Applications of GaAs ICs in video distribution

Author

Gold, R.B.

Author_Institution

Pacific Monolithics Inc., Sunnyvale, CA, USA

fYear

1994

fDate

16-19 Oct. 1994

Firstpage

151

Lastpage

154

Abstract

Television has been a key driver in the development of GaAs MMIC technology. A succession of techniques for video distribution-from 4 GHz TVRO to 28 GHz LMDS-has been enabled by the unique capabilities of GaAs MMICs. In turn, these markets have provided a steadily-growing outlet for semiconductor producers. One specific example, a GaAs MMIC-based rooftop receiver for 2.5 GHz "wireless cable TV", is illustrative of the impact of the technology, with over 250,000 units shipped to date. In this case, the performance advantages of GaAs MMICs were secondary. Size and cost reduction were the real market enablers, but only when the system-level design was opened up to exploit the technology\´s true leverage.

Keywords

III-V semiconductors; MMIC; gallium arsenide; microwave links; television broadcasting; television receivers; 2.5 GHz; 28 GHz; 4 GHz; GaAs; LMDS; MMIC technology; TV receive only; TVRO; cost reduction; local multipoint distribution service; rooftop receiver; system-level design; video distribution; wireless cable TV; Cable TV; Costs; FETs; Gallium arsenide; Gold; Local oscillators; MMICs; Radio frequency; Satellite broadcasting; Tuners;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Gallium Arsenide Integrated Circuit (GaAs IC) Symposium, 1994. Technical Digest 1994., 16th Annual

Conference_Location

Phildelphia, PA, USA

ISSN

1064-7775

Print_ISBN

0-7803-1975-3

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/GAAS.1994.636954

Filename

636954