NXP Debuts 1.4 kW ‘Extremely Rugged’ LDMOS Power Transistor for VHF Amps

By Doug Lung
published

NXP has a beefy new LDMOS power transistor for VHF transmission. The new BLF188XR is an “eXtremely Rugged” (NXP’s description) device, capable of withstanding a severe load mismatch of 65:1 at 5 dB of compression. The device itself can provide up to 1.6 kW of peak output power and can operate with as much as 60 volts and still pass the extreme ruggedness test.

According to NXP, the device is ideal for “large-scale industrial, scientific and medical applications (ISM) in frequency ranges under 300 MHz.” These applications often have mismatched load impedance.

The AC characteristics section BLF188XR datasheet shows the device putting out 1,200 Watts at 108 MHz. These devices would seem ideal as the basis of a high-power solid-state FM transmitter. Additional information is available in the BLF188XR product brief, which calls it “1400 W extremely rugged LDMOS power transistor for broadcast and industrial applications in the HF to 600 MHz band.”

Engineering samples are available now to qualified customers.

Doug Lung
Doug Lung

Doug Lung is one of America's foremost authorities on broadcast RF technology. As vice president of Broadcast Technology for NBCUniversal Local, H. Douglas Lung leads NBC and Telemundo-owned stations’ RF and transmission affairs, including microwave, radars, satellite uplinks, and FCC technical filings. Beginning his career in 1976 at KSCI in Los Angeles, Lung has nearly 50 years of experience in broadcast television engineering. Beginning in 1985, he led the engineering department for what was to become the Telemundo network and station group, assisting in the design, construction and installation of the company’s broadcast and cable facilities. Other projects include work on the launch of Hawaii’s first UHF TV station, the rollout and testing of the ATSC mobile-handheld standard, and software development related to the incentive auction TV spectrum repack.
A longtime columnist for TV Technology, Doug is also a regular contributor to IEEE Broadcast Technology. He is the recipient of the 2023 NAB Television Engineering Award. He also received a Tech Leadership Award from TV Tech publisher Future plc in 2021 and is a member of the IEEE Broadcast Technology Society and the Society of Broadcast Engineers.