Why Do You Need a Low-Noise Amplifier?

You can find a low noise amplifier in almost any wireless or RF/MW communication equipment. An LNA is an integral part of any receiver system.  You can find low-noise amplifiers in the radio communications system, electronic equipment, and medical instruments.

By the time, a receiving antenna picks up an RF or MW signal, the signal level is normally very weak. On top of that, the signal is also coupled with random noise from the environment. In order to process the signal, the receiver first needs to boost the signal by first amplifying it. The amplifier amplifies the signal together with the environmental noise. On top of that, the amplifier will add its own noise to the amplified signal. As the receiver cannot control the amount of noise level in the environment, the next best thing is that it must amplify the received signal without adding a significant amount of noise to the already weak signal.

This is where a low noise amplifier comes in useful. There are many types of amplifier available. But what’s so special about a low noise amplifier is that a low- noise amplifier can minimize the additional noises with the use of amplifier technology.  LNA is specifically designed to reduce the additional noises. It mainly focuses on the weak signals that are above the noise floor, it also considers the larger signals that cause intermodulation distortion.

ALNA-1416-30-15-1SF – Ku-Band Low Noise Amplifier

Take a look at ALNA-1416-30-15-1SF, a low noise amplifier from AWG Tech.  It has an operating frequency from 14 – 16GHz. The gain of the amplifier is 30 dB minimum. The noise figure is 1.8 dB within the operating frequency.
The operating temperature for the amplifier is -40 to + 85 degrees Celsius.
On top of that, the ALNA-1416-30-15-1SF is ruggedized to withstand shock and vibration and is a well suited for military applications.

Low Noise Amplifier: What are the requirement?

Designs

LNA is considered as the building blocks for any communicative system. As it is made with the objective of the additional noise reduction, it focuses on four important factors in the design, noise figure, impendence matching, and gain. Moreover, the design is dependent on the s-parameters of a transistor.

What should you consider while buying an LNA?

Different types of the low-noise amplifiers are available in the current market. All of them claim to offer the best results. If you want to get the best one, you need to consider the following important factors.

Noise figure

Noise figure is an important aspect of determining the efficiency of a low-noise amplifier. It can help you to understand this specific device is useful for your purpose or not. Usually, people consider low noise figure as it offers the best results.

Low noise amplifier high gain

If you want high gain, then you need to buy an amplifier that comes with low figure. The LNAs should have the high gain so that it can process signals into the post-circuit. If your LNA does not have the high gain, then there is a possibility that the signal will be influenced by the noises in the LNA itself. Hence, it is always important to buy low noise amplifier high gain to get the better result and to minimize the noise to a great level. Moreover, the high gain is also important for the frequency and the smooth functioning.

Low noise amplifier high IP3

In certain environment, the amplifier not only has to deal with weak in-band signal, but the amplifier needs to remain linear in the presence of strong interfering signals which may be in band or out of band. If the interfering signal is out of band, it could possibly be removed with the use of a suitable filter. If the interferer lies in band, there is not much that can be done other than making sure that the LNA does not become saturated. If the LNA is saturated (not operating in the linear region), the output signal will suffer from intermodulation distortion, which may not be possible to remove even with digital signal processing.

In conclusion, when you are choosing a low noise amplifier for your system, the first most important criteria is the noise figure. Go for one that has the lowest noise figure if you can afford it. Next, consider the environment that the amplifier needs to operate in and decide if you need to get a low noise amplifier with high gain or if you need a low noise amplifier with high IP3.

These are important factors to consider in order to make your device efficient and more useful.

Contact AWG Tech for your Low Noise Amplifier needs today

If you are in doubt, check with AWG Tech’s technical team. Our technical team have more than 20 years of experience in designing and manufacturing wireless communications systems and sub-systems and should be able to provide with an LNA that best suits your requirement and budget.