RFDA2026 - 1.4-2.7GHz 6-Bit Digital VGA | RF Micro Devices
MPN: RFDA2026 ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1 | $1.00 |
RFDA2026 Overview
A digitally controlled variable gain amplifier is an RF amplifier whose gain is set in discrete steps by a digital attenuator rather than an analog control voltage. In the RF signal-chain hierarchy it sits between a variable gain amplifier (VGA), a general RF amplifier, and the broader family of RF and microwave gain blocks, and it typically replaces mechanically or analog-tuned gain stages in modern transceivers.
Key features of the RFDA2026 include excellent step accuracy across all 64 gain states of the 6-bit digital step attenuator, low DC current consumption, and high linearity (high IP3) maintained over the entire gain control range. The SPI serial mode control interface allows fast, repeatable gain switching under microcontroller or FPGA control, which is essential for adaptive power control loops.
Technically, the device integrates a cascaded digital step attenuator core with driver amplifier stages inside the laminate MCM, achieving high linearity and a noise figure of less than 4.1 dB at maximum gain. RFMD's VGA portfolio family shares the 6-bit, 0.5 dB LSB architecture, allowing designers to scale frequency range and output power while retaining a consistent control scheme.
Typical applications include cellular infrastructure transmit and receive chains in the 1800 MHz to 2400 MHz bands (DCS/PCS/UMTS and related frequencies), wireless repeaters and boosters, and general RF microwave equipment requiring precise digitally programmable gain.
When designing with the RFDA2026, ensure adequate RF grounding of the MCM's ground pads with multiple vias to the PCB ground plane, and observe the absolute maximum DC supply conditions given in the manufacturer datasheet.
This page synthesizes verified distributor data, datasheet-derived specifications, and sourcing guidance for this discontinued RFMD/Qorvo part, including end-of-life replacement strategies not found on the manufacturer page alone.
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Request AlternativesRFDA2026 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Product Type | Digital Controlled Variable Gain Amplifier (VGA) |
| Frequency Range | 1400 MHz to 2700 MHz |
| Gain Control | 6-bit digital step attenuator |
| Gain Step Size (LSB) | 0.5 dB |
| Maximum Gain | 32 dB |
| Minimum Gain | 32 dB total attenuation range (per digchip listing) |
| Noise Figure | < 4.1 dB (maximum gain state) |
| Output Power | 25 dBm (0.32 W) |
| Control Interface | Serial (SPI) mode control |
| Linearity | High IP3 over entire gain control range |
| Application Bands | 1800 MHz to 2400 MHz (per digchip listing) |
| Package Type | 6.0 mm x 6.0 mm leadless laminate MCM, 32 pin |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Manufacturer | RF Micro Devices (RFMD), now Qorvo |
| Lifecycle Status | End-of-Life (discontinued) |
RFDA2026 6.0 mm x 6.0 mm leadless laminate mcm, 32 pin Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for RFDA2026 (6.0 mm x 6.0 mm leadless laminate mcm, 32 pin package). This analog component features input, output, and power supply pins. Refer to the manufacturer datasheet for offset null, compensation, and enable pin configurations. Ideal for signal conditioning and amplifier circuits.
No detailed pinout data available for RFDA2026.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
RFDA2026 is suitable for 6 applications: Cellular Infrastructure Transmit Chains, Receiver Front-End Gain Positioning, Wireless Repeaters and Boosters, Test and Measurement Signal Chains, Point-to-Point Microwave Links, Adaptive Antenna and Array Systems.
Cellular Infrastructure Transmit Chains
The RFDA2026 fits DCS/PCS/UMTS transmit chains in the 1800-2400 MHz application band, where its 6-bit, 0.5 dB-step digital gain control enables precise, repeatable power trimming ahead of the driver and PA stages. With roughly 32 dB maximum gain, 25 dBm output capability, and high IP3 maintained across the entire gain range, it preserves ACLR performance as gain is reduced - a common weakness of analog VGAs. Programmed via SPI from the baseband controller, the VGA can track power-control commands frame by frame without DAC drift or temperature-dependent gain error, simplifying calibration. Place it between the transceiver output and the upconverter/driver with adequate RF grounding of the MCM's ground pads.
Recommended
Receiver Front-End Gain Positioning
In receiver paths, the RFDA2026 provides up to 32 dB of gain with a noise figure below 4.1 dB at maximum gain, which is low enough to sit directly after the front-end filter or LNA without dominating cascade noise. As strong interferers appear, the SPI-controlled 6-bit attenuator reduces gain in verified 0.5 dB increments, protecting downstream mixers and ADCs from overload while keeping step resolution fine enough for AGC loops to hold a constant RSSI. Its high IP3 across all gain states means intermodulation performance degrades gracefully rather than catastrophically when attenuation is inserted, which matters in dense urban deployments with blocking signals.
Recommended
Wireless Repeaters and Boosters
RF repeaters and signal boosters need wide, precisely controlled gain ranges to satisfy regulatory gain flatness and maximum-output limits. The RFDA2026's 64-state, 0.5 dB resolution across 1400-2700 MHz covers the 1800-2400 MHz repeater bands with a single control scheme, and its digital SPI interface allows the repeater's controller to enforce gain ceilings and step ramps deterministically. The approximately 25 dBm (0.32 W) output supports driver-level positions in medium-power repeaters. Because gain accuracy is inherent to the digital step attenuator architecture, units ship with repeatable gain-versus-code tables, reducing per-unit factory calibration time and supporting fleet-wide consistency.
Recommended
Test and Measurement Signal Chains
Automated test equipment and lab signal chains benefit from the RFDA2026's digitally guaranteed gain states: unlike analog VGA gain that varies unit-to-unit, the 6-bit DSA delivers excellent step accuracy per RFMD's portfolio description, letting test software assume gain equals the programmed code. Covering 1400-2700 MHz, one instrument front end serves multiple wireless test bands. The sub-4.1 dB noise figure preserves measurement dynamic range at maximum gain, while high IP3 keeps intermodulation artifacts below measurement uncertainty even at mid-range attenuation settings. SPI control integrates naturally with instrument FPGA or microcontroller timing for stepped-gain sweeps.
Recommended
Point-to-Point Microwave Links
Licensed and unlicensed point-to-point radios operating between 1400 and 2700 MHz can use the RFDA2026 in either transmit pre-driver or receive IF/RF gain positions. The 0.5 dB LSB granularity supports fine link-budget alignment during installation and remote fine-tuning afterward, with the SPI interface mapping directly onto the radio's network-management controller. High linearity across the entire gain range is critical here because modulations such as 256-QAM demand strict error-vector-magnitude budgets; the RFDA2026's high-IP3, digitally controlled architecture keeps EVM contribution stable as automatic gain control adapts to fading conditions, and the 6x6 mm MCM suits compact outdoor-unit layouts.
Recommended
Adaptive Antenna and Array Systems
Phased-array and adaptive antenna systems require per-channel gain trimming to shape beams and calibrate path differences. The RFDA2026's 6-bit, 0.5 dB-step control gives 64 calibrated amplitude states per channel with excellent step accuracy across the 1400-2700 MHz band, sufficient for amplitude tapering in the 1800-2400 MHz arrays. SPI control allows a single controller to daisy-configure multiple VGA channels synchronously, so beam updates happen coherently. The compact 6.0 mm x 6.0 mm leadless laminate MCM fits the tight channel spacing of array PCBs, and the low DC current typical of RFMD's VGA family helps manage thermal load in densely packed arrays.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for RFDA2026 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product |
|---|---|
| Package | 6.0 mm x 6.0 mm leadless laminate MCM, 32 pin |
| Brand | RF Micro Devices (RFMD, now Qorvo) |
| Frequency Range | 1400 MHz to 2700 MHz |
| Gain Control | 6-bit, 0.5 dB LSB, SPI serial |
| Maximum Gain | 32 dB |
| Noise Figure | < 4.1 dB at maximum gain |
| Output Power | 25 dBm (0.32 W) |
| Lifecycle Status | End-of-Life |
Key Differentiators
- Excellent step accuracy with 6-bit, 0.5 dB resolution (vs Analog-control VGAs (generic))
- High linearity maintained across the full gain range (vs Attenuator-plus-amplifier discrete chains)
- Integrated single-module solution (vs Discrete DSA + LNA two-chip solutions)
Design Notes
The RFDA2026 comes in a 6.0 mm x 6.0 mm leadless laminate MCM with 32 pins plus ground pads. Follow the datasheet land pattern exactly and provide a via fence under and around the module's ground perimeter - at least one ground via per ground pad, stitched to a solid internal ground plane. Laminate MCMs are more sensitive to land-pattern tolerance than plastic QFNs, so specify the PCB footprint from the datasheet rather than a generic 32-pad QFN library part.
Use 50-ohm controlled-impedance lines into RF1/RF2 with DC-blocking capacitors sized for your lowest operating frequency (1400 MHz minimum); 100 pF 0402 capacitors typically present low insertion loss at L-band and above. Keep the SPI control traces short and away from the RF path; although the DSA is digital, control-line ringing during gain transitions can couple transient spurs into the output. Reference the manufacturer datasheet evaluation-board layout as a starting point.
The part is end-of-life: do not start new designs with it. Verify broker-supplied units against the datasheet's gain-versus-code table across all 64 states before production release, since counterfeit or re marked MCMs are common for discontinued RFMD parts. Also confirm supply-voltage sequencing requirements from the datasheet - apply RF input only after the module supply is stable to avoid attenuator-core latch-up in some digital VGA architectures.
Compliance Information
Compliance data was not present in the verified web data for this discontinued part. Consult the Qorvo product page or request compliance documentation from the broker.
