RF MODULES / PRODUCT INFORMATION

Solid-State RF Power Amplifiers (SSPA)

Solid-state RF power amplifiers use semiconductor devices rather than vacuum tubes to increase RF signal power. New Ark’s catalogue is a reference set for civilian component and product-documentation review: it includes GaN and LDMOS-labelled records, but a device label is not by itself proof of a complete SSPA, certified instrument, measured performance, or application suitability.

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RF amplifier module category reference photograph — **A closer look at the module form factor.**Enclosure and interface arrangements vary across the family.

01 / Solid-state RF amplifiers

What “solid-state” means

In this context, solid-state means that the amplifying element is semiconductor-based. GaN, or gallium nitride, is a compound-semiconductor technology; LDMOS is laterally diffused metal-oxide semiconductor technology. Both can appear in RF transistors, integrated devices, or packaged assemblies. The technology name describes the active device approach, not every other part of a finished amplifier.

A complete SSPA or module may also require matching networks, thermal paths, connectors, enclosure work, protection, control, and supplier documentation. Those boundaries matter when comparing a transistor, a populated module, and a finished instrument. The catalogue records below should therefore be read as documented reference entries, not as a blanket reliability, efficiency, or output guarantee.

02 / Solid-state RF amplifiers

How to read the New Ark catalogue

The 22 approved records are technology-labelled GaN or LDMOS entries. Documented examples include reference 01 at 5–6 GHz and 10–30 W, reference 02 at listed 1.2, 1.5, and 2.4 GHz points with 50 W LDMOS, reference 04 at 100–1000 MHz with 100 W LDMOS (new revision), and reference 15 at 1–6 GHz or 1–6.2 GHz with a 100 W label and a power-validation note. These are catalogue fields, not independent test results.

The wider set includes 1–3 GHz, 3–6 GHz, 4–8 GHz, and 2–7.2 GHz records, plus narrower or multi-variant entries. Reference 06 retains conflicting 4–6 versus 4–6.3 GHz and bandwidth values; reference 16 retains conflicting weight and dimensions; reference 18 has conflicting frequency records and an unclear 10 W/20 W variant; reference 22 retains conflicting 150 W/200 W and feature fields. Missing, unclear, and revision-marked values require confirmation rather than silent normalization.

03 / Solid-state RF amplifiers

Module packaging and documentation

Packaging fields help establish what should be reviewed before a procurement or integration discussion. The catalogue records connector formats such as SMA → SMA, SMA → N, and N, with listed dimensions and weights where supplied. Some entries list a circulator, while others say none is listed; that field does not establish an internal design for every variant. A connector or enclosure measurement also does not prove the electrical interface, cooling provision, or complete system boundary.

A useful document set should identify the exact record and revision, frequency notation, bandwidth definition, power-rating basis, mechanical drawing, interfaces, and any missing fields. It should also separate supplier data from independent characterization. Keysight’s civilian measurement documentation treats high-power amplifier characterization as a distinct verification activity, while an SSPA catalogue label alone does not constitute that measurement record.

04 / Solid-state RF amplifiers

Civilian review and scope discipline

For civilian communications, scientific, industrial, or laboratory discussions, begin with the exact component boundary and the documents needed for the buyer’s review. A requested band that is not explicitly represented in the approved catalogue remains a feasibility scope, not a supplied module. Frequency overlap must not be used to infer an application match, and a nominal wattage must not be read as continuous measured output, waveform behaviour, or suitability for a particular system.

Certification and laboratory claims require their own evidence. ILAC explains that accreditation evaluates conformity-assessment bodies for specific activities and that laboratory competence is tied to defined scopes; this is different from a semiconductor technology label or a supplier catalogue entry. New Ark’s page therefore provides civilian product-navigation information only: it does not claim a factory, stock, lead time, certification, customer deployment, or performance guarantee.

SOURCE RECORDS / COMPARISON ONLY

Compare supplied reference records

The cards below reproduce the specifically linked supplier reference records. They are not a list of suitable or available products. Reference numbers are not confirmed commercial model codes; every field and applicable revision requires written confirmation.

Units and source notation are retained where stated. An uncertain or missing unit is not inferred.

Reference model 01

Recorded fields

Frequency referenceRecorded: 5–6 GHz
Bandwidth referenceRecorded: 1 GHz
Power referenceRecorded: 10-30 W
Transistor technologyRecorded: GaN

Solid-State RF Power Amplifiers (SSPA)

What “solid-state” means

How to read the New Ark catalogue

Module packaging and documentation

Civilian review and scope discipline

Compare supplied reference records

Sources and attributions

RF | NXP Semiconductors

What You Need to Know About GaN Technology

High Power Amplifier Measurements Using Keysight VNAs

About ILAC

ILAC MRA and Signatories

Questions about this topic

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