News Article
TriQuint's new GaAs DVGAs on the radar
The gallium arsenide based devices provide receiver or transmitter gain control in base station transceivers, repeaters, point-to-point microwave radios, and satellite communications terminals
TriQuint Semiconductor has released two compact, digitally-controlled variable gain amplifiers (DVGAs) that integrate key functionality and reduce bill of material part counts.
The primary active components in the DVGA’s use GaAs and a mature, cost-effective technology that integrates functions such as gain blocks, amplifiers, attenuators, and related control and biasing functions. These devices are them mounted onto standard laminate substrates (industry standard practices) and over-moulded in RoHS-compliant plastic.
These high-performance solutions provide receiver or transmitter gain control in base station transceivers, repeaters, point-to-point microwave radios, and satellite communications terminals. They are also suited for any application that requires automatic gain control to increase system dynamic range.
The TQM829007 operates from 600 to 1000 MHz while the TQM879008 operates from 1.5 to 2.7 GHz.
Both are highly-integrated modules that simplify circuit design by combining all required components within leadless 6 x 6mm, industry-standard SMT packages.
The modules include gain blocks, a highly-linear amplifier, matching components, bias chokes and blocking capacitors, as well as a digitally-controlled, 6-bit attenuator that varies amplifier gain in 0.5 dB steps (across a 31.5dB range) via a serial programming interface (SPI). The new DVGAs operate over a temperature range of -40° to +85° C and have a minimum MTTF of 1,000 years at a mounting temperature of +85º C.
Today's transceivers require the highest possible levels of functional integration with high performance to cost-effectively simplify RF design and manufacturing.
TriQuint says the TQM829007 and TQM879008 are designed to achieve this goal, eliminating the need for commonly-used external components found in discrete designs to provide a complete gain-control solution optimized for best performance. They are also pin-compatible with TriQuint's TQM879006 DVGA that covers 1.4 to 2.7 GHz and provides 31dB of gain control, +25.4dBm RF output and a 1.5dB noise figure.
The TQM829007 complements other TriQuint devices with similar performance at key cellular frequencies including the TQM879006 (1.4-2.7 GHz) and TQM879008 (1.5-2.7 GHz.)
Technical Details:
TQM829007 600 to 1000 MHz DVGA; 31.5dB gain control range in 0.5dB steps; 31.5dB gain; +24.3dBm P1dB (+39.5dBm OIP3) RF output; 2.1dB noise figure. It draws 174mA from a 5V supply and is housed in 28-pin, 6x6mm leadless SMT package
TQM879008 1.5 to 2.7 GHz DVGA; 31.5dB control range in 0.5dB steps; 41.5dB gain; +27.3dBm P1dB (+48.5dBm OIP3) RF output; 3.9dB noise figure. It draws 285mA from 5V supply and is housed in 28-pin, 6x6mm leadless SMT package
The TQM829007 and TQM879008 are now in production. Fully-assembled evaluation fixtures (including a USB control board and related software) are also available.