A new power amplifier for the 5-GHz band, which is used by the 802.11a wireless local-area network standard, is designed for access points, laptops, PCMCIA cards, and other devices using the 11a standard.
Developed by SiGe Semiconductor, the RangeCharger SE2534A three-stage linear power amplifier incorporates a power detector, analog biasing, and interstage matching circuits. It can produce up to 17.5-dBm output power with an error vector magnitude (EVM) of less than 3%. Such an EVM figure improves packet error rates, providing maximum data throughput simultaneously with maximum transmission range.
The chip's power detector adjusts the operating point to accommodate the peak-to-average power ratio, a key benefit in orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing systems. This feature also reduces overall power consumption. Typical current drain at 17.5 dBm is 160 mA.
The SE2534A comes in a 10-pin 5- by 5-mm LGA package. Available now, it costs $1.93 in 100,000-unit quantities.
SiGe Semiconductor Inc.www.sige.com See associated figure