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E6E05

CIRCUIT COMPONENTS · Semiconductor materials and packages for RF use

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Which of the following noise figure values is typical of a low-noise UHF preamplifier?

  1. A0.5 dB
  2. B-10 dB
  3. C44 dBm
  4. D-20 dBm
Why Noise figure measures how much a stage degrades the signal-to-noise ratio, expressed as a power ratio in dB, so it is always a positive number (a perfect noiseless amplifier would be 0 dB). Modern GaAsFET and HEMT devices at UHF give real-world noise figures well under 1 dB, so a value around half a dB is what a good low-noise preamp achieves. Anything much above 1 to 2 dB at UHF is considered mediocre for weak-signal work.
Watch out The choices given in dBm are absolute power levels, not ratios, so they cannot describe noise figure at all, and a negative dB noise figure would mean the amplifier improves the signal-to-noise ratio, which is physically impossible.
Noise figure is a ratio in dB, never dBm, and never negative. Good UHF preamp: a fraction of a dB.
HamSandwich explanation, first draft. The question and answers are the NCVEC text.
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The rest of E6E

  1. E6E01 Why is gallium arsenide (GaAs) useful for semiconductor devices operating at UHF and higher frequencies?
  2. E6E02 Which of the following device packages is a through-hole type?
  3. E6E03 Which of the following materials supports the highest frequency of operation when used in MMICs?
  4. E6E04 Which is the most common input and output impedance of MMICs?
  5. E6E05 Which of the following noise figure values is typical of a low-noise UHF preamplifier?
  6. E6E06 What characteristics of MMICs make them a popular choice for VHF through microwave circuits?
  7. E6E07 What type of transmission line is often used for connections to MMICs?
  8. E6E08 How is power supplied to the most common type of MMIC?
  9. E6E09 Which of the following component package types have the least parasitic effects at frequencies above the HF r…
  10. E6E10 What advantage does surface-mount technology offer at RF compared to using through-hole components?
  11. E6E11 What is a characteristic of DIP packaging used for integrated circuits?
  12. E6E12 Why are DIP through-hole package ICs not typically used at UHF and higher frequencies?
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