Selecting RF/Microwave Power Amplifiers for

EMC Testing
Can you imagine the world without electronic devices? Today’s electronic gadgets, machines, and
appliances have become an integral part of our lives. This is most apparent with recent developments
in technology like drones, mobile internet, medical devices, Internet of Things (IoT), and autonomous
vehicles. The result is a higher potential for harmful electromagnetic interference. This interference ranges
from a small nuisance to complete product or system failures.

Historically, amplifier selection for Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) testing was based mainly on tribal
knowledge and information scattered across the EMC industry. However, proper EMC amplifier selection is
an important step in achieving required RF levels. It should be noted that quality and support are of equal
importance as features when selecting an amplifier. Down-time from equipment failures often means
test lab’s throughput slows, thus impacting the lab’s profitability and customer schedules.
Additional considerations are numerous. It is important to properly understand the following in order to
make a proper decision:

Common EMC test standards

Amplifier specification definitions
Types of amplifiers
Other considerations

1.0 EMC Test Standards

EMC can be defined as a system’s or equipment’s ability to operate in their intended environments
without suffering unacceptable degradation or causing unintentional degradation due to
electromagnetic spectrum interference. Threats to a system can be both naturally occurring and man-
made and can be categorized into four main types of tests: Radiated Immunity, Radiated Emissions,
Conducted Immunity, and Conducted Emissions. The limits and levels used for these tests are defined in
various standards and adopted by various organizations. Products must meet the requirements outlined in
these standards because public safety, among other things, relies on the products to perform as intended.

In many instances, the standard will drive the selection of the amplifier. In addition, the end-user will often
have unique requirements. End-user considerations can be just as important as the industry standards.
Standards commonly used in sectors such as military, aviation, automotive, and consumer are shown here:

Radiated Immunity
IEC 61000-4-3: Commercial
MIL-STD-461, RS103: Military Components
MIL-STD-464: Military Systems
DO-160, Section 20: Aviation
ISO 11451, ISO 11452-2: Automotive
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Radiated Emissions Page 2 of 10:
FCC Part 15 Amplifier Specification Definitions

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CISPR 11, 22, 25, 32: Commercial
Amplifier Specification Definitions
MIL-STD-461, RE102: Military Components
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DO-160, Section 21: Aviation Amplifier Specification Definitions
Conducted Immunity Page 5 of 10:
IEC 61000-4-6: Commercial Amplifier Input & Output Requirements
MIL-STD-461, CS114: Military Components Page 6 of 10:
DO-160, Section 20: Aviation Types of Amplifiers
ISO 11452-4: Automotive Page 7 of 10:
Conducted Emissions Types of Amplifiers

CISPR 11, 22, 25, 32: Commercial Page 8 of 10:

MIL-STD-461, CE101, CE102: Military Components Types of Amplifiers

DO-160, Section 21: Aviation Page 9 of 10:

Amplifier Accessories

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Other Considerations

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2.0 Amplifier Specification Definitions

In many instances, the standard will drive the selection of the amplifier. In addition, the end-user will often
have unique requirements. End-user considerations can be just as important as the industry standards.
Standards commonly used in sectors such as military, aviation, automotive, and consumer are shown here:

Parameter Definition Relevance

Frequency Instantaneous operational Amplifiers are only specified
Reponse frequency band to operate within this defined
frequency band. Some solid state
amps will operate just outside of
the band with significant power
reduction (Figure 1), whereas TWT
amplifiers have a much harder
cutoff due to waveguide (Figure 2).

Figure 1: Example of Solid State amplifier output power over frequency

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Abstract

EMC Test Standards

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Amplifier Specification Definitions

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Amplifier Specification Definitions

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Amplifier Input & Output Requirements

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Types of Amplifiers

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Types of Amplifiers

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Types of Amplifiers

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Figure 2: Example of TWT amplifier output power over frequency Amplifier Accessories

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Other Considerations

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 Parameter Definition Relevance
Rated The definition of It is important to remain cognizant
Output ‘Rated Power’ varies by of the manufacturer’s definition
Power manufacturer. Some as their definition of rated power
manufacturers will define may not satisfy your requirements.
it as the output power For example, if you require linear
for a given input power power and the manufacturer rates
across the operational their amplifiers at something other
bands others will define than P1dB, you will want to size your
it as the amplifier’s amplifier according to the P1dB
saturated output power. specification, rather than rated
There are additional power. On the other hand, some
definitions manufacturers manufacturers may specify rated
will use. The key takeaway power at P1dB, leaving extra power
is to be cognizant of the available for applications where
definition used by the linearity is not critical.
manufacturer in question.

Power Output Power generated by amp Important power rating for

@ 1 db at the 1 dB compression applications where there are strict
Compression point linearity requirements (IEC / EN).
Can be considered the top-end
of linear power. Amp saturation
increases after P1dB.

Figure 3: Example of P1dB and PdB levels fro the 50U1000

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Harmonic The ratio of the sum of the Many test specifications require at
least -6 dBc. It is important that the Abstract
Distortion powers of all harmonic
components to the power selected amplifier not contribute EMC Test Standards
of the fundamental harmonic distortion more than what Page 2 of 10:
frequency is required by the standard.
Amplifier Specification Definitions

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Amplifier Specification Definitions

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Amplifier Input & Output Requirements

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Types of Amplifiers

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Types of Amplifiers

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Types of Amplifiers

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Amplifier Accessories

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Other Considerations
Figure 4: Example of Amplifier Harmonics
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 Parameter Definition Relevance
Gain The amplification factor, Many amplifier factors result from
also called gain, is an amplifier’s gain, such as output
the extent to which an power, size, and the power required
analog amplifier boosts to operate that amplifier.
the strength of a signal.
Amplification factors are Gain is called S21 using
usually expressed in terms S-parameter terminology
of power.

Flatness This specifies how much Variations in the flatness of the

the amplifier’s gain can amplifier’s gain can cause distortion
vary over the specified of distort signals passing through
frequency range. the amplifier.

Efficiency The ratio between the Although Class A amplifiers are

power of the output and inherently less efficient than other
total power consumption amp classes, design techniques
can improve amplifier efficiency.
Highly efficient amplifiers are smaller
and require less input power than
other amplifiers with equivalent
rated output power.

Pulse Limitations on Pulse Width, Pulsed SSPAs and TWTs produce

Capabilities Pulse Rate, and Duty higher-peak power than-CW power
Cycle but are limited in how much RF can
be passed through the amplifier

Modulation A variation to the While there are a multitude of

(AM, FM, PM) properties of a periodic types of RF modulations used in
Performance signal. today’s world, there a few specific
modulations used by EMC test
standards to approximate real-world
threats, such as pulse modulation
(PM) and amplitude modulation
(AM). It is imperative that the
amplifier used in testing be able
to faithfully reproduce the required
modulation without altering or Find It Fast
adding extraneous distortion.
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Abstract
Mismatch Ability of an amplifier In EMC applications, especially
Tolerance to handle un-matched at lower frequencies, transducers EMC Test Standards
loads and thus varying (antennas / clamps / etc.) can be Page 2 of 10:
amounts of reflected a very poor match to 50 Ohms. Field Amplifier Specification Definitions
power reflections / standing waves can
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cause significant reflected power as
Amplifier Specification Definitions
well. During tests, it is important to
continue to deliver forward power Page 5 of 10:
and protect the amp from reflected Amplifier Input & Output Requirements
power damage. Page 6 of 10:
Types of Amplifiers

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Types of Amplifiers

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Types of Amplifiers

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Amplifier Accessories

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Other Considerations

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3.0 Amplifier Input and Output Requirements
How much input power is required to achieve full-rated output power is a common concern when
choosing an amplifier. Some manufacturers have specified input of 1 milliwatt. However, that is not the
case for every manufacturer, so it is important to verify. In these cases, while the rated input power is
defined as 1 milliwatt, most amplifiers provide rated output power with less than 1 milliwatt input.
This output power is because the specified value will often have built-in conservatism. Pay close attention,
though, to an amplifier’s maximum input. It varies by vendor and possibly by model family.

The input signal strength has a profound effect on the amplified output signal. It determines the operating
region and, thus, the degree to which the amplifier output is compressed. Ideally, an amplifier will simply
amplify the input signal without adding any additional signals or artifacts. Unless operated in the extreme
linear region, amplifiers will distort the input to some degree. The extent to which the amplifier affects the
input signal is a function of the output compression. The higher the amplitude of the input signal, the risk
of output compression increases. At the 1dB compression point there may be a slight flattening at the top and
bottom of a CW sine wave signal. As the amplifier is driven further into saturation, additional distortion will
become apparent and eventually the CW input signal will approach a square wave output (See Figure 5).
The 1 dB and 3 dB compression points are further shown in Figure 6.

Figure 5: Example of Amplifier Saturation

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Abstract

EMC Test Standards

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Amplifier Specification Definitions

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Amplifier Specification Definitions
Figure 6: Linearity Characteristics
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Amplifier Specification Definitions
Distortion creates new unwanted signals at frequencies not present at the amplifier’s input, as observed
in the frequency domain with a spectrum analyzer. Figure 7 shows the effect of driving a TWT amplifier Page 6 of 10:
into saturation. This figure shows the harmonic having only a slightly lower amplitude compared to the Types of Amplifiers
fundamental signal. This situation causes unnecessary problems for the test engineer. Under this scenario, Page 7 of 10:
if the EUT fails during radiated immunity testing, the test engineer will not know if the failure’s cause was Types of Amplifiers
due to the fundamental or the harmonic. To further complicate matters, if additional harmonics have
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high amplitudes, the test engineer must evaluate all harmonics to determine the failure’s cause. It is also
Types of Amplifiers
possible that neither the fundamental nor a single harmonic causes a failure, but rather a combination of
the fundamental and harmonic(s). The most commonly used power meters and field probes themselves Page 9 of 10:
are wideband measurement devices that will display the total energy across the entire band, fundamental, Amplifier Accessories
harmonics, and spurious; this can make measuring the amplifier output power or generated field Page 10 of 10:
additionally challenging. Other Considerations

Summary

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 Figure 7: Image of the Fundamental Signal and Harmonic

4.0 Types of Amplifiers

EMC amplifiers range in types, such as Solid State, TWT, CW, Pulse, and their class of operation - Class A
and Class AB.

4.1 Class A and Class AB Amplifiers

Class A and Class AB amplifiers both have their strengths and weaknesses. Class A amplifiers are the
most robust. They provide the highest levels of mismatch tolerance which is needed when significant
RF levels reflect into the amplifier, a common effect with many EMC antennas and other transducers.
Additionally, linearity and harmonic distortion are much better with Class A amplifiers compared to
other amplifier classes.

Class AB amplifiers have their own benefits. Generally, the cost of the amplifier is less than Class A
amplifiers. The physical size of these amplifiers is also generally smaller. These amplifiers are much
better suited for use with matched loads. Read AR’s Importance of Mismatch Tolerance for Amplifiers
Used in Susceptibility Testing to learn more.
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Shown in the table below is a summary of the differences between Class A and Class AB amplifiers.
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Abstract
Characteristics Class A Amplifier Class AB Amplifier
EMC Test Standards
Output
Low distortion, highest Linearity Higher distortion, poor Linearity Page 2 of 10:
Distortion
Amplifier Specification Definitions
Cost More expensive Less expensive
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Amplifier will safely operate Output limits are generally used to Amplifier Specification Definitions
Ruggedness without damage regardless of protect the amplifier when operated Page 4 of 10:
load mismatch beyond a stated level of mismatch Amplifier Specification Definitions

Size/Weight Larger/Heavier Smaller/Lighter Page 5 of 10:

Amplifier Input & Output Requirements
More components required to Less component requires to
Construction Page 7 of 10:
share the head load share the heat load
Types of Amplifiers
AC power
Less efficient More efficient Page 8 of 10:
to RF power
efficiency Types of Amplifiers

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Output current flows for 360° of Output current flows somewhere
Bias Scheme between 180° and 360° of the input Amplifier Accessories
the input signal
signal Page 10 of 10:
Other Considerations

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 4.2 TWT Amplifiers
For years, when discussing microwave, high field-strength electromagnetic compatibility (EMC)
radiated susceptibility testing, Traveling Wave Tube Amplifiers (TWT Amplifiers or TWTAs) were the only
choice for wide frequency coverage and power. TWTs are lower-cost solutions, in most cases, but
they do have drawbacks. Their unique properties allow them to be used in a pulsed mode, which can
lower the total required average power and maximize their peak power, thus, reducing cost further.
However, TWTs produce high harmonics, have a greater noise floor, longer purchase lead times,
longer repair times, and lower reliability than solid state amplifiers. Some advanced TWTs combine
multiple tubes together to reduce harmonic content and increase total power. Another solution to
reduce harmonics is to use filters on the amplifier output. It is important to remember that there are
always losses associated with filters that must be considered for amplifier power sizing. The VSWR
associated with the filters is another consideration, which can cause amplifier foldback.

4.3 Solid State Pulse Amplifiers

For years, when discussing microwave, high field-strength electromagnetic compatibility (EMC)
radiated susceptibility testing, Traveling Wave Tube Amplifiers (TWT Amplifiers or TWTAs) were the only
choice for wide frequency coverage and power. TWTs are lower-cost solutions, in most cases, but
they do have drawbacks. Their unique properties allow them to be used in a pulsed mode, which can
lower the total required average power and maximize their peak power, thus, reducing cost further.
However, TWTs produce high harmonics, have a greater noise floor, longer purchase lead times,
longer repair times, and lower reliability than solid state amplifiers. Some advanced TWTs combine
multiple tubes together to reduce harmonic content and increase total power. Another solution to
reduce harmonics is to use filters on the amplifier output. It is important to remember that there are
always losses associated with filters that must be considered for amplifier power sizing. The VSWR
associated with the filters is another consideration, which can cause amplifier foldback.

4.4 Solid State Pulse Amplifier

The difficulties associated with pulse TWT amplifiers can be mitigated with a desirable alternative.
Solid state pulse amplifiers offer high-power RF levels that rival those of TWTs. Modern solid state pulse
amplifiers include various frequency ranges and output power levels to meet several standards and
user requirements. These solid state pulse amplifiers offer higher reliability, better mismatch tolerance,
much better harmonic distortion, and better MTBF (Mean Time Between Failure) than TWTs.

4.5 Dual Band Amplifiers

If a single band amplifier is not available over the desired frequency band, a dual band amplifier may
be an attractive solution. A dual band amplifier consists of two amplifiers combined into one “box”
with a single I/O interface, RF input and output, and two bandwidths equivalent to the two amplifiers it
replaced. This approach simplifies the test setup.

While the system seems simplified on the surface, a closer look within the “box” reveals a different
story. While the two amplifier modules in a dual-band amplifier may share a common power supply,
the overall system is complicated because it now consists of not one but two complex amplifier modules.
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Furthermore, additional RF switching, cabling, and connectors are required, which will adversely
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affect both amplifier’s RF output. The additional components add insertion loss that may not present a
Abstract
problem at lower frequencies but can account for significant losses at higher frequencies. In addition,
simultaneous signal generation across the entire band is impossible due to the required switching from EMC Test Standards
one frequency band to the other. Page 2 of 10:
Amplifier Specification Definitions
Figure 8 and Figure 9 show the schematic differences between a single band and dual band
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amplifier, respectively.
Amplifier Specification Definitions

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 Figure 8: Basic Diagram of a Single-Band Amplifier

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Abstract

EMC Test Standards

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Figure 9: Basic Diagram of a Dual-Band Amplifier Types of Amplifiers

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5.0 Amplifier Accessories

An often overlooked important part of an EMC test setup are the accessories. The cost and time
associated with EMC testing warrants the use of high quality accessories. AR offers all the accessories
needed to round out your system. This includes a family of antennas that operate up to 50 GHz and
handle up to 20 kW. AR’s in-house antenna designers and experienced EMC design engineers have
collaborated over the years to develop antennas that provide very attractive alternatives to traditional
antenna designs. Examples include the models Radiant Arrow, ATT Pyramidal Log Period and AA series
amplifier antenna products.

AR offers these accessories, with an experienced sales and engineering organization available to offer
customers the best solution. Figure 10 and Figure 11 are examples of accessories used in radiated and
conducted RF immunity test setups, respectively.

Basic Radiated Immunity Equipment

Figure 10: Basic Diagram of a Dual-Band Amplifier

Basic RF Conducted Immunity Equipment Find It Fast

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Abstract

EMC Test Standards

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Amplifier Specification Definitions

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Amplifier Specification Definitions

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Figure 11: Components Used in a Typical Conducted Immunity Test Setup Types of Amplifiers

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Other Considerations

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6.0 Other Considerations
6.1 Transistor
The transistors used in the amplifier are a main component of the amplifier. They can provide hints
about the design and provide you with another data point in your purchasing decision.
Different transistor technologies have been used throughout the years, including LDMOS, GaAs
and GaN, among many others. While each technology poses various inherent pros and cons, GaN
technology has become more prevalent in today’s marketplace. The benefit of GaN is greater power
density than other technologies, which translates into higher power amplifiers and smaller overall
packages compared to similarly powered amplifiers. Benefits like these are especially important in
EMC applications as increased power is paramount for testing.

6.2 Amplifier Regulatory Compliance

Almost always forgotten is the importance of product regulatory compliance. It is crucial for amplifiers
to undergo safety, EMC, and hazardous substance evaluations. Not all amplifier manufacturers have
made a commitment to global regulatory compliance. Because of this, some manufacturers are
not able to distribute their product to certain regions of the world. Even in regions that don’t require
such compliance, it is important to meet these requirements on all products in order to reduce
potential harm to users and the environment. Independent third-party laboratories are often favored
to evaluate products to international safety and EMC test standards, so there is no question about
the validity of compliance compared to those manufacturers who choose to perform
in-house evaluations.

6.3 Multiple Signal/Tone Applications

If planning to use multiple signals/tones or complex waveforms to speed up testing and better
represent real-world threats, a single broadband amplifier is the most appropriate choice versus
a multiband amplifier or multiple amplifiers. A broadband amplifier can amplify all the signals
simultaneously whereas a multiband amplifier may require multiple inputs and outputs. To learn more
about Multi-Tone testing, read AR’s Multi-Tone: Testing, Theory and Practice.

Summary
There are many factors to consider when selecting an amplifier. Proper EMC amplifier selection is an
important step in achieving required RF levels for the multitude of applications that exist today.
To keep harmful interferences happening between military, automotive, medical devices, or even just
the common household electronic devices; the necessary standards have been put in place. Once the
standard at which the device needs to be tested against is determined, it is important to consider these
other important factors during the amplifier selection process.

Need help selecting the right amplifier? AR’s Applications engineers have years of amplifier experience
in areas such as EMC, wireless component R&D testing, and more. We are happy to discuss your
requirements and assist you in selecting the right amplifier for your specific purpose. If you need assistance,
please feel free to call at 215-723-8181.

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Abstract

EMC Test Standards

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Amplifier Specification Definitions

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Amplifier Specification Definitions

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Amplifier Specification Definitions

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Amplifier Input & Output Requirements

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Types of Amplifiers

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Amplifier Accessories

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To order AR Products, call: 215.723.8181. For an applications engineer, call: 800.933.8181
Direct to Service, call: 215.723.0275 or email: service@[Link]