The Experts have spoken! At the end of each year, our team reviews countless products on our line card to find the select few that truly stand out from the crowd in innovation and excellence. We are excited to announce RFMW’s Top 10 most innovative RF and power management products selections for 2023. Be sure to keep your eye on these selections as we move into 2024.
RF and Microwave Products
Ampleon ART2K0TFE
With great power comes great amounts of heat!
The Ampleon ART2K0 is an LDMOS that uses Advanced Rugged Technology (ART). As a 2KW RF power transistor, it has transformed the ISM, broadcast and communications markets in the HF, VHF and UHF frequency ranges however with such high powers, monitoring the temperature of the RF power transistor dies is crucial to many of these applications.
The junction temperature provides information for predicting the amplifier’s lifespan. Variations in load conditions during operation can lead to temperature fluctuations in the dies, and under extreme load changes, these fluctuations can occur rapidly.
For protective measures, such as RF drive control or swiftly shutting down the amplifier, device temperature is typically monitored using a sensor positioned on the PCB board or the heatsink close to the transistor. Its distance from the die causes inaccuracies and a time delay in temperature measurements, posing challenges for safeguarding against abrupt die temperature changes.
The innovative ART2K0TFE addresses this issue by incorporating on-die thermal sensors situated near the junctions on the dies, enabling rapid and accurate measurements for responsive control of the amplifier.
Ampleon added two small FET circuits close to the active regions of the RF Power transistor. These FET’s follow the junction temperature very closely. When a fixed voltage is connected via a resistor to one of the thermal sense pins, the sense FET conducts a temperature-dependent current. This current can be processed with an external circuit to accurately monitor the junction temperature.
The Ampleon ART2K0TFE was selected by RFMW’s RF Power Business Development Manager, Tim Daniels
Cubic Nuvotronics Wideband 90-degree Couplers
The new Cubic Nuvotroincs Range of wideband 90-degree Hybrid Couplers launched in August are taking the industry by storm, with significant customer interest and a lot of new sample activity. As anticipated at launch, the combination of ultra wide band performance and excellent phase accuracy in a super small form factor, has proven to be of great interest to designers of EW systems and other wideband receivers. The family are available in 2 – 18 GHz, 6 – 18 GHz and 18 – 50 GHz Configurations with evaluation boards available from stock at RFMW.com.
The Cubic Nuvotroincs PSC18H17S, PSC18H07S
& PSC50H08S wideband 90-degree couplers were selected by RFMW’s Supplier Business Manager, Colin Field
Marki Microwave ADM-8007PSM
A veritable unicorn arrived this year when Marki Microwave released the ADM-8007PSM amplifier. This 2-stage, low noise distributed amplifier provides universal LO drive from 2 to 40 GHz. The ADM-8007PSM’s high linearity and gain coupled with unmatched return losses and gain flatness has been lauded by designers across the industry in applications from mobile test and measurement, SATCOM, 5G Transceivers and more.
While capable of providing +23 dBm output power up to 38 GHz, when driven with an input power of 0 to +5 dBm, the ADM-8007PSM can provide sufficient LO drive to power all H and most S diode mixers to 40GHz.
Marki Microwave’s drive to solve the industry’s toughest technical problems with high performance, broadband, and cost-effective solutions is embodied by the ADM-8007PSM amplifier and why it’s been chosen as one of the most innovative products of the year.
The Marki Microwave ADM-8007PSM amplifier was selected by RFMW’s Supplier Business Manager Steven Darrow
Qorvo QPA2040D
Ideal for Communications, Radar, Point-to-Point Radio, and Electronic Warfare; the QPA2040D is an innovative addition to Qorvo’s RF and power portfolio of GaN power amplifiers.
The QPA2040D is a Ka-band power amplifier fabricated on Qorvo’s 0.15um GaN on SiC process (QGaN15). Operating between 20 and 40 GHz, it achieves saturated output power of 2W with power-added efficiency of 13%.
To simplify system integration, the QPA2040D is fully matched to 50 ohms with integrated DC blocking caps on both RF I/O ports. The RF input is DC blocked, and the RF output is a DC short.
The QPA2040D Ka-band power amplifier was selected by RFMW’s Supplier Business Manager Mark Millhollin
Renesas F6212
Designed for Ka-band Satcom phased array antenna’s, the Renesas F6212 16-Channel Dual-beam Rx active beamforming IC is the ideal solution for ESA developments. The IC has eight RF input ports, two RF output ports and 16 (8 per beam) phase/amplitude control channels. The eight input ports of the IC may be driven by eight single-polarized elements or four dual-polarized elements of an electronically scanned array (ESA). Each channel has 6-bits of digital phase and gain control resolution spanning 360° and 26 dB of dynamic range, enabling precise beam pattern and polarization control.
Renesas Active Beamforming ICs for Phased Arrays enable cost-effective, next generation system solutions for 5G, Satcom and radar applications.
Evaluation Systems and Samples are available from stock.
The Renesas F6212 16-Channel Dual-beam Rx active beamforming IC was selected by RFMW’s Supplier Business Manager Nick John
Smiths Interconnect CEX Series
The Smiths Interconnect CEX Series of chip equalizers offer various compensation options from DC-40 GHz with multiple frequency bands and slope characteristics. The chip equalizers are designed for surface mount (SMT) applications and are manufactured using robust thick and thin film process technology. They are also lead free, RoHS compliant and are available in tape and reel packaging for high volume pick and place applications. CEX series includes high frequency chip equalizers that have a slope compensation range at 1-4 db, a slope linearity at ±0.25 dB, a typical Voltage Standing Wave Ratio at 1.5:1 and a low insertion loss at 1 – 1.25 dB Max. Electrical and thermal performance have passed through simulation analysis and real-life tests to ensure the series qualification.
- Configurable design approach providing optimized solutions for gain variation over frequency.
- Multiple slope options (1-4 dB) and excellent slope linearity (±0.25 dB or better).
- Frequency offering up to 40 GHz supporting a wide array of markets and applications.
- Proven thin and thick film process technology ensures high performance in harsh environments
- Size, weight and power optimized for each unique design.
The Smiths Interconnect CEX Series of chip equalizers was selected by RFMW’s Supplier Business Manager Paul Timberlake
Spectrum Control
Spectrum Control’s Model 4801-8-127 8-Channel Programmable Attenuator is designed for customers who work with high channel count RF systems in challenging environments that require high performance. This solid-state 0.3 to 8000 MHz attenuator provides high linearity, 127 dB of attenuation and repeatable results at a competitive price.
The 4801-8-127 is for customers performing Wi-Fi/5G throughput and system level testing and is also suitable as a general use attenuator. Industries that would benefit from the from the 4801-8-127 Programmable Attenuator are 5G network operators, 5G base station vendors, Wi-Fi chipset and device manufacturers.
Spectrum Control’s Model 4801-8-127 8-Channel Programmable Attenuator reduces cost, compact size (83x244x17.5mm) that frees up rack space and enables placement of the attenuator inside an RF shielded chamber. It also provides easy integration to automatic test environment.
Hear us interview Spectrum Control about the 4801-8-127 Programmable Attenuator at IMS 2023.
The Spectrum Control 8-channel programmable attenuator was selected by RFMW’s Supplier Business Manager
Power Management Products
Knowles StackiCap MLC Capacitors
Knowles new StackiCap MLC Capacitors offer unmatched combination of case size, capacitance, and voltage and can significantly reduce PCB space for applications needing high voltage, high capacitance MLCCs. The unique design incorporates a patented sponge layer technology allowing the part to be stacked up while terminated as a single MLCC homogenous design. Typical MLCC material is brittle and subject to cracking due to the piezoelectric effect, which causes parts to vibrate when current is applied and possibly cracking the MLCC. The sponge layer helps dampen the vibration and reduce the potential for cracking.
StackiCap products are available in voltage ratings up to 2kV and capacitance options up to 5.6uF. Available case sizes include 1812, 2220, 2225, and 3640 with operation temperature range from -55C to +125C and most are available with AEC-Q200 qualification.
The Knowles StackiCap MLCCs were selected by RFMW’s Power Management Supplier Business Manager Kirk Barton
MRC Rolls
As the number of electrical and electronic influences in our environment increases, stricter standards for emissions are becoming more and more essential. To be able to comply with this, so that other devices are not disturbed and our health is not put under excessive strain, radiated interference must be suppressed as best as possible. As a simple, cost-effective and retrofittable solution, MRC Rolls are an important component for suppressing and absorbing such dangerous emissions. Application range for radiated emissions 30MHz to a few GHz. Filters for power range 7kW to approx. 1 MW, expandable.
MRC Rolls were selected by Diana Artero, the Sales & Marketing Manager of MRC Components, an RFMW company.
Qorvo ACT43750 RFPOL Drain-switch Driver / Gate-bias Regulator PMIC
The Qorvo ACT43750 stands out in the industry. This highly integrated Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC) features a drain switch and a negative gate voltage regulator and facilitates the rapid switching of RF GaN PA drains within a voltage range of 10V to 55V. Offering a programmable gate bias voltage, it boasts a swift drain switch response time of 30ns (typical), auto bias sequencing, a configurable IQ (drain) setpoint, and an auto-calibration feature to counteract the impacts of temperature and aging. When utilized alongside the ACT43850 RFPoL buck regulator, it creates a comprehensive solution for drain supply and negative gate biasing tailored for RF power amplifiers with stringent requirements for fast transient response and pulsed load current.
Pairing the ACT43750 with the ACT43950, a 400V input constant current output regulator, and the ACT43850 low-noise, fast-response step-down RFPoL regulator results in a three-chip configuration. This amalgamation forms a compact and fully-fledged 1kW power supply system, ideal for radar systems that demand swift transient response and handle high-current pulse loads. The ACT43750 is housed in a 40-pin, 5 mm x 5 mm, 0.4-mm pitch QFN package, featuring three removed pins to ensure adequate creepage distances for high voltage power rails.
Qorvo’s ACT43750 RFPOL Drain-switch Driver / Gate-bias Regulator PMIC was selected by RFMW’s Power Management Supplier Business Manager Kirk Barton
