Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) Cluster 5 Power Amplifier

For JTRS Cluster 5 radio terminals, the size/weight and power drain are critical parameters that determine man-portability of terminals. Of various RF components in the terminal, the transmitter power amplifier is the most critical element, as it dissipates the most prime power. In Phase 1 of this program, Hittite Microwave Corporation studied design approaches for high-power, high-efficiency power amplifiers operating over a broadband frequencies ranging from 30 MHz to 2.8 GHz. Various novel semiconductor processes were assessed, and two amplifier topologies were analyzed to lay the ground for demonstration of the amplifier in Phase 2. The selected processes are gallium-nitride (GaN) process representing the newly emerging wide band-gap (WBG) semiconductor technology. Amplifier designs are based on distributed and lossy-match topologies, with trade-offs between efficiency, noise-figure, and power consumption. The proposed program will lead to a family of novel WBG amplifier products with a broad range of commercial market in portable communication systems.