Questions & Answers on Amplifiers

Jul 23, 2018

An amplifier provides a constant gain for a specific frequency range. If we represent the Input power Vs Output power of an amplifier on a graph, we get a straight line (Linear Relationship) i.e 'output power = input power + Gain' - so if the gain of an amplifier is 10 dB, then a 1 dBm input signal will result in an output of 11 dBm and a 10 dBm input signal will result in a 21 dBm output signal. ...read more

What is a Detector Log Video Amplifier (DLVA)?

Amplifiers

A Detector Logarithmic Video Amplifier (DLVA)consists of a detector followed by a logarithmic video amplifier (LVA). The detector converts the RF energy into a DC voltage which is then amplified by an amplifier with a logarithmic transfer function. A DLVA converts an RF signal with a large dynamic range into a video signal/voltage with a smaller dynamic range. The output voltages can then be displ...read more

What is Saturated Output Power in an Amplifier?

Amplifiers RF Basics

Editorial Team

Jul 23, 2018

Saturated output power is the maximum output power you can get out from an amplifier. There are a few stages to amplifier operation - the first one is linear operation i.e this is the stage where the output of the amplifier is equal to the input signal + gain. However, there comes a time, where the amplifier stops behaving linearly, i.e it does not amplify the input signal by the specified gain, t...read more

What are the advantages of using GaN-on-Diamond technology for RF Power Amplifiers?

Amplifiers GaN

GaN-on-Diamond is the ultimate building block for an RF Power Amplifier; it gives the system designer a new thermal envelope to use for any number of product or system transformations. Through the application of GaN-on-Diamond materials, Akash’s technologies can resolve issues critical to the expansive growth of data use and consumption, enabling smaller, lighter and higher performing satellites t...read more

What is a SDLVA - Successive Detection Log Video Amplifier?

Amplifiers

AnSDLVA (Successive Detection Logarithmic Amplifier)is similar to aDLVA(read about DLVAs here), however, the SDLVA circuit is designed in such a way that it does not need a detector before the logarithmic video amplifier. The SDLVA uses multiple compressive stages of RF gain to emulate the exponential transfer function. The output of each stage is coupled into a linear detector. The typical dynami...read more

What is Pulse Shaping?

Amplifiers

George Bollendorf

Dec 21, 2017

Pulse shaping, as it is done today, is an effort to fix fidelity issues caused by the transmitting amplifier since high power amplifiers do a poor job duplicating the input signal without distortions. More specifically, due to the transient response of the amplifier, the output will over shoot, ring and droop, introducing undesired low and high frequency components into other parts of the spectrum...read more

What is a Limiting Amplifier?

Amplifiers

Peter McNeil

May 8, 2018

In many microwave circuits, especially receiver circuits, there is a limit to the amount of signal power that the circuit can handle before causing undesirable operation, damage, or destruction of the circuit. With high sensitivity receiver circuits for applications such as electronic warfare (EW), signal intelligence (SIGINT), radar, interference limited wireless communication, and others, signal...read more

What are Cryogenic Amplifiers?

Amplifiers

Editorial Team

Nov 23, 2017

Cryogenic Amplifiers are those that can operate at very low temperatures. Temperatures are considered to be Cryogenic when they are below -180 °C or 93.15 K or -292.00 °F.Typical applications for these devices include radio astronomy, quantum computers, satellite earth stations, radiometers and electron spin resonance measurement systems.everything RF has developed the largest database of Cryogeni...read more

What is the difference between P1dB and Saturated Power in an RF Amplifier?

Amplifiers RF Basics

Answer

When is Power Amplifier Linearity Important?

Amplifiers

Answer

What are Load Pull Measurements?

Amplifiers RF Basics

Answer

What is a Log Amplifier?

Amplifiers

Answer