NXP announces LDMOS UHF transistor with DVB-T output power of 120W

EINDHOVEN, THE NETHERLANDS: NXP Semiconductors N.V. has announced the availability of an Ultra High Frequency (UHF) RF power transistor; the BLF888A, a 600W LDMOS device for broadcast transmitters and industrial applications.

The BLF888A is the most powerful LDMOS broadcast transistor in the market to date. For a DVB-T signal over the full UHF band from 470 to 860MHz, the transistor can deliver 120W average power with efficiencies greater than 31 percent.

Featuring excellent linearity, high gain of 21dB and outstanding ruggedness corresponding to VSWR greater than 40:1, the BLF888A is ideal for advanced digital transmitter applications, such as DVB-T. The BLF888A will be showcased at the European Microwave Week, NXP Booth No. 194, from September 26 - October 1, 2010 in Paris.

The exceptional performance of the BLF888A is enabled by NXP's 50V high voltage LDMOS process technology in combination with advanced thermal concepts, resulting in unprecedented power density and thermal resistance as low as 0.15K/W.

As a consequence, the BLF888A allows broadcast equipment manufacturers to optimize existing or new transmitter installations for performance and total cost of ownership. For complete power amplifier line-ups, the BLF888A combines optimally with the BLF881 driver transistor.

"We have achieved something very special with the BLF888A, by being able to combine excellent ruggedness with broadband power and efficiency," said Mark Murphy, director of marketing for RF power products, NXP Semiconductors.

"In the past, designers would have had to trade these parameters off against each other, yielding a sub-optimal solution. Now with the BLF888A, broadcast transmitter architects around the world have the option to optimize the RF system level performance without having to worry about the power transistor."

The new transistor is available in two versions: a bolt-down package -- BLF888A and an earless package -- BLF888AS, which enables a more compact PCB design. The BLF888AS can be soldered to achieve a further decrease in junction temperature.

With more than 4 billion RF products shipped annually, NXP is an industry leader in High Performance RF. NXP's leading LDMOS technologies together with advanced package concepts enables best-in-class RF power transistor performance, featuring high power and outstanding ruggedness for all broadcast technologies.

The BLF888A and BLF888AS are sampling now.