Cree releases high power Ku-Band PA
Cree has released what it claims is the highest power Ku-Band MMIC available on the market. Covering the 13.5 to 14.75GHz commercial satcom band, the new 30W GaN MMIC two-stage high power amplifier (HPA) will allow the satcom industry to achieve higher power, more efficient Ku-Band solutions than the incumbent TWT or GaAs solutions used today.
Available in a 25mm x 9.6mm, 10-lead, metal/ceramic flanged package or as a bare die, the 50Ω Ku-Band MMIC HPA operates at 40V VDD, and delivers satcom measured performance of 20dB linear gain at 42dBm average output power, while maintaining linearity under the -33dBc OQPSK signal, and with adjacent channel power at a drain efficiency of 20 percent.
According to Cree, the new 30W GaN MMIC HPA also delivers higher breakdown voltage, power density, and thermal conductivity than comparable silicon, GaAs, or GaN-on-silicon transistors, in addition to wider bandwidth performance.
"Cree's new Ku-Band GaN MMIC HPA was specifically designed in response to customer requests for higher power and higher efficiency Ku-Band amplifier solutions. Delivering higher power, gain, and efficiency at an affordable price point, this amplifier will set the new standard for Ku-Band performance," said Tom Dekker, director of sales and marketing, Cree RF.
The new 30W Ku-Band GaN MMIC will be on display at the 2015 International Microwave Symposium (IMS), which will take place May 17-21 in Phoenix, Arizona, and will be stocked at Digi-Key and Mouser by mid-summer 2015.
