Pasternack Blog

Within an RF signal chain, there is often the need to provide some signal conditioning in incoming, outgoing, or through signals. One of the most needed signal conditioning methods is amplification of signal energy, which is the key function of RF Amplifiers. Signal amplification involves increasing the amplitude of a signal, this could imply voltage, ..

Throughout the signal chain and especially at a signal input stage, RF signals for communications and sensing can be extremely weak. RF Low Noise Amplifiers (LNAs) are the most common method for increasing the signal level of these very weak signals while minimizing the introduction of signal degrading factors. Of these signal degrading factors, added ..

RF sensing and communication applications often involve very weak signal levels. It is often necessary to use RF Amplifiers to increase the gain, or signal level, of these signals in order to digitize them or otherwise condition these signals to usable levels. However, there are a few trade-offs to consider when increasing a signal’s power ..

At first look, there are many different types of RF amplifiers, and it could be overwhelming to go from the specs you need to narrowing down what RF amplifier type is the best fit. Most RF amplifier types came about from the specification requirements of common transceiver, receiver, transmitter, radar, and modulation circuits and system-level ..

A Bidirectional Amplifier, or Bi-directional Amplifier (bda), is an active RF device that is widely used in a variety of telecommunication, radar, and other RF sensing applications. Though conceptually a Bidirectional Amplifier performs a relatively simple operation, the internal electronics can be somewhat complex. Moreover, many applications favor certain names and types of Bidirectional Amplifiers, ..

The main application for High Reliability (Hi-Rel) RF/microwave amplifiers is for military, defense, aerospace, and other critical applications where device reliability is otherwise mission critical. In essence, a Hi-Rel Amplifier is just an amplifier that meets one or more military standards for reliability. In order to ensure device and system reliability, the US military developed ..

Waveguide amplifiers are amplifiers specifically designed to be housed within a waveguide assembly. This provides some intrinsic advantages and trade-offs compared with coaxial connectorized amplifier assemblies or pallet amplifiers. Given that waveguide amplifiers are designed to directly mate with a given waveguide size and type, they are innately banded, as the waveguide has a limited ..

In a similar way to how wireless technology is enabling new functionality and opportunities in civilian life, there are a wealth of military applications embracing, and being enhanced, by wireless technology. Unlike civilians, military operators require a much higher level of reliability and redundancy, as a few second gap in coverage for a military operator ..

Waveguide amplifiers, or full-band/multi-band waveguide amplifiers, are amplifiers housed in assemblies that have either waveguide or coaxial interconnect. Though waveguide interconnect is more common for waveguide amplifiers, some waveguide amplifiers have coaxial interconnect instead, but still perform as specified over a given waveguide frequency band. The main feature of waveguide amplifiers is that they are ..

Is many applications, amplifiers are used to increase the strength of a signal, while minimizing the distortion and noise without sacrificing efficiency. However, with most receiver systems, and other applications, achieving the highest signal power isn’t the goal. As receivers circuits are typically highly sensitive to input power, and can be desensitized or damaged if ..