CMD201P5-EVB - DC-20 GHz GaAs Power Amp Eval Board | Qorvo

Test and Measurement Signal Chains

The CMD201P5-EVB is a natural fit for wideband test and measurement setups because its DC-to-20 GHz bandwidth and 50 ohm matched ports connect directly to vector network analyzers, broadband oscilloscopes, and spectrum analyzers without external matching networks. The 11 dB gain is useful as a driver stage to lift signal-generator output into the linear range of a device under test, while the +37 dBm output IP3 at 10 GHz keeps intermodulation products low during two-tone intermod testing. Because the underlying CMD201P5 uses a distributed topology, gain flatness is maintained across the entire band, reducing the correction tables needed in automated test setups. Engineers should budget a 10 V supply capable of 400 mA continuous and ensure the QFN exposed pad is heat-sunk during long soak tests. As with any GaAs amplifier evaluation, limit input drive to remain below the +27 dBm P1dB compression point to preserve measurement linearity.

Radar and Electronic Warfare Prototyping

Radar and EW systems require multi-octave gain blocks covering L, S, C, X, Ku, and K bands, exactly the DC-to-20 GHz span of the CMD201P5-EVB. The +27 dBm output P1dB supports driver-stage duty in transmit chains and local oscillator distribution, while the 3.4 dB noise figure keeps the amplifier usable in sensitive receive front ends where every dB matters for detection range. Using the evaluation board, system engineers can measure pulse response, gain flatness across band segments, and spurious content on a real 50 ohm fixture before committing to a custom low-cost production board. The board's distributed-amplifier MMIC tolerates broadband signals including chirped and frequency-hopping waveforms without reactive matching limitations. Designers should verify bias sequencing and thermal behavior under high duty-cycle operation, since the amplifier draws up to 400 mA at 10 V - about 4 W continuous - which demands proper heat removal in dense EW chassis prototypes.

Satellite Communication Up/Downconverter Chains

Satellite communication links operating in C, Ku, and K bands benefit from the CMD201P5-EVB's coverage through 20 GHz and its +37 dBm OIP3 at 10 GHz, which preserves modulation accuracy (low EVM) in multi-carrier uplink drivers. In a typical evaluation, the board sits between an upconverter mixer output and a higher-power solid-state power amplifier, providing 11 dB of linear gain while contributing only 3.4 dB of noise figure on the receive side. The 50 ohm matched ports simplify integration with waveguide transitions and coaxial interconnects used in ground-terminal breadboards. Because linearity directly affects adjacent-channel leakage and back-off requirements, characterizing the amplifier's actual P1dB and IP3 on the EVB allows accurate link-budget modeling before board spin. Thermal management is important: at 4 W dissipation the QFN pad on the amplifier must couple effectively to the fixture, mirroring conditions the final production assembly will need to replicate.

General-Purpose Broadband Gain Blocks

For laboratory and product-development work needing a flexible broadband amplifier, the CMD201P5-EVB functions as a ready-made 50 ohm gain block from DC to 20 GHz. Applications include boosting the output of sweep generators, driving modulators and mixers that require defined drive levels, amplifying wideband telemetry, and providing gain in photodetector or sensor front-end experiments. The elimination of external RF matching - the CMD201P5 is natively 50 ohm matched - means the board can be repurposed across many experiments without retuning, saving substantial bench time. The 10 V / up-to-400 mA bias requirement is simple to meet with a bench supply, and the EVB's onboard bias decoupling demonstrates the recommended network to copy into a custom design. Users should respect the +27 dBm P1dB limit at 10 GHz when setting drive levels, and allow airflow or heatsinking for extended operation near full bias current.

MMIC Design Validation and Second-Source Evaluation

Design teams evaluating GaAs MMIC amplifiers for new products can use the CMD201P5-EVB as a reference characterization platform: it demonstrates Qorvo's recommended bias network, RF layout, and grounding for the 32-QFN (5x5 mm) CMD201P5 package, which is valuable layout intelligence when planning the production PCB. Measured S-parameters, P1dB sweeps, and IP3 two-tone data taken on the EVB can be compared against distributor and datasheet claims (11 dB gain, 3.4 dB NF, +27 dBm P1dB at 10 GHz) to validate supply-chain quality or benchmark against competing DC-20 GHz distributed amplifiers. Because millimeter-wave layout errors commonly degrade gain flatness and stability, the EVB provides a known-good baseline against which a first-pass custom board can be correlated, isolating design defects from device variation. Document the bias sequencing and decoupling values observed on the board for inclusion in the production design package.

Wideband Receiver Front-End Development

Broadband surveillance, spectrum-monitoring, and software-defined radio receivers need front-end gain with low noise and high linearity across many octaves. The CMD201P5-EVB lets receiver designers insert 11 dB of gain with 3.4 dB noise figure and +37 dBm OIP3 at 10 GHz directly into a prototype RX chain via standard 50 ohm coax, evaluating cascade noise figure, blocking performance, and intermodulation with real signals. The DC-to-20 GHz span covers everything from HF/VHF acquisitions through K-band downconverters, so a single evaluation platform serves multiple receiver variants. Distributed-amplifier topology provides predictable gain flatness, simplifying AGC and digital compensation design. During evaluation, place attenuators ahead of the board when testing strong-signal blocking to keep operation below the +27 dBm P1dB compression point, and replicate the EVB's ground via fencing and bias decoupling in the production receiver to preserve the measured noise and stability performance.