Author Topic: RF parts sourcing  (Read 1545 times)

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Offline xaxaxaTopic starter

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RF parts sourcing
« on: September 26, 2017, 08:04:34 pm »
Has anyone else noticed that in the past year or so all the rf parts manufacturers discontinued all their useful parts?

For example the bfg425w low noise amplifier transistor for up to 5GHz; the suggested alternative is much more expensive, and there are no similar transistors at the old price point anymore.
See also the cmy210 rf mixer for up to 2.5GHz from triquint; Since they've turned into qorvo, most of their useful rf parts are gone. If you look at the "mixer" category on their website, all they have left are downconverters for satellite tv.

I can't even find a good mixer for LF to >=2.5GHz anymore; the closest I can find is the LT5560 which is far more expensive at about $2, and it has worse linearity than the cmy210. Similar story for LNA transistors; fairly decent transistors with fT>20GHz and low noise figure used to be available for $0.3; now they are 2x more expensive and with far fewer choices.

What happened to the industry? It seems like people stopped caring about RF and all these companies have turned to the IoT hype instead.

 

Offline denverpilot

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Re: RF parts sourcing
« Reply #1 on: September 27, 2017, 07:37:58 am »
The effect of SDR gaining lots of ground in Commercial RF products, perhaps?
 

Offline Antonio84e

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Re: RF parts sourcing
« Reply #2 on: September 27, 2017, 08:42:11 pm »
There have been a lot of mergers and acquisitions too, which has forced to some companies discontinuing a lot of their products in favour of the others.
 

Offline cdev

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Re: RF parts sourcing
« Reply #3 on: September 30, 2017, 01:09:06 am »
Deindustrialization, consolidation, disinvestment, etc.

"What the large print giveth, the small print taketh away."
 


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