HMC548LP3E

RF Amplifiers

HMC548LP3E is a GaAs pHEMT MMIC low noise amplifier (LNA) module from Analog Devices for use between 10 MHz and 6 GHz. This module is designed to provide a low noise figure of 0.7 dB for linear small signal amplification as well as provide a high dynamic range over these frequency ranges.

Application Field

The HMC548LP3E is most commonly used as a low noise amplifier in a variety of applications such as RF receivers, communication and private branch exchange (PBE) systems, military and space systems, mobile radios, base station receivers, automatic gain control (AGC) systems, and satellite receivers. The LNA can be used to amplify signals in a variety of RF systems, including point-to-point microwave systems, GPS receivers, base stations, and cellular systems.

Working Principle

The HMC548LP3E is a three stage cascode amplifier. In this type of amplifier, the output of the first stage is coupled to the input of the second stage through a capacitor, forming a voltage divider which reduces the gain of the first stage. This presents a low impedance input to the second stage, increasing the gain of the amplifier as well as improving its gain linearity.

The gain of the amplifier is further enhanced by increasing the transconductance of the first and second stages. This is accomplished through the use of a negative feedback loop that effectively increases the transconductance of the amplifying transistor. In addition, this loop increases the stability of the amplifier, providing increased operating ranges over which the amplifier is stable.

The third stage of the HMC548LP3E is a third-order low pass filter. This filter is used to reduce the noise figure of the amplifier, as well as provide flat gain over the amplifier\'s operating range. The filter is designed to have a cut-off frequency that is equal to the frequency of the input signal, ensuring that the signal is not distorted when amplified.

The HMC548LP3E is an ideal choice for low noise pre-amplification in RF systems due to its low noise figure and high dynamic range. Its three stage design improves the gain, linearity, and stability at each stage, resulting in an amplifier with exceptional performance characteristics.