2-237

Product Description

Ordering Information

Typical Applications

Features

Functional Block Diagram

RF Micro Devices, Inc.
7628 Thorndike Road
Greensboro, NC 27409, USA

Tel (336) 664 1233

Fax (336) 664 0454

http://www.rfmd.com

Optimum Technology Matching® Applied

Si BJT

GaAs MESFET

GaAs HBT

Si Bi-CMOS

SiGe HBT

Si CMOS

InGaP/HBT

GaN HEMT

SiGe Bi-CMOS

PWR SEN

BIAS GND2

RF IN

GND

VCC

VCC1

R REF

VREG1

VREG2

I
AS GND 1

GND

Bias

12 RF OUT

11 RF OUT

10 RF OUT

RF2163

3V, 2.5GHz LINEAR POWER AMPLIFIER

· 2.5GHz ISM Band Applications
· PCS Communication Systems
· Wireless LAN Systems

· Commercial and Consumer Systems
· Portable Battery Powered Equipment
· Broadband Spread-Spectrum Systems

The RF2163 is a linear, medium power, high efficiency
amplifier IC designed specifically for low voltage opera-
tion. The device is manufactured on an advanced Gallium
Arsenide Heterojunction Bipolar Transistor (HBT) pro-
cess, and has been designed for use as the final RF
amplifier in 2.5GHz spread-spectrum transmitters. The
device is provided in a 16-pin leadless chip carrier with a
backside ground and is self-contained with the exception
of the output matching network and power supply feed
line.

· Single 3.3V Power Supply
· +30dBm Saturated Output Power
· 19dB Small Signal Gain
· High Power Added Efficiency
· Patent Pending Power Sense Technology
· 1800MHz to 2500MHz Frequency Range

RF2163

3V, 2.5GHz Linear Power Amplifier

RF2163 PCBA

Fully Assembled Evaluation Board

Rev A4 030327

3.75

1.50 SQ

4.00

0.45
0.28

3.20

1.60

0.75
0.50

12°

INDEX AREA

1.00
0.90

0.75
0.65

0.05
0.00

NOTES:

5 Package Warpage: 0.05 max.

4 Pins 1 and 9 are fused.

Shaded Pin is Lead 1.

Dimension applies to plated terminal and is measured
0.10 mm and 0.25 mm from terminal tip.

The terminal #1 identifier and terminal numbering con
shall conform to JESD 95-1 SPP-012. Details of termi
identifier are optional, but must be located within the z
indicated. The identifier may be either a mold or mark
feature.

0.80
TYP

Dimensions in mm.

Package Style: QFN, 16-Pin, 4x4

2-238

RF2163

Rev A4 030327

Absolute Maximum Ratings

Parameter

Rating

Unit

Supply Voltage

-0.5 to +6.0

Power Control Voltage (V

REG

)

-0.5 to 3.3

DC Supply Current

1000

Input RF Power

+15

dBm

Operating Ambient Temperature

-40 to +85

°C

Storage Temperature

-40 to +150

°C

Moisture sensitivity

JEDEC Level 3

Parameter

Specification

Unit

Condition

Min.

Typ.

Max.

Overall

T=25 °C, V

=3.5V, V

REG1

REG2

=2.3V,

Freq=2450MHz

Frequency Range

1800 to 2500

MHz

Maximum Saturated Output

Power

+29

+30

+32

dBm

=+13dBm

Efficiency at Max Output Power

Maximum Linear Output Power

dBm

With 802.11 modulation (11Mbit/s) and

meeting 802.11 spectral mask.

Linear Efficiency

Small Signal Gain

=10dBm

Reverse Isolation

In "ON" state

In "OFF" state

Second Harmonic

-35

dBc

Including second harmonic trap, see applica-

tion circuit

Adjacent Channel Power

-35

-32

dBc

OUT

=24dBm

Alternate Channel Power

-52

-50

dBc

OUT

=24dBm

Isolation

TBD

dBm

In "OFF" state, P

=TBD

Input Impedance

With external matching

Input VSWR

2:1

With external matching

Power Down

REG

"ON"

2.3

Voltage supplied to control input; device is

"ON"

REG

"OFF"

0.5

Voltage supplied to control input; device is

"OFF"

Power Supply

Operating Voltage

3.0 to 5.0

Current Consumption

650

Power Down "ON", at max output power

350

Power Down "ON", P

OUT

=25dBm

150

290

Idle current

Caution! ESD sensitive device.

RF Micro Devices believes the furnished information is correct and accurate
at the time of this printing. However, RF Micro Devices reserves the right to
make changes to its products without notice. RF Micro Devices does not
assume responsibility for the use of the described product(s).

Refer to "Handling of PSOP and PSSOP Products"
on page 16-15 for special handling information.

2-239

RF2163

Rev A4 030327

Pin

Function

Description

Interface Schematic

GND

Ground connection. For best performance, keep traces physically short

and connect immediately to ground plane.

RF IN

RF input. This input is AC coupled, so an external blocking capacitor is

not required if this pin is connected to a DC path.

BIAS GND2

Ground for second stage bias circuit. For best performance, keep

traces physically short and connect immediately to ground plane.

See pin 16.

PWR SEN

The PWR SEN and PWR REF pins can be used in conjunction with an

external feedback path to provide an RF power control function for the

RF2163. The power control function is based on sampling the RF drive

to the final stage of the RF2163.

PWR REF

Same as pin 4.

See pin 4.

VREG1

This pin requires a regulated supply to maintain the correct bias cur-

rent.

See pin 16.

VREG2

Same as pin 6.

See pin 16.

BIAS GND1

Ground for first stage bias circuit. For best performance connect to

ground with a 10nH inductor.

See pin 16.

GND

Same as pin 1.

RF OUT

RF output and bias for the output stage. The power supply for the out-

put transistor needs to be supplied to this pin. This can be done

through a quarter-wave length microstrip line that is RF grounded at the

other end, or through an RF inductor that supports the required DC cur-

rents.

RF OUT

Same as pin 10.

See pin 10.

RF OUT

Same as pin 10.

See pin 10.

Not connected.

VCC1

Interstage match and bias for first stage output. Connect interstage

matching capacitor to t pin with a short trace. Connect low-frequency

bypass capacitors to this pin with a long trace. See evaluation board

layout for details.

See pin 2.

VCC1

Same as pin 14.

See pin 2.

VCC

Power supply pin for the bias circuits. External low frequency bypass

capacitors should be connected if no other low frequency decoupling is

nearby.

Pkg

Base

GND

Ground connection. The backside of the package should be connected

to the ground plane through a short path, i.e., vias under the device

may be required.

See pin 1 and 2.

RF IN

VCC1

Bond Wire

Inductance

BIAS

RF OUT

PWR SEN

PWR REF

BIAS

RF OUT

BIAS

VREG1

VREG2

BIAS

GND1

BIAS

GND2

VCC

2-243

RF2163

Rev A4 030327

Theory of Operation and Application Information

The RF2163 is a two-stage device with a nominal gain of 19dB in the 2.4GHz to 2.5GHz ISM band. The RF2163 is
designed primarily for IEEE802.11B WLAN applications where the available supply voltage and current are not limited. It
will meet 802.11B spectral mask requirements at an output power of +24dBm. It is especially appropriate for WLAN
access points and other base-station type equipment.

The RF2163 requires only a single positive supply of 3.3V nominal (or greater) to operate to full specifications. Power
control is provided through two bias control input pins (V

REG1

and V

REG2

), but in most applications these are tied

together and used as a single control input.

There is some external matching on the input and output of the part, thus allowing the part to be used in other applica-
tions outside the 2.4GHz to 2.5GHz ISM band (such as MMDS). Both the input and the output of the device need a
series DC-blocking capacitor. In some cases, a capacitor used as a matching component can also serve as the blocking
cap. The circuit used on the evaluation board is optimized for 3.5V nominal applications.

For best results, the PA circuit layout from the evaluation board should be copied as closely as possible, particularly the
ground layout and ground vias. Other configurations may also work, but the design process is much easier and quicker if
the layout is copied from the RF2163 evaluation board. Gerber files of our designs can be provided upon request.

The RF2163 is not a difficult part to implement, but care in circuit layout and component selection is always advisable
when designing circuits to operate at 2.5GHz. The most critical passive components in the circuit are the input, inter-
stage and output matching components (C1, C5, C6, C7, and C11). In these cases, high-Q capacitors suitable for RF
applications are used on our evaluation board (a BOM is available on request). High-Q parts are not required in every
design, but it is very strongly recommended that the original design be implemented with the same or similar parts used
on our evaluation board. Then, less costly components can be substituted in their place, making it easy to test the impact
of cheaper components on performance. General RFMD experience has indicated that the slightly higher cost of better
quality passive components is more than offset by the significant improvements in production yields in large-volume
manufacturing.

The interstage matching capacitor, C11, along with the combined inductance of the internal bond wire, the short length
of circuit board trace, and the parasitic inductance of this capacitor, tunes the peak of the small-signal gain response.
The trace length between C11 and pins 14 and 15 should be kept as short as possible.

In practice, V

CC1

, V

, and the supply for the output stage bias will be tied to this supply line. This can be accomplished

using a suitably-long transmission line which is RF shorted on the other end. Ideally the length of this line will be a quar-
ter wavelength, but it only needs to be long enough so that the effects of other supply bypass capacitors on the inter-
stage match are minimized. If board space is a concern, this isolation can also be accomplished with an RF choke
inductor or ferrite bead. Additionally, a higher-value capacitor than shown on the application schematic can be used if
bypass capacitors must be closer. A Smith Chart can be used to provide initial guidance for value selection and parts
placement. Be aware of the self-resonant frequency (SRF) of higher-valued capacitors. The SRF must be above the fre-
quency of operation.

The output matching caps are C5, C6, and C7. These are tuned along with the 50

transmission line segments TL1 and

TL2, as shown on the evaluation board schematic. These segments should be duplicated as closely as possible. Due to
variations in FR-4 characteristics and PCB manufacturer process variations, some benefit will be obtained from small
adjustments to these transmission line lengths when the evaluation board layout is duplicated on another design. Prior to
full rate manufacturing, the board layout of early prototypes should include some additional exposed ground areas
around C5, C6, and C7 to optimize this part of the circuit. In order to reduce component count, the output can also be
tuned with a single capacitor. A Smith Chart can help determine the desired value and transmission line length, which
can be similarly adjusted on the board prior to production. This will result in a slightly lower-bandwidth and more sensi-
tive match, but in most applications the bandwidth is still sufficient.

2-244

RF2163

Rev A4 030327

Power sensing is implemented with the PWR SEN and PWR REF lines. The outputs of these pins are transistor collec-
tors and need to be pulled up to the supply through a resistor. PWR REF provides an output current proportional to the
output stage bias current, and PWR SEN provides an output current proportional to the total (RF and bias) current of the
output stage. The pulllup resistors convert these currents to voltages, and the voltage difference between these two pins
is proportional to the RF current. See the graph, "V

REF

-V

SENSE

versus P

OUT

", for the response of this signal. This differ-

ence signal can be fed to a power control circuit elsewhere in the end product, or it can be processed at the PA with addi-
tional circuitry and used to adjust the V

REG

voltage(s) to implement automatic level control. Contact RFMD Sales or

Applications Engineering for additional data and guidance in using this feature.

The RF2163 has primarily been characterized with a voltage on V

REG1

and V

REG2

of 2.4VDC. However, the RF2163 will

operate from a wide range of control voltages. If you prefer to use a control voltage that is significantly different than
2.4VDC, contact RFMD Sales or Applications Engineering for additional data and guidance.

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