Archive (EOL) TBMDA3 Modulated Power Amplifier

The TBMDA3 modulated wideband power amplifier is designed in order to create an inexpensive signal source for immunity testing of electronic building blocks and products. It is designed to be driven by the tracking generator output of spectrum analyzers. With its high gain, it can boost the output power of any tracking generator up to 5W. The TBMDA3 is ideal to drive Tekbox near field probes in order to find the sensitive spot of an electronic circuit or to create electric fields up to 550V/m when driving the Tekbox TEM Cell TBTC0, 300V/m when driving the TBTC1, 150V/m when driving the TBTC2 or 100V/m when driving the TBTC3. Test signals for immunity testing can be CW, AM or PM modulated. Consequently, the TBMDA3 provides built in modulation capability to generate 1 kHz AM or PM signals. In PM mode, the TBMDA3 can also generate a 217 Hz Signal with 12.5% duty cycle in order to simulate mobile phone TDMA noise.

FEATURES

  • CW amplifier (modulation off)
  • 1 kHz, 80% AM modulation
  • 1 kHz, 50% duty cycle pulse modulation
  • 217 Hz, 12.5% duty cycle pulse modulation

SPECIFICATIONS

Input / Output: 50 Ohm, N female
Supply Voltage range: 110 V…240 V
Supply power consumption: 20 W
Maximum input power: +3 dBm
Operating temperature range: -20°C to 50°C
Frequency range: 10 MHz – 1 GHz
1dB output compression point @ 10MHz: +36 dBm typ
1dB output compression point @ 100 MHz: +37 dBm typ
1dB output compression point @ 500 MHz: +36 dBm typ
1dB output compression point @ 1 GHz: +34 dBm typ
Harmonics: < – 10 dBc typ.
Internal modulation frequency AM: 1 kHz ±10%
Internal modulation frequencies PM: 1 kHz ±10%, 217 Hz ±20%
Duty cycle, PM: 50% ±10% @ 1 kHz; 12.5% ±20% @ 217 Hz

Gain:

3 MHz 7 MHz 10 MHz 25 MHz 100 MHz 200 MHz 300 MHz 400 MHz 500 MHz
22.5 dB 39.6 dB 42.7 dB 44.7 dB 44.7 dB 44.4 dB 43.7 dB 42.6 dB 42.3 dB

 

600 MHz 700 MHz 800 MHz 900 MHz 1 GHz 1.1 GHz 1.2 GHz
41.8 dB 41.9 dB 40.6 dB 41.5 dB 39.9 dB 37.5 dB 29.8 dB

 

APPLICATION

  • general purpose power amplifier
  • signal source for immunity testing, driving near field probes
  • signal source for immunity testing, driving TEM Cells

LINKS AND REVIEWS

EDN Blog immunity testing using Tekbox modulated amplifier

A Low-cost Bulk Current Injection Test Set-up

Structure Resonance Amplifiers RF Noise

A pre compliance immunity tutorial by Dr. Min Zhang of Mach One Design, an engineering consulting firm (www.mach1design.co.uk) based in Oxford, UK