Technical Insight
RFMD LNA employs bypass switch (New Devices)
Greensboro, NC. RF Micro Devices RF2369 RFIC functions as a front-end LNA designed for digital cellular applications at 3 V. The device also features a bypass switch that provides an adjustable bias current that can be set externally. This allows a trade-off in RF performance versus current consumption. Typically, the low bypass loss in the switch is 2 dB, which meets IS-98 requirements (including intermodulation distortion testing) using only two gain states and a single logic control line. In high-gain mode, the device exhibits 15.5 dB gain, 11.5 dBm IIP3 and a 1.6 dB noise figure. Manufactured using RFMD s GaAs HBT process and offered in an SOT23-6 package, the 2369 is currently shipping at $0.81 per 10 000 units or more. "RFMD s customers have requested that a low bypass loss function be added to the LNA to enable a simpler, more robust and cost-effective way of controlling their receiver gain states," said Mike Coady, marketing manager for digital cellular products. www.rfmd.com
