
6-133
Actual, measured test results are
shown in Figures 24 through 28.
Output power for 1 dB of gain
compression (P
1dB
) at 900 MHz
was measured as -4.6 dBm.
FREQUENCY (MHz)
0
800
5
10
20
15
G
850
900
950
1000
Figure 24. Measured Gain of Example
900 MHz LNA.
FREQUENCY (MHz)
0
800
1
2
4
3
N
850
900
950
1000
Figure 25. Measured Noise Figure of
Example 900 MHz LNA.
FREQUENCY (MHz)
-35
-15
-10
0
-5
Input
Output
-30
-25
-20
|
i
|
2
850
800
900
950
1000
Figure 26. Measured Input and
Output Return Loss of Example
900MHz LNA.
FREQUENCY (MHz)
-5
100
5
10
20
15
0
G
500
900
1300
1700
2100
Figure 27. Measured Gain of Example
900 MHz LNA for Extended Frequency.
FREQUENCY (MHz)
-20
-15
-10
0
-5
|
i
|
2
500
100
900
1300
1700
2100
Input
Output
Figure 28. Measured Input and Output
Return Loss of Example 900MHz LNA
for Extended Frequency.
Results of this step:
A prototype circuit was built and
performance goals verified by
measurement. The following
900MHz data was measured on
the example LNA:
NF = 1.9 dB
Gain = 14.7 dB
P
1dB
(output) = -4.6 dBm
Input Return Loss = 9.6 dB
(Input VSWR = 2.0 : 1)
Output Return Loss = 20.4 dB
(Output VSWR = 1.2 : 1)
DC Power = 8 mW
(3 volts, 2.55 mA)
Hints and Troubleshooting
Oscillation
Even though a design may be
unconditionally stable (K > 1 and
B1 > 0) over its full frequency
range, other possibilities exist
that may cause an amplifier
circuit to oscillate. One thing to
look for, is oscillation in bias
circuits. It is important to capaci-
tively bypass the connections to
active bias circuits to ensure
stable operation. In multistage
circuits, feedback through bias
lines can also lead to oscillation.
Components of insufficient
quality for the frequency range of
the amplifier can sometimes lead
to instability. Also, component
values that are chosen to be much
higher in value than is appropri-
ate for the application can
present a problem. In both of
these cases, the components may
have reactive parasitics that make
their impedances very different
than expected. Chip capacitors
may have excessive inductance,
or chip inductors can exhibit
resonances at unexpected
frequencies.
In systems with high gain cas-
cades, another possible feedback
path that could lead to oscillation
is radiation. Feedback via radia-
tion is most frequently encoun-
tered in situations where a large
cavity housing is used in combi-
nation with multiple gain stages.
One solution to minimizing
radiation feedback is to design
the housing so that it is well
below its equivalent waveguide
cutoff frequency. Another solu-
tion is to use shielding to parti-
tion the gain.