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Please, look at http://www.rfcomp.com/hd24223.aspx (the spec file is downloadable in this page). This is a microwave amplifier, and I have several questions.

1) What is "noise figure" ?

2) What is P1DB ?

3) What is IP3 ?

4) What is VSWR ?

5) Does this power amplifier works like an OpAmp, that is, does it amplify any signal linearly ? is there an input offset like transistors, or is it able to amplify extremely weak signals ?

6) How did they make this amplifier ? the most skilled radio Ham can only design a circuit to amplify up to 3 GH, and it is well known that all diodes and transistors do not switch so fast, every resistance and capacitance have small (but extremely disturbing at these frequencies) parasitic impedances. So, how do they that ? thx.

MikeTeX
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  • Please do some research before asking such a broad question. For example, "What is VSWR?" has already been [asked and answered](http://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/52429/what-is-the-standing-wave-ratio-swr/) right here on EE.SE. – The Photon Jul 20 '15 at 17:57
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    Also, each of your first 3 questions could be made into its own post. – The Photon Jul 20 '15 at 17:57
  • My intention was not to ask a broad question, but to understand the characteristics of the device. After "the photon" has answered just as needed to almost all the questions (except no 5), I don't know how to edit and change the content of the question, as it corresponds so precisely to the answer. – MikeTeX Jul 22 '15 at 18:33

1 Answers1

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noise figure: the ratio between output and input SNR, usually measured at some minimum input power level.

P1dB: 1 dB compression level. The input power level that causes the gain to be reduced by 1 dB from the small signal value.

IP3: 3rd-order intercept point, the input power level at which we expect (usually by extrapolation from lowe-power operation) the 3rd harmonic output due to gain nonlinearity to equal the fundamental frequency output.

How did they make this amplifier?

It's probably a single chip, connected to the input/output ports by microstrip lines. Single-chip ampflifiers with bandwidth of 10-40 GHz are not difficult to find from specialist RF chip vendors such as Analog Devices (formerly Hittite Microwave), M/A-Com, Triquint, etc.). They may use GaAs or InP chips rather than silicon.

The Photon
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