The VSX3622, a 1.

5 kW X-Band GaN Power Amplifier for Radar Application

George Solomon, Dave Riffelmacher, Matt Boucher,

Mike Tracy, Brian Carlson, Todd Treado

Communications & Power Industries LLC, Beverly Microwave Division

Abstract

Solid State Power Amplifiers (SSPAs) incorporating

GaN transistors provide compact and efficient sourc-
es of microwave power. CPI has developed a 1.5 kW
X-band SSPA, CPI model VSX3622, for radar applica-
tions. The VSX3622 SSPA combines the power from
two VSX3614 SSPAs, which each operate at nominal-
ly 1 kW, saturated. This paper will present details of
the design and performance data for both amplifiers.

Background
Figure 1 VSX3614 Solid State Power Amplifier

The Beverly Microwave Division of Communications The VSX3614 design has been optimized for duty
& Power Industries LLC (CPI BMD) has been manu- cycles to 10% duty and to allow multiple amplifiers to
facturing microwave and radar components for more be combined efficiently using waveguide combiners
than 60 years. Communications & Power Industries to produce a multi kilowatt transmitter. The VSX3630
LLC (CPI) is a global company with a world-class design has been optimized for duty cycles up to 20%.
global network of service centers. CPI BMD devel-
ops, manufactures, and repairs radar components
and systems having full compliance to military stan-
dards. Our design and manufacturing processes are
geared for military as well as high-reliability commer-
cial workmanship. CPI BMD is an ISO 9001/AS9100
certified manufacturer.

VSX3614 SSPA Design

For a given output power, size, weight, and efficiency

are critically important for mobile applications. Solid
Figure 2 VSX3630 Solid State Power Amplifier
state power amplifiers incorporating GaN devices
have quickly found a home in mobile applications due
VSX3614 Electrical Design
to the high power density and efficiency of the GaN
transistors. CPI has capitalized on these attributes for The VSX3614 design is based on a 100 watt pow-
the development of the VSX3614, the VSX3630, and er device. The system block diagram is shown in
the VSX3622 X-Band SSPAs for radar applications. Figure 3.
 RFAmp_1

Isolator_1

RFAmp_2

Isolator_2
Radial_1

RFAmp_3
Isolator_3

RFAmp_1

Isolator_13
Split6_1
RFAmp_4

Isolator_6

Coupler1_2 Coupler1_1
RFAmp_5
WG_COMB_
Isolator_5
- 1 8 0

Port_2
ZO=50
RFAmp_6
0 Isolator_4
CW

CWSource_1 RFAMP_DRIVE_ RFAmp_Drive_2 Split20_1

REV_PO_DET
Isolator_15 Isolator_16 ZO=50

RFAmp_7

Isolator_12

FWD_POW_DET
ZO=50

RFAmp_8

Isolator_11

Radial_2

RFAmp_9
Isolator_10

RFAmp_1

Isolator_14
Split3
RFAmp_10

Isolator_9

Figure 3 Schematic design of VSX3614

and VSX3630 SSPAs Isolator_8
RFAmp_11

RFAmp_12
Isolator_7

The design consists of a two stage pre- driver with The SSPAs cascaded gain and output power at Psat
power split two ways and then amplified. Each sec- is shown in Figure 5.
ondary driver feeds a 6-way radial power divider and
the 12 power stages. The signals are then recom- 70
X-Band SSPA Cascaded Power and Gain

bined in two 6-way isolated, radial combiners. The 63

SSPA OUTPUT POWER
Node 2, 60.475 dBm

isolated radial in-phase combining structure is used 56

to sum the powers from individual transistors while 49

SSPA
Node 2, 45.21 dB

maintaining isolation between adjacent devices. The m

)
B
d
(
42

combiners provide greater than 20-dB return loss for

N
I
A
G 35
C
,P
C

the transistors.
28

21

The 12 power devices are mounted directly to the

14

heat exchanger to provide the best thermal interface 0

with the lowest thermal resistance and optimum heat

1 22 31 3 9 0 8 20 15 54 55 34 74 0 77 14 2
-180 -180
Isol ator_15 RFAMP_DRIVE_1 Isol ator_16 RFAmp_Dri ve_2 Split20_1 Isol ator_14 RFAmp_14Node Isol ator_7 RFAmp_12 WG_COM B_1 Coupler 1_2 Coupler 1_1
CP Split3 Radi
CGAINal_2

spreading. Figure 4 shows a computational simu-

Figure 5 Cascaded gain and output power for VSX3614 SSPA
lation of the temperature profile of the VSX3614 at
the transistor to baseplate interface. The maximum
temperature rise is less than 3 C.
The CPI-proprietary combiners enable an overall am-
plifier efficiency of greater than 15% in the VSX3614
SSPA, where overall amplifier efficiency is defined as
the ratio of RF output power to DC input power. The
RF bandwidth is greater than 20%

The VSX3614 SSPA is O-ring sealed and internally

temperature compensated. Packaged GaN FETS
and MMICS ensure high reliability under extreme en-
vironmental conditions. Table 1 summarizes the data
for the VSX3614 SSPA.

Figure 4 Thermal profile of VSX3614 SSPA

 Frequency Range 7.6 to 9.6 GHz CPIs 1.5 kW Power Amplifier, the VSX3622
Peak RF Power 1 kW, saturated
Pulse Width 0.2 to 100 microsecond
Small Signal Gain 50 dB small signal,45 dB
at nominal output power
Duty Cycle 10%
Pulse Droop 0.5 dB
Output Power Flatness 1 dB, over selected
bandwidths
Harmonic Output -40 dBc maximum
Inter Pulse Noise -165 dBc/Hz maximum
Power Density
Prime Power 42 VDC at 13 Amps
Weight 11 pounds, including Figure 7 VSX 3622 is two VSX3614 SSPAs combined with fan
air heat exchanger box and slots for power supply

Table 1 Key Parameters for VSX3614 SSPA

The VSX3622 amplifier was designed for mobile,
Output power as a function of frequency and tem- air-cooled applications. As such, the overall size and
perature is plotted in Figure 6 for the VSX3614 SSPA. weight and efficiency are driven by the choice of the
This data was taken at 100 s pulse widths at 10% power combiners. The generation of the 1.5 kW of
duty. output power from the coherent addition of two lower
power SSPA bricks. The output combiner used for
VSX 3614 Output Power
65 this amplifier is a half-height WR90 magic T with a
64 load port for combining isolation. The system will also
63 include a waveguide isolator, forward and reverse
62 power samplers in the system packaging.
Output Power dBm

61

60
Frequency Range 7.6 to 9.6 GHz
59

58
Peak RF Power 1.5 kW, saturated
57
Pulse Width 0.2 to 100 microsecond
56 Small Signal Gain 50 dB small signal, 45 dB
55 nominal output power
7.6 8.1 8.6 9.1 9.6
Frequency GHz Duty Cycle 10%
VSX3614 Saturated Power
Pulse Droop 0.5 dB
Figure 6 VSX 3614 output power at room temperature
Output Power Flatness 1 dB, over selected
VSX3614 SSPA Life Test bandwidths
Harmonic Output -40 dBc maximum
CPI tests the GaN transistors and the SSPA design
Inter Pulse Noise -165 dBc/Hz maximum
under pulsed RF conditions to validate the robustness
Power Density
of the devices and amplifier design. A 1000+ hour
life test was conducted on the VSX3614 amplifier Prime Power 42 VDC at 25 Amps
while operating at 100 s pulse width and 5% duty @ 10% Duty Cycle
factor. The VSX3614 SSPA was operated, at ambient Table 2 Key Parameters for VSX3622 SSPA
temperature, in a rack assembly that mimicked the
cooling air flow of a system configuration. The RF CPI conducted a temperature test on the VSX3622
output was monitored for peak power using a USB SSPA. The pair of amplifiers comprising the VSX3622
pulsed-power sensor and the phase stability was SSPA were mounted on a chassis and cooled with a
monitored using a quadrature-detector-type phase fan mounted in the box at the end of the enclosure.
bridge. The power and phase data was automatically As shown in Figure 7, the two adjacent slots will
logged every 5 minutes for the duration of the life test. house the system power supply cooled by the same
Power supply voltages and currents and the ambient fan. The thermal profile shown in Figure 8 depicts the
temperatures were recorded periodically. chamber ambient air in blue and the output from four
thermocouples; two mounted on the body of the units Pulse Droop vs Temperature @ Frequency
and the other two mounted in the output air plenum. 1.0
7600.0MHz

The graph shows that the unit operating at 100 s

8200.0MHz
8900.0MHz
9600.0MHz

pulse width and at 7% duty has a temperature rise of 0.8

15 -18 C above ambient air temperature.

0.6
Temperature vs Time

[dB]
80

0.4

60

0.2
40

0.0
[C]

20
40 20 0 20 40 60

Temperature [C]
0
Figure 10 Pulse amplitude droop vs. temperature for
VSX3622
20

40
Output power versus input power and frequency was
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
measured at the temperature extremes and 25 C.
Time [Hours]
VSX 3622 X Band SSPA at 25C
2,500
Figure 8 Temperature profile for VSX 3622

Data was measured and recorded every minute in 2,000

the profile while frequency swept data was measured

periodically. The RF output power was plotted across
-6dBm
1,500 -5dBm
frequency and temperature.
Watts

-4dBm

-3dBm
1,000 -2dBm

-1dBm
RF Power Out vs Frequency @ Temperature 0 dBm
64.5
-40.0C 500
-30.0C
-20.0C
64.0 -10.0C
0.0C
10.0C
63.5 20.0C 0
30.0C
7.6 7.7 7.8 7.9 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 8.7 8.8 8.9 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6
40.0C

63.0
50.0C
55.0C
Frequency, GHz

62.5
Figure 11 Output power vs. frequency and input power
[dBm]

62.0 at 25 C for VSX3622

61.5
VSX 3622 X Band SSPA at -40oC
2,500
61.0

60.5

2,000
60.0
7600 7800 8000 8200 8400 8600 8800 9000 9200 9400 9600
Frequency [MHz]
-6dBm
1,500 -5dBm

Figure 9 Power vs. frequency and temperature for VSX3622

Watts

-4dBm

-3dBm
1,000 -2dBm
Power data from the pulsed power meter was mea- -1dBm

sured at the 5% and 95% portion of the 100 s pulse 0 dBm

to record pulse amplitude droop. The RF output 500

power droop is plotted as a function of frequency and

temperature in Figure 10. 0
7.6 7.7 7.8 7.9 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 8.7 8.8 8.9 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6
Frequency, GHz

Figure 12 Output power vs. frequency and input power

at -40 C for VSX3622
 2,500
VSX 3622 X Band SSPA at +55 oC In Figure 16 the pulse phase droop data is plotted.
Figure 17 shows the AM and PM noise data.
5 to 99% Pulse Top Data
2,000 0.35
0.30
0.25

I & Q [V]
-6dBm 0.20
0.15
1,500 -5dBm
0.10
Watts

-4dBm 0.05
0.00
-3dBm
0.05
1,000 0 20 40 60 80 100
-2dBm
2.5
-1dBm
2.0
0 dBm

Phase [deg]
1.5

500 1.0
0.5
0.0
0.5
0 1.0
7.6 7.7 7.8 7.9 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 8.7 8.8 8.9 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 0 20 40 60 80 100
Time [uS]
Frequency, GHz

Figure 16 Pulse droop and phase data as a function of time

Figure 13 Output power vs. frequency and input power
across a 100 s pulse for VSX3622
at 55 C for VSX3622
AM and PM Noise

The data measured at 55 C indicates the design 90

AM

could use more drive power at the higher end of the

PM
100
Combined

band to fully saturate the output devices. 110

120

Pulsed waveforms are shown in Figures 14 and 15 at

[dBc/Hz]
an operating frequency of 9.0 GHz. Figure 14 shows 130

the output power of a 10 s pulse at a pulse repeti- 140

tion frequency of 1 kHz. Figure 15 shows the output 150

power of a 100 s pulse at a pulse repetition frequen- 160

cy of 1 kHz. Power is measured with a pulsed pow- Frequency [Hz]

er meter. These waveforms were taken at ambient Figure 17 AM and PM noise for VSX3622
temperature.

Figure 18 Four-amplifier module providing 2.5 kW at X-band

Figure 14 Power at 1 s pulse width and 1 kHz
pulse repetition frequency. Summary

CPI has developed and extensively tested the

VSX3614, the VSX3630 and the VSX3622 SSPAs.
CPI has demonstrated efficient and compact combin-
ing of multiple amplifiers at X-band. These amplifiers
extend CPIs proud heritage of high-power, high-reli-
ability RF transmitters into a new technology regime.
CPIs GaN SSPAs can be readily combined into
amplifiers with other form factors for power levels from
1 kW to 20 kW in a cost-effective manner at frequency
ranges from L-band to X-band. Figure 18 shows one
Figure 15 Power at 100 s pulse width and 1 kHz pulse
such form factor with four SSPAs power combined to
repetition frequency generate 2.5 kW at X-band.