Avago Technologies Introduces Industry’s Smallest

Avago Technologies introduced a pair of very low-noise, high-linearity, high-gain balanced amplifier modules that operate in the 1.8- to 2.2-GHz frequency range. Housed in the industry’s smallest package (5.0 mm x 6.0 mm x 1.1 mm), they are ideal for diversity antennas, tower-mounted amplifiers (TMAs) and front-end, low-noise amplifiers in macro-cell, micro-cell and pico-cell cellular base stations and repeaters. The LNAs’ performance characteristics meet the requirements for the extended global system for mobile communications (EGSM), GSM, personal communications system (PCS) and wideband code division multiple access (W-CDMA) networks.

“There is no competition for the combination of noise figure, linearity and extremely compact size offered by our new balanced amplifier modules,” said Ho King-Pieng, worldwide marketing manager for Avago Technologies’ Wireless Semiconductor Division. “These products were designed to satisfy customers’ needs well into the future. Base stations today require more channels per card and smaller overall form factors, and the rollout of 3G services makes the size constraints and performance requirements even more critical.”

Avago’s ALM-1222 and ALM-1322 balanced amplifier modules reduce system noise figure and out-of-band frequency response in high signal-level areas. They are fully matched to 50 ohms to simplify system design and minimize the number of external components. Their extremely small 22-lead multiple-chip-on-board (MCOB) module package significantly reduces PC board dimensions. The high output power capability of the ALM-1222 also makes it an excellent driver amplifier in cellular infrastructure transmitters. The ALM-1322 consumes only 35 percent of the current used by ALM-1222 with lower linearity and output power, but it can be deployed as both an LNA and driver amplifier.

Each amplifier module consists of two branches; each branch consists of one low-noise transistor cascaded with a high-linearity driver transistor to achieve its combination of noise figure, gain and linearity. Their exceptional noise performance is a result of Avago Technologies’ proprietary 0.5-micron GaAs E pHEMT (enhancement-mode pseudomorphic high electron mobility transistor) process. All matching components are fully integrated within the module, and the 50-ohm RF input and output pins are internally AC-coupled. This makes the modules extremely easy to use, as the only external parts required are DC supply bypass capacitors.

At 2 GHz, operating at 5V, 280 mA (typical) per section, the Avago ALM-1222 provides 31 dB gain, 0.62 dB noise figure (NF), 43.7 dBm output third-order intercept point (OIP3), +27.5 dBm output power at 1dB gain compression (P1dB), and 45 dB reverse isolation.

The lower-current ALM-1322 consumes only 100 mA (typical) at 5 V, making it a good choice for battery-operated applications such as radio cards. Its performance characteristics at 2 GHz, operating at 5V, 100 mA (typical) per section are 29.5 dB gain, 0.57 dB NF, 35.6 dBm OIP3, +17 dBm P1dB, and 42 dB reverse isolation.