RF5152 - RFMD.com

RF5152
3V TO 3.6V, 2.4GHz TO 2.5GHz
LINEAR POWER AMPLIFIER

Single Power Supply 3.0V to
3.6V




NC
VC2
NC
12
RF IN 2
34dB Typical Small Signal Gain
Match
RF IN 3
2400MHz to 2500MHz Frequency Range
RF OUT/
VC3
11 RF OUT
Match
Match
50 Input and Interstage Matching
10 RF OUT
Bias
+18dBm, 2.5%EVM (typ.),
130mA@VCC =3.3V
NC 4
9 PDETECT
5
VCC
Applications

13
IEEE802.11b/g/n WiFi Applications
6
7
8
NC

14
VB3

15
VB1/
VB2

16
NC 1
Features

VC1
Package Style: QFN, 16-Pin, 3 mm x 3 mm
Functional Block Diagram
2.5GHz ISM Band Applications
Product Description
Commercial and Consumer Systems
The RF5152 is a linear, medium-power, high-efficiency, three-stage amplifier IC
designed specifically for battery-powered WiFi applications such as PC cards, mini
PCI, and compact flash applications. The device is manufactured on an advanced
InGaP Gallium Arsenide Heterojunction Bipolar Transistor (HBT) process, and has
been designed for use as the final RF amplifier in 2.5GHz OFDM and other spreadspectrum transmitters. The device is provided in a 3mmx3mm, 16-pin, QFN with a
backside ground. The RF5152 is designed to maintain linearity over a wide range of
supply voltages and power outputs.
Portable Battery-Powered Equipment
Spread-Spectrum and MMDS
Systems
Ordering Information
RF5152
RF5152SR
RF5152TR7
RF5152PCK-410
Standard 25 piece bag
Standard 100 piece reel
Standard 2500 piece reel
Fully assembled evaluation board tuned for 2.4GHz to
2.5GHz and 5 loose sample pieces
Optimum Technology Matching® Applied
GaAs HBT
GaAs MESFET
InGaP HBT

SiGe BiCMOS
Si BiCMOS
SiGe HBT
GaAs pHEMT
Si CMOS
Si BJT
GaN HEMT
RF MICRO DEVICES®, RFMD®, Optimum Technology Matching®, Enabling Wireless Connectivity™, PowerStar®, POLARIS™ TOTAL RADIO™ and UltimateBlue™ are trademarks of RFMD, LLC. BLUETOOTH is a trademark owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc., U.S.A. and licensed for use by RFMD. All other trade names, trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ©2006, RF Micro Devices, Inc.
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1 of 10
RF5152
Absolute Maximum Ratings
Parameter
Rating
Unit
Supply Voltage
-0.5 to +5.0
V
Power Control Voltage (VREG)
-0.5 to +3.5
VDC
DC Supply Current
600
mA
Input RF Power
+5
dBm
-10 to +85
°C
-40 to +150
°C
Operating Ambient Temperature
Storage Temperature
Moisture Sensitivity
JEDEC Level 2
Parameter
Min.
Specification
Typ.
Max.
Caution! ESD sensitive device.
Exceeding any one or a combination of the Absolute Maximum Rating conditions may
cause permanent damage to the device. Extended application of Absolute Maximum
Rating conditions to the device may reduce device reliability. Specified typical performance or functional operation of the device under Absolute Maximum Rating conditions is not implied.
RoHS status based on EUDirective2002/95/EC (at time of this document revision).
The information in this publication is believed to be accurate and reliable. However, no
responsibility is assumed by RF Micro Devices, Inc. ("RFMD") for its use, nor for any
infringement of patents, or other rights of third parties, resulting from its use. No
license is granted by implication or otherwise under any patent or patent rights of
RFMD. RFMD reserves the right to change component circuitry, recommended application circuitry and specifications at any time without prior notice.
Unit
Condition
Temperature=+25°C, VCC =3.3V,
VREG =2.8V, Frequency=2450MHz,
pulsed at 1% to 100% duty cycle,
circuit per evaluation board schematic
Overall
2.40
Frequency
2.50
Output Power
18
EVM*
2.5
IP3
33
Gain
32
34
49
50
Gain Variance
Input Impedance
Output VSWR
GHz
IEEE802.11g
IEEE802.11n
IEEE802.11g modulation, 54Mbit/s, 64QAM,
OFDM modulation
3.3
%
RMS, mean
dBm
37
dB
-11dBm Pin
1.5
±dB
-15°C to +85°C
51

10:1
Internally Matched Input and Interstage
The PA is stable, no spurs above -43dBm
Power Detector (P_detect)
POUT =8dBm
POUT =18dBm
0.7
0.2
0.3
VDC
0.9
1.1
VDC
Power Supply
Operating Voltage
3.0
3.3
3.6
V
VREG (Bias) Voltage (VB1/VB2,
VB3)
2.7
2.8
3.0
VDC
Current Consumption
85
130
170
mA
Quiescent Current
45
75
105
mA
VCC =+3.3VDC; RF In=OFF; VREG OFF
VREG (Bias) Current (Total)
1
2
6
mA
VCC =3.3V
-15
-10
dB
300
700
1000
nS
Input Return Loss
Turn-on Time**
RF POUT =+18dBm, VCC =3.3V,
54Mbps OFDM <2.5% EVM
Output stable to within 90% of final gain
Notes:
*The EVM specification is obtained with a signal generator that has an EVM floor of less than 0.7%.
**The PA must operate with gated bias voltage input at 1% to 99% duty cycles without any EVM or other parameter degradation.
2 of 10
7628 Thorndike Road, Greensboro, NC 27409-9421 · For sales or technical
support, contact RFMD at (+1) 336-678-5570 or [email protected].
DS110617
RF5152
Pin
1
2
3
4
Function
NC
RF IN
RF IN
NC
5
VCC
6
7
8
9
10
VB1/VB2
VB3
NC
PDETECT
RF OUT
Description
Interface Schematic
Not connected. May be connected to ground (GND).
RF input. See evaluation board schematic for details.
RF input. See evaluation board schematic for details.
Not connected. Note: Connection of VC1 at this pin will not damage the
RF5152 or adversely affect RF5152 performance.
Supply voltage for the bias reference and control circuits. May be connected with VC1, VC2 and VC3 with a single-supply voltage as long as VCC
does not exceed 3.3VDC in this configuration.
Bias current control voltage for the first and second stages.
Bias current control voltage for the third stage.
Not connected.
Provides an output voltage proportional to the output RF level.
RF output. The output requires external matching components which consist of a one or two shunt capacitors and a series capacitor for DC blocking.
RF OUT
BIAS
11
12
RF OUT
RF OUT/
VC3
13
14
NC
VC2
15
16
NC
VC1
Pkg
Base
GND
DS110617
Same as pin 10.
See pin 10.
RF output and bias for the output stage. The power supply for the output
transistor needs to be supplied to this pin. This can be done through a
quarter-wave (o/4) length microstrip line that is RF grounded at the other
end, or through an RF inductor that supports the required DC current. See
evaluation board schematic.
Not connected. May be connected to ground (GND).
See pin 10.
Second stage power supply input. Connect as shown on evaluation board
schematic.
Not connected. May be connected to ground (GND).
First stage power supply input. Connect as shown on evaluation board
schematic.
Ground connection. The back side of the package should be connected to
the ground plane through as short a connection as possible (e.g., PCB vias
under the device are required).
7628 Thorndike Road, Greensboro, NC 27409-9421 · For sales or technical
support, contact RFMD at (+1) 336-678-5570 or [email protected].
3 of 10
RF5152
Package Drawitng
0.10 C A
-A-
0.05 C
2 PLCS
3.00
0.90
0.85
1.50 TYP
0.70
0.65
0.05
0.00
2 PLCS
0.10 C B
3.00
12°
MAX
2 PLCS
0.10 C B
-B-
1.37 TYP
-C-
SEATING
PLANE
2.75 SQ
2 PLCS
0.10 C A
0.10 M C A B
0.60
0.24
TYP
0.30
0.18
PIN 1 ID
R.20
1.65
SQ.
1.35
0.50
0.30
Dimensions in mm.
Shaded lead is pin 1.
0.50
VC1
NC
VC2
NC
Pin Out
16
15
14
13
NC 1
12 RF OUT/VCC3
RF IN 2
11 RF OUT
RF IN 3
10 RF OUT
4 of 10
5
6
7
8
VB1/VB2
VB3
NC
9 PDETECT
VCC
NC 4
7628 Thorndike Road, Greensboro, NC 27409-9421 · For sales or technical
support, contact RFMD at (+1) 336-678-5570 or [email protected].
DS110617
RF5152
Theory of Operation and Application Information
The RF5152 is a three-stage power amplifier (PA) with a minimum gain of 32dB (34dB typical) in the 2.4GHz to 2.5GHz Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) band. The RF5152 has a 50 internal input and interstage match. Only the RF5152 output
stage requires matching. The RF5152 is designed primarily for IEEE802.11g/n wireless local area network (WiFi) applications
where the available supply voltage and current are limited. This amplifier will operate to and below the lowest expected voltage
made available by a typical PC Card (PCMCIA or CardBus) slot in a laptop personal computer (PC). The RF5152 maintains
required linearity at decreased supply voltages.
The RF5152 operates from a single supply voltage of 3.0VDC to 3.6VDC to deliver specified performance. Power control is provided through two (2) bias control input pins (VB1/VB2 and VB3). In most applications these two (2) bias control input pins are
connected together and employed as a single control input. The RF5152 has been primarily characterized with a VB voltage of
2.8VDC. However, the RF5152 will operate from a wide range of bias control voltages and within a wide range of frequencies
(typically 1800MHz to 2800MHz). If a bias control voltage other than 2.8VDC is preferred or if a different frequency range
(other than 2.4GHz to 2.5GHz) is desired, please contact RFMD Sales or Applications Engineering for assistance.
Though not difficult to implement to achieve state-of the-art performance, the RF5152 is employed at frequencies greater than
2GHz, where care in circuit layout and component selection is advisable. Of primary concern with RF5152 PCB layout is the
selection and placement of output matching components (RF5152PCBA bill of materials (BOM) is available upon request).
High-Q (quality factor) capacitors and inductors are not required in every RF5152 based design; however, it is highly recommended that the RF5152PCBA evaluation board BOM be followed exactly for all initial end product designs. Upon initial baseline of RF5152 based PCB performance, less costly (Lower-Q) output matching circuit components may be substituted and
evaluated against the initial design performance. RFMD experience indicates that end product FTY improvements more than
offset the cost difference between “High-Q” and “Low-Q” components.
There is no required matching on the RF5152 input or interstage circuits. Only the RF5152 output stage requires matching
allowing the RF5152 to be implemented in applications requiring the fewest end product bill of materials (BOM) parts count
and lowest BOM cost. The input stage requires a DC-blocking capacitor. In most cases the capacitor used as part of the
RF5152 output matching circuit is also employed to accomplish DC-blocking. The RF5152PCBA evaluation board (available
from RF Micro Devices, Inc. (RFMD)) is optimized for 3.3VDC supply input. The output matching capacitor is C10 which is
located approximately 120mils from the IC (as shown on the RF5152PCBA Evaluation Board Schematic). The capacitor C10 is
selected in value and positioned with reference to 50 transmission line segment TL1. Transmission line segment TL1 should
be duplicated as closely as possible in specified length and thickness in any customer PCB layout. Due to PCB material variation (e.g., FR4) and PCB manufacturer variations, the customer may benefit from small adjustments made to the length of TL1
when the RF5152PCBA evaluation board is duplicated to produce an end product PCB design. The initial PCB layout should
include exposed ground area near C10 to allow ease of RF5152 output circuit optimization. Smith Chart-based design tools
may be used to assist in determining the desired capacitor value and transmission line physical characteristics. Note that the
use of a single capacitor output circuit match will result in a more sensitive match and slightly reduced RF5152 bandwidth. In
this configuration the RF5152 will exhibit sufficient output spectrum bandwidth to meet IEEE802.11b/g requirements when
matched properly.
For best results, the RF5152PCBA evaluation board circuit layout should be copied as closely as possible. In particular, the
RF5152PCBA evaluation board ground layout, ground vias, and output matching components and location should be copied
without deviation. Other PCB layout configurations may provide acceptable RF5152 performance; however, the end product
design process will be faster and manufacturing first time yield (FTY) better if the RF5152PCBA evaluation board design is followed. RFMD provides RF5152PCBA design and Gerber files upon request.
DS110617
7628 Thorndike Road, Greensboro, NC 27409-9421 · For sales or technical
support, contact RFMD at (+1) 336-678-5570 or [email protected].
5 of 10
RF5152
Evaluation Board Schematic - IEEE802.11b/g
VCC
P2
VCC
L4
10 nH
L5
22 nH
C9
1 nF
16
15
PDETECT
2
GND
P2-3
3
VREG3
P2-4
4
VREG1/2
C6
1 nF
R1
C4
1 F
1
P2-1
14
HDR_1x4
L6
6.8 nH Coilcraft
13
1
12
2
11
140 mils
P3
P3-1
1
VCC
BANANA JACK
P4
1
GND
BANANA JACK
207 mils from C10
J1
RF IN
3
10
4
9
5
6
7
C10
2.0 pF
C11
0.7 pF
C12
10 pF
PDETECT
C5
330 pF
8
P1
5152400 r-
C3
1000 pF
C13
1000 pF
R2
56 
VCC
6 of 10
VREG1/2
P1-1
R3
100 
VREG3
J2
RF OUT
R1
0
27
Application
BT, 802.11 b
Above and 802.11g
1
VCC
2
GND
HDR_1X2
Notes:
1. Populate to tie VREG1/2 and VREG3 together for one power supply.
* All measurements are edge to edge from the IC.
Components labeled with a “*” may not be needed on the eval board.
7628 Thorndike Road, Greensboro, NC 27409-9421 · For sales or technical
support, contact RFMD at (+1) 336-678-5570 or [email protected].
DS110617
RF5152
Evaluation Board Layout
Board Size 2.0” x 2.0”
Board Thickness 0.031”, Board Material FR-4, Multi-Layer
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support, contact RFMD at (+1) 336-678-5570 or [email protected].
7 of 10
RF5152
PCB Design Requirements
PCB Surface Finish
The PCB surface finish used for RFMD's qualification process is electroless nickel, immersion gold. Typical thickness is 3inch
to 8inch gold over 180inch nickel.
PCB Land Pattern Recommendation
PCB land patterns for RFMD components are based on IPC-7351 standards and RFMD empirical data. The pad pattern shown
has been developed and tested for optimized assembly at RFMD. The PCB land pattern has been developed to accommodate
lead and package tolerances. Since surface mount processes vary from company to company, careful process development is
recommended.
PCB Metal Land Pattern
A = 0.64 x 0.28 (mm) Typ.
B = 0.28 x 0.64 (mm) Typ.
C = 1.50 (mm) Sq.
Dimensions in
mm.
1.50 Typ.
0.50 Typ.
Pin 16
B
B
B
B
Pin 1
Pin 12
A
A
0.50 Typ.
A
A
C
A
A
A
A
0.75 Typ.
1.50
Typ.
0.55 Typ.
B
B
B
B
Pin 8
0.55 Typ.
0.75 Typ.
Figure 1. PCB Metal Land Pattern (Top View)
8 of 10
7628 Thorndike Road, Greensboro, NC 27409-9421 · For sales or technical
support, contact RFMD at (+1) 336-678-5570 or [email protected].
DS110617
RF5152
PCB Solder Mask Pattern
Liquid Photo-Imageable (LPI) solder mask is recommended. The solder mask footprint will match what is shown for the PCB
metal land pattern with a 2mil to 3mil expansion to accommodate solder mask registration clearance around all pads. The
center-grounding pad shall also have a solder mask clearance. Expansion of the pads to create solder mask clearance can be
provided in the master data or requested from the PCB fabrication supplier.
A = 0.74 x 0.38 (mm) Typ.
B = 0.38 x 0.74 (mm) Typ.
C = 1.60 (mm) Sq.
Dimensions in
mm.
1.50
Typ.
0.50
Typ.
Pin 16
B
B
B
B
Pin 1
0.50
Typ.
Pin 12
A
A
A
A
C
0.55
Typ.
A
A
A
A
B
0.55
Typ.
B
B
0.75
Typ.
1.50
Typ.
B
Pin 8
0.75
Typ.
Figure 2. PCB Solder Mask Pattern (Top View)
Thermal Pad and Via Design
The PCB land pattern has been designed with a thermal pad that matches the die paddle size on the bottom of the device.
Thermal vias are required in the PCB layout to effectively conduct heat away from the package. The via pattern has been
designed to address thermal, power dissipation and electrical requirements of the device as well as accommodating routing
strategies.
The via pattern used for the RFMD qualification is based on thru-hole vias with 0.203mm to 0.330mm finished hole size on a
0.5mm to 1.2mm grid pattern with 0.025mm plating on via walls. If micro vias are used in a design, it is suggested that the
quantity of vias be increased by a 4:1 ratio to achieve similar results
.
DS110617
7628 Thorndike Road, Greensboro, NC 27409-9421 · For sales or technical
support, contact RFMD at (+1) 336-678-5570 or [email protected].
9 of 10
RF5152
ACP versus POUT
PDETECT versus POUT
-20.0
1.4
-25.0
1.2
-30.0
1.0
-40.0
PDETECT (V)
ACP (dBm)
-35.0
-45.0
-50.0
-55.0
0.6
0.4
-60.0
ACP1 2400MHz
ACP1 2450MHz
ACP1 2500MHz
2400MHz ACP2
2450MHz ACP2
2500MHz ACP2
-65.0
-70.0
10.0
0.8
12.0
14.0
16.0
18.0
20.0
22.0
2400MHz
2450MHz
2500MHz
0.2
0.0
0.0
24.0
5.0
10.0
15.0
20.0
Output Power (dBm)
Output Power (dBm)
EVM versus POUT
Operating Current versus POUT
5.0
0.16
4.5
0.14
4.0
0.12
3.5
3.0
EVM (%)
ICC (A)
0.10
0.08
2.5
2.0
0.06
1.5
0.04
1.0
2400MHz
2450MHz
2500MHz
0.02
0.0
0.00
0.00
5.00
10.00
Output Power (dBm)
10 of 10
2400MHz
2450MHz
2500MHz
0.5
15.00
20.00
0.0
5.0
10.0
15.0
20.0
Output Power (dBm)
7628 Thorndike Road, Greensboro, NC 27409-9421 · For sales or technical
support, contact RFMD at (+1) 336-678-5570 or [email protected].
DS110617