A Solid State Power Amplifier Buying Guide

SSPA (Solid State Power Amplifier) is an RF amplifier comprising a series of combined FET (field effect transmitter) that amplify the RF signals. These are made up of semiconductor devices such as Gallium Nitride (GaN) or Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) which provides higher performance because of their high band gaps and electron mobility at high frequencies. The Amplifiers RF are available in both indoor and outdoor enclosures for both military and commercial markets. Their uses include Satcom (satellite communications), Terrestrial including Broadcast and Point to Point communications EMC ((electromagnetic compliance), EMI (electromagnetic interference), laboratory testing, and field testing applications.

You can find a wide range of product line divided into a multitude of series on the basis of frequency and power on our website. Raditek offers amplifiers in bands from 100KHz to 96GHz and powers from a few watts to 15Kilo watts. These are strategically designed to minimize internally produced EMI signal leakage while enabling easy access for field services.

Raditek solid state amplifiers include either Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) or Gallium Nitrate (GaN) active devices: these are the devices that do the actual amplification. Simplistically GaAs has the best linearity and GaN the best efficiency.

Applications are numerous; our focus is typically RF high power generation for RF and Microwave applications such as radio transmitters. Interstage amplifiers, medical amplifiers for cancer treatment, Low Noise amplifiers for Receivers.

A power amplifier is designed to increase the power available to a load. Power amplifier circuits (output stages) are classified as A, B, AB and C for analog designs—and class D and E for switching designs. The power amplifier classes are based on the proportion of each input cycle (conduction angle) during which an amplifying device passes current. The angle of flow is closely related to the amplifier power efficiency.

For our Microwave amplifiers we focus on Solid-state devices such as GaAs FETs, IMPATT diodes, Gallium Nitrate GaN IMFETS and others.

Amplifiers are specified mainly by their frequency coverage, Output Power, whether CW or Peak. All amplifiers have gain, a multiplication factor that relates the magnitude of the output signal to the input signal. Typically expressed as output power to input power (power gain) is most often expressed in decibels (dB)The gain may also be specified as the ratio of output voltage to input voltage (voltage gain). Amplifier power gain depends on the source and load impedances.

You can pick them on the basis of their frequency range, rated output power, gain at rated power, impedance, input connectors (male or female), operating and non-operating temperature, Input & Output VSWR (Voltage Standing Wave Ratio), cooling system, Modulation (Am, FM, Pulse), and Configuration (such as Rack Mount), etc.

Always buy SSPA Amplifiers and check the detailed description of the product given in a data sheet PDF file. It helps you to ensure that you are placing an order for the right SSPA. In case of any confusion or if you don’t find the features you need, you should contact the sales team.