This section provides an overview for rf amplifiers as well as their applications and principles. Also, please take a look at the list of 6 rf amplifier manufacturers and their company rankings. Here are the top-ranked rf amplifier companies as of October, 2023: 1.US Anodize, 2.Electronics & Innovation, Ltd., 3.NuWaves Engineering.
Table of Contents
The "RF" in RF Amplifier stands for "Radio Frequency" and refers to the high frequency used in mobile wireless communications such as radios and smartphones.
In general amplifiers, the input voltage or current is amplified and output, but in the case of RF amplifiers, instead of this function, DC bias is used to amplify high-frequency power signals by the gain of the amplifier relative to the input power. Therefore, the power for DC bias can be used for amplifying high-frequency power with relatively high efficiency without loss of DC bias power.
It should be noted that the electrical characteristics required for RF amplifiers, i.e., the type of amplifier, differ depending on whether they are used for receiving or transmitting circuits.
RF amplifiers are characterized by their ability to amplify and convert DC power to high-frequency power without loss of DC power, and are considered to be highly efficient RF Amplifiers. The type differs depending on whether it is used for receiving or transmitting circuits.
RF circuits for communication are divided into blocks for receiving and transmitting, and the type of RF amplifier generally differs depending on whether it is used for receiving or transmitting.
RF amplifiers used on the transmitting side are called Power Amplifiers (PA), which require high amplification. Because of the large amount of power handled, it is important to have low power consumption, i.e., high amplifier efficiency, in order to maintain reliability by suppressing heat generation and battery power consumption. Also, depending on the application, the amplifier itself must have sufficient linearity to prevent signal distortion.
On the other hand, RF amplifiers used for reception are called Low Noise Amplifiers (LNA). They are characterized by low noise (NF) generated by the amplifier itself to prevent the signal from being buried in the noise and to maintain communication quality by increasing the reception sensitivity during communication.
Si MOSFETs, SiGe bipolar transistors, HBTs and HEMTs using compound semiconductors such as GaAs and GaN crystals are used as semiconductor devices for RF amplifiers. It is important to select the optimum semiconductor device according to the maximum output power, gain, efficiency, linearity, and noise figure of the RF amplifier.
Depending on the RF frequency, the frequency response, called the cutoff frequency (fT), may not be sufficient to draw sufficient amplification. Therefore, the stand-alone frequency response determined from the structure of the semiconductor device is a very important factor in constructing an RF amplifier.
The amplifier characteristics are determined by applying the desired DC bias to the amplifier device and optimally setting the input and output load lines of the amplifier. In addition to the fundamental frequency impedance setting, the harmonic impedance setting is also important, and together with the bias, various operating classes (Class A, Class C, Class F, etc.) can be set.
RF Amplifier characteristics include 1 dB compression, gain, and noise figure. In the gain and power curves, 1dB compression is used as a measure of the maximum amount of power output with 1dB of gain suppressed due to amplifier saturation operation.
Since a large output power is required on the transmit side, it is customary to select an amplifier with a large 1 dB compression region and use it up to its upper limit. An RF amplifier can express its frequency response by its amplification, which is the power ratio between input and output, and its performance is judged by its being within a fixed range of frequency The higher the gain, the better.
Higher gain is desirable, but care must be taken as it is a trade-off between power consumption and noise. The noise figure expresses the degree to which the signal-to-noise ratio worsens. When selecting the RF amplifier for the receiving side, choose a small noise figure.
*Including some distributors, etc.
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Pasternack headquartered in Irvine, California, is part of the Infinite Electronics family of brands, established in 1972 by Murray Pasternack, as a supplier of RF and Microwave components. The company retails various types of products, including connectors, switches, cables, couplers, and filters. They have over 40,000 in-stock products and have partnered with 19 international distributors serving customers in over 35 countries. The company offers contract assembling, where they assemble custom Cables for same-day shipping. The company earned the ISO 9001 certification in 2015 and offers expert technical support and 24/7 customer service.
Incorporated in 1965, Analog Devices, Inc. designs, manufactures, tests, and markets integrated circuits (ICs), software, and subsystems that leverage analog, mixed-signal, and digital signal processing technologies. The company provides data converter products, power management and reference products for power conversion, driver monitoring, sequencing, and energy management applications in the automotive, communications, industrial, and high-end consumer markets. In addition, the company provides digital signal processing and system products for high-speed numeric calculations. It serves clients in the industrial, automotive, consumer, instrumentation, aerospace, and communications markets.
Electronics & Innovation, Ltd. (E&I), founded in 2003 with headquarters in Rochester, New York, is a manufacturer of RF power amplifiers. Their product range includes broadband RF amplifiers, amplifier modules, phased array systems, impedance matching and variable transformers, and RF components, catering to diverse applications in medical, security & defense, test & measurement, aerospace, and communications. These products enable accurate signal analysis in research and development processes and are utilized in wireless communication systems for remote patient monitoring in the medical sector and support radar and communication systems in security & defense.
US Anodize, formally known as Industrial Metal Plating, is based in Pennsylvania, United States, and specialized in aluminum anodizing and chromate conversion since 1959. The company offers custom anodizing solutions including oxide coatings of up to 2.0 mils and permanent finishes in unique colors. Anodizing is an electrochemical finishing process that ensures durability and corrosion resistance. US Anodize also provides chromate conversion coatings meant to protect aluminum alloys from corrosion while retaining their electrical conductivity. They also offer laser engraving services for various materials such as plastic and leather.
NuWaves RF Solutions was established in 2000 and is headquartered in Middletown, Ohio, USA focusing on designing, developing, and supplying RF (Radio Frequency) products and engineering services. The company specializes in RF and microwave solutions and offers various RF products, including Power amplifiers, RF filters, Frequency converters, RF switches, and RF transmitters for enhanced RF communication and signal processing capabilities. Its customers include government agencies and defense contractors for enhanced communication systems, electronic warfare capabilities, and radar systems Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), research institutions, and commercial enterprises also benefit from wireless connectivity, automation, and IoT applications.
Texas Instruments Incorporated was founded in 1930 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas. Texas Instruments is a producer of high tech equipment for industrial, automotive, personal electronics, communications equipment industries. Texas Instruments designs, manufactures, and sells semiconductors to electronics designers and manufacturers in the United States and internationally. Texas Instruments operates in two segments: analog and embedded processing. The Analog segment offers power products, including battery-management solutions, DC/DC switching regulators, power switches, linear regulators, voltage references, and lighting products. The Embedded Processing segment offers microcontrollers that are used in fields such as electronic equipment and digital signal processors for mathematical computations.
Ranking as of October 2023 in United States of America
Derivation MethodRank | Company | Click Share |
---|---|---|
1 | US Anodize |
19.0%
|
2 | Electronics & Innovation, Ltd. |
19.0%
|
3 | NuWaves Engineering |
19.0%
|
4 | Analog Devices, Inc. |
19.0%
|
5 | Texas Instruments |
14.3%
|
6 | Pasternack |
9.5%
|
Ranking as of October 2023 Globally
Derivation MethodRank | Company | Click Share |
---|---|---|
1 | Electronics & Innovation, Ltd. |
20.8%
|
2 | NuWaves Engineering |
20.8%
|
3 | US Anodize |
16.7%
|
4 | Texas Instruments |
16.7%
|
5 | Analog Devices, Inc. |
16.7%
|
6 | Pasternack |
8.3%
|
Derivation Method
The ranking is calculated based on the click share within the rf amplifier page as of October 2023. Click share is defined as the total number of clicks for all companies during the period divided by the number of clicks for each company.Number of Employees
Newly Established Company
Company with a History