NXP delivers industry's first ultra-wideband Doherty amplifiers

THE NETHERLANDS: NXP Semiconductors N.V. announced the availability of its ultra-wideband Doherty reference design using the BLF884P and BLF884PS -- the industry's first wideband Doherty power amplifiers capable of broadband operation (470 to 806 MHz).

The new 70W DVB-T LDMOS designs bring the high-efficiency gains of Doherty topologies to broadcast transmitters, using NXP's patent-pending architecture capable of operating over an ultra-wideband spectrum. Whereas traditional UHF technologies such as class AB typically reach only 30 percent efficiency, Doherty solutions are capable of reaching 45-50 percent power amplifier efficiency -- a significant improvement.

The ultra-wideband Doherty design uses NXP's mature leading-edge 50V LDMOS technology, and the ruggedness of the BLF884P and BLF884PS make them ideal for digital broadcast transmitters. The UWB Doherty power amplifiers will be showcased in the NXP booth at MTT-S International Microwave Symposium 2013.

"By leveraging NXP's expertise and IP in Doherty architectures, we've been able to design a unique ultra-wideband Doherty solution which achieves high efficiency without incurring additional costs, or delaying time to market: With a single Doherty design, we're able to cover the full band from 470 to 806 MHz. In testing our first high-bandwidth Doherty power amplifiers, our lead customers have been able to demonstrate tremendous efficiency gains, further validating our approach," said Mark Murphy, director of marketing, RF power and base stations, NXP Semiconductors.

"Given the immense pressure to deliver richer content via high-performance TV transmitters, we believe that the impact of ultra-wideband Doherty architectures on the overall digital broadcast market will be wide-ranging. At an average DVB-T power level of 70 W, the BLF884P/PS ultra-wideband Doherty reference design is extremely well suited for gap filler applications."

The BLF884P and BLF884PS are now in production, with product samples and reference designs available immediately to qualified customers. NXP's new Doherty power amplifiers for ultra-wideband -- including its forthcoming BLF888D 110W DVB-T solution suitable for larger transmitters -- will be featured at IMS 2013 in Seattle, Washington from June 4-6 (booth 1709).