20 GHz GaAs FET transmitter

An assessment is made of the progress made toward performance goals of 7.5 W with 30 dB of gain, and a 2.5 GHz bandwidth at 19 GHz, in the development of a 20 GHz FET transmitter for the NASA 30/20 GHz Communications Satellite. This amplifier employs a 90 percent-efficient, 16-way waveguide circuit combination of module amplifiers. Each of these module amplifiers generates 0.5 W of output power and 30 dB of gain, with six gain stages and two waveguide-to-microstrip transitions whose loss is as low as less than 0.25 dB.