Following questions about power-supply-related performance degradation in sensitive RF circuits, E-REON carried out a direct comparison using an LNA.
Test arrangement
The experiment compared a general-purpose DC-DC converter marketed for low-noise operation with an E-REON converter designed specifically for noise-sensitive RF circuits.
Both converters were supplied from 26 V and used to power the same LNA. The LNA was driven with a −50 dBm continuous-wave carrier while its output spectrum was monitored. Neither converter used a linear post-regulator during the comparison.
The test illustrates how the choice of power supply can influence the received spectrum in a low-noise amplifier stage. A subsequent evaluation was planned to examine phase-noise and spurious-performance degradation in a phase-locked loop.