Power Amp vs. Preamp: Can One Replace the Other?
Using a power amp as a preamp seems logical but can cripple your system. This choice will drown weak signals in noise, making them impossible to recover. No, you should never use a power amplifier as a preamp. A power amp has a very high noise figure1, designed for output power, not sensitivity. Using one would add so much noise that it would overwhelm the weak incoming signal, destroying the receiver’s performance. It’s a question I’ve heard before, even from my own sales team. They’ll ask, “It’s an amplifier, and the gain is there, so why not?” I always tell them the same thing: it would be a disaster. The […]
How can you design a multiband SSPA with flat gain?
Designing a multiband SSPA with a perfectly flat gain curve feels like an impossible task. The physics just seems to be working against you. But it is achievable. To design a multiband Solid State Power Amplifier (SSPA) with flat gain, you must combine three techniques1. First, use a negative feedback circuit for stability. Second, add an R-L-C input matching network to flatten the gain. Third, use wideband load-pull to control harmonics and maintain efficiency. I’ve been designing RF components for over a decade, and this challenge comes up on almost every wideband project. The temptation is to focus on just one area, like output power, and hope for the best. […]
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