Keragis Corp.’s newly designed solid-state microwave amplifier dodecahedron module (patent pending) provides a high power output of typically 35 W over the 6 GHz to 18 GHz band. Its small and rugged size, long life, up to 30 dB improvement in noise figure and short group delay characteristics makes it an ideal replacement for TWT amplifiers. The small footprint of the unit along with low voltage requirements make it suitable for mounting at the antenna or load. It requires no warm-up time, providing an instant on when power is applied.

Article Tools

• 

Other benefits include higher efficiency and low losses. Since there are numerous MMICs or FETs within the unit, single point failures are minimized and thus failures become “soft failures,” only reducing the power slightly when one device fails. A special technique is used (patent pending) that eliminates the so-called “zipper effect,” which, in some amplifiers, can cause failure of all devices if one device fails.

Control and power for the unit are provided by solder or connector pins. Some monitoring within the unit can be accomplished through the control system. The input and output RF connectors can be on the same side of the unit or opposite sides depending on end user requirements.

Several of these modules can be put together with external combiners to provide higher output. For instance, four of these units were combined to give more than 100 W across most of the band. A narrowband module is also available that will provide typically >80 W output.