technical design details for the various modules and a thermal analysis are discussed, as well as future plans

A Ka-Band Wide-Bandgap Solid-State Power Amplifier: Architecture Performance Estimates

Motivated by recent advances in wide-bandgap (WBG) gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductor technology, there is considerable interest in developing efficient solidstate power amplifiers (SSPAs) as an alternative to the traveling-wave tube amplifier (TWTA) for space applications. This article documents the results of a study to investigate power-combining technology and SSPA architectures that can enable a 120-W, 40 percent power-added efficiency (PAE) SSPA. Results of the study indicate that architectures based on at least three power combiner designs are likely to enable the target SSPA. The proposed architectures can power combine 16 to 32 individual monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMICs) with >80 percent combining efficiency. This corresponds to MMIC requirements of 5- to 10-W output power and >48 percent PAE. For the three proposed architectures [1], detailed analysis and design of the power combiner are presented. The first architecture studied is based on a 16-way septum combiner that offers low loss and high isolation over the design band of 31 to 36 GHz. Analysis of a 2-way prototype septum combiner had an input match >25 dB, output match >30 dB, insertion loss 30 dB over the design band. A 16-way design, based on cascading this combiner in a binary fashion, is documented. The second architecture is based on a 24-way waveguide radial combiner. A prototype 24-way radial base was analyzed to have an input match >30 dB (under equal excitation of all input ports). The match of the mode transducer that forms the output of a radial combiner was found to be >27 dB. The functional bandwidth of the radial base and mode transducer, which together will form a radial combiner/divider, exceeded the design band. The third architecture employs a 32-way, parallel-plate radial combiner. Simulation results indicated an input match >24 dB, output match >22 dB, insertion loss 20 dB over the design band. All three architectures utilize a low-loss MMIC amplifier module based on commercial MMIC packaging and a custom microstrip-to-rectangular-waveguide transition. The insertion loss of the module is expected to be 0.45 dB over the design band