California Eastern Laboratories (CEL) has released a three-stage gallium arsenide (GaAs) MMIC power amplifier (PA)from NEC. The UPG2118K combines predriver, driver and output stage in one miniature package and is useable in bands from 800 to 2500 MHz. It is designed for use in 915 and 2400 MHz ISM band applications, as well as other short-range wireless bands not covered by industry-standard MMIC PA designs. Its high performance and versatility make it a suitable choice for applications such as automatic meter reading, satellite uplink, cellular, GSM 900, DCS 1800, PCS 1900, and WLAN.

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The UPG2118K delivers high output power, high gain and high efficiency. It is fabricated using E-mode FET technology, so it only requires a single, positive low-voltage power supply. Performance specs include frequency range of 800-2500 MHz, +31.5 dBm min output power, power gain of over 30 dB (typical at 1.8 GHz, and minimum power-added efficiency (PAE) of 42 percent minimum at 1.8 GHz. The PA requires 2.8-5.5 V single, positive supply.

On-chip active bias helps the UPG2118K maintain a constant bias current over temperature and variations in Vth. Plus off-chip matching allows the designer to take full advantage of the device's bandwidth flexibility, optimizing performance for a given frequency. Housed in a miniature 4.15 mm square 20-pin leadless package, the UPG2118K is in stock and available now from CEL.