GaN Amps Replace TWTAs

Aug. 12, 2013

A line of compact pulsed amplifiers for X- and Ku-band applications is based on solid-state GaN technology.

Designing and building a line of solid-state power amplifiers based on gallium-nitride GaN) transistors and active devices, Diamond Microwave offers amplifiers at X- and Ku-band frequencies as alternatives for traveling-wave-tube amplifiers (TWTAs) in demanding defense, aerospace, and communications applications. Certified to ISO 9001:2008, the firm believes that its amplifiers provide excellent pulsed-power performance with power-to-volume ratio that is among the highest in the industry. The GaN power amplifiers offer pulsed output-power levels to 150 W and ae flexible in layout and architecture for a wide range of applications. The company displayed a Ku-band amplifier at the recent International Microwave Symposium with peak pulsed output power of 125 W at 16.5 GHz and 1-dB bandwidth of 1.5 GHz.

Diamond Microwave Devices Ltd., Mayesbrook House, Leeds, LS16 6QY England, +44(0)7765 250610.

About the Author

Jack Browne | Technical Contributor

Jack Browne, Technical Contributor, has worked in technical publishing for over 30 years. He managed the content and production of three technical journals while at the American Institute of Physics, including Medical Physics and the Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology. He has been a Publisher and Editor for Penton Media, started the firm’s Wireless Symposium & Exhibition trade show in 1993, and currently serves as Technical Contributor for that company's Microwaves & RF magazine. Browne, who holds a BS in Mathematics from City College of New York and BA degrees in English and Philosophy from Fordham University, is a member of the IEEE.