An RF power amplifier is a type of electronic amplifier used to convert a low-power radio-frequency signal into a larger signal of significant power,

typically for driving the antenna of a transmitter. It is usually optimized to have high efficiency, high output Power(P1dB) compression, good return loss on the input and output, good gain, and optimum heat dissipation. The basic applications of the RF amplifiers include driving to another high power source, driving a transmitting antenna, microwave heating, and exciting resonant cavity structures. Among these applications, driving transmitter antennas is most well known. The transmitterreceivers are used not only for voice and data communication but also for weather sensing (in the form of a RADAR). Microwave or RF heating is an industrial application which is also benefiting our homes in the form of microwave ovens. Exciting cavity resonators is quite a research lab and industrial application of an RF source. Particle accelerators utilize RF sources extensively. Amplifiers are available in a large number of form factors ranging from miniscule ICs to the largest high-power transmitter amplifiers. In the following discussion the focus will be on solid state power amplifiers used at microwave frequencies, particularly in test and measurement applications. Microwave power amplifiers may be used for applications ranging from testing passive elements, such as antennas, to active devices such as limiter diodes or MMIC based power amplifiers. Furthermore, other applications include testing requirements where a relatively large amount of RF power is necessary for overcoming system losses to a radiating element, such as may be found at a compact range, or where there is a system requirement to radiate a device-under-test (DUT) with an intense electromagnetic field, as may be found in EMI/EMC applications. As varied as the system requirements may be, the specific requirements of a given amplifier can also vary considerably. Nevertheless, there are common requirements for nearly all amplifiers, including frequency range, gain/gain flatness, power output, linearity, noise figure/noise power, matching, and stability. Often there are design trade-offs required to optimize any one parameter over another, and performance compromises are usually necessary for an amplifier that may be used in a general purpose testing application. In other words a radio frequency amplifier is a tuned amplifier that amplifies the high-frequency signals commonly used in radio communications. The frequency at which maximum gain occurs in a radio-frequency (rf) amplifier is made variable by changing either the capacitance or the inductance of the tuned circuit. A typical application is the amplification of the signal received from an antenna before it is mixed with a local oscillator signal in the first detector of a radio receiver. The amplifier that follows the first detector is a special type of rf amplifier known as an intermediate-frequency (i-f) amplifier. See also Amplifier; Intermediate-frequency amplifier. An rf amplifier is distinguished by its ability to tune over the desired range of input frequencies. The shunt capacitance, which adversely affects the gain of a resistance-capacitance coupled amplifier, becomes a part of the tuning capacitance in the rf amplifier, thus permitting high gain at radio frequencies. The power gain of an rf amplifier is always limited at high radio frequencies, however. Two typical rf amplifier circuits are shown in the illustration. The conventional bipolar transistor amplifier of illustration shown below uses tapped coils in the tuned circuits to provide optimum gain-bandwidth characteristics consistent with the desirable value of tuning capacitance. Inductive coupling provides the desired impedance transformation in the input and output circuits. The tuning capacitors are usually ganged so as to rotate on a single shaft, providing tuning by a single knob. Sometimes varactor diodes are used to tune the circuits, in which case the tuning control is a potentiometer that controls the diode voltage. Automatic gain control (AGC) is frequently used on the rf amplifier, as shown. AGC voltage controls the bias and hence the transconductance of the amplifier. In the field-effect transistor (FET) circuit (illus. b), tapped coils are not required because of the very high input and output resistances of the FET.

Typical rf amplifiers.

Typical rf amplifiers. Circuits with (a) bipolar transistor and (b) field-effect transistor / bipolar transistor and (b) field-effect transistor. VCC = collector supply voltage VDD = drain supply voltage VCC = collector supply voltage VDD = drain supply voltage.

Read more on Radio Frequency Amplifiers (RF Amplifiers) at following links 1. Wikipedia - RF Amplifier 2. Answers - What is Radio Frequency Amplifier? 3. FreeDictionary Encyclopedia - Radio-Frequency Ampflifiers 4.Microwave Journal - Microwave Radio Frequency Amplifiers

An RF power amplifier is a type of electronic amplifier used to convert a low-power radiofrequency signal into a larger signal of significant power, typically for driving the antenna of a transmitter. It is usually optimized to have high efficiency, high P1dB compression, good return loss on the input and output, good gain, and good heat dissipation. Wideband Amplifier Design transformations over large bandwidth are difficult to realize, thus most wideband amplifiers use 50 output loading. Transistor output power is then limited to

Vbr is defined as the breakdown voltage Vk is defined as the knee voltage and New Electronic Circuit Schematic Diagram Tyco Electronic Schematics AM Receiver circuit with MK484 Schematics A Noise Meter Circuit::: save ears PCB

Read more: http://rf.circuitlab.org/2011/04/rf-power-amplifier-designformula.html#ixzz1lQVONmy1

An RF power amplifier is a type of electronic amplifier which is utilised to convert a low-power radiofrequency signal into a larger signal of significant power, usually for driving the antenna of a transmitter. It is usually optimized to have high efficiency, high output Power (P1dB) compression, good gain, good return loss on the input and output, and optimum heat dissipation. The basic applications of the RF power amplifier include driving to another high power source, driving a transmitting antenna, microwave heating, and exciting resonant cavity structures. Among these applications, driving transmitter antennas is most well known. More explanation about power audio amplifier can be found at wikipedia.org

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