Philadelphia, PA. Ampleon at IMS highlighted recently announced products, such as the BLF989 RF power transistor designed for UHF broadcast applications such as DVBT and UHF analog TV and the 200-W BPC10M6X2S200 LDMOS-based power-amplifier module suitable for use in a variety of plasma-lighting, industrial-heating, medical, and RF cooking and defrosting applications.
Using Ampleon’s latest Gen9HV high-voltage LDMOS process, the 140-W (average, 700-W peak) BLF989 RF power transistor, the first broadcast device to use this process technology, offers a high operating efficiency of typically better than 34% (Class AB) and is available in a ceramic SOT539 package format either with or without mounting ears.
Capable of operating in the UHF range of 400 to 860 MHz, the transistor has a high gain of greater than 21 dB at PAVERAGE and optimal gain flatness across the frequency range.
The Gen9HV process used for the BLF989 builds on Ampleon’s technology leadership with its broadcast Gen6HV portfolio, further enhancing efficiency, gain, and ruggedness specifications. The BLF989 is the first in a portfolio of soon-to-be released Gen9HV products designed for broadcast applications.
Ampleon also highlighted the 200-W BPC10M6X2S200 LDMOS-based power-amplifier module suitable for use in a variety of plasma-lighting, industrial-heating, medical, and RF cooking and defrosting applications. Operating in the 423-MHz to 443-MHz frequency range, this compact light-weight module measures 125 x 33 mm, weighs 85 g, and can operate in pulsed or continuous-wave modes. It has a matched 50-Ω input and output, making the integration process simple and eliminating the need for additional matching components. The amplifier also is capable of withstanding a VSWR of 10:1 for a short duration.
This high-efficiency amplifier, typically 74%, helps keep the cooling requirements to a minimum, and its 2-stage high-gain characteristic of 38 dB further eases design-in into the end-application, requiring less input signal to achieve 200 W at the output.
The BPC10M6X2S200 also benefits from an integrated directional coupler with detectors to control forward and reflected power.
Finally, Ampleon exhibited the BLP25RFE001, a small-signal generator IC providing a programmable frequency synthesizer able to generate a signal in the 433-, 915-, and 2,400-MHz ISM bands. This device is designed in particular for a variety of RF energy applications such as industrial heating, defrosting, and/or cooking and plasma lighting.
Providing an all-in-one solution for RF signal generation and operating from a single 3.3-VDC supply, the IC is assembled in a miniature HVQFN28 and occupies little PCB space. The device delivers an output power up to +24 dBm from the on-chip medium power amplifier and is software controllable across an SPI bus. A low-power amplifier provides a separate output up to + 7 dBm.
The BLP25RF001 incorporates a 360-degree phase shifter that can be programmed in steps of 1.4-degree increments, thus provisioning a high level of system control. Also, daisy chaining of the device allows coherent excitation of multiple RF amplifier chains at different phases, further contributing to easing system complexity and application development.
The signal generator also features a 20-dB gain control, an integrated RF switch for PWM control, and a readable temperature sensor that measures the junction temperature of the die.
