Detectors

An RF power detector takes an RF input signal and produces a low-frequency or DC output voltage that varies with the input power. The detector itself is the bridge between the RF domain and the DSP / control domain — it lets a low-cost microcontroller "see" the absolute power level at a tap point in the signal chain without needing a fast ADC or a downconversion path.

Detectors come in several flavors, distinguished by their detection law: logarithmic (output volts per dB of input — wide dynamic range, ideal for transmit-power monitoring), RMS (output proportional to true RMS power — needed for accurate measurement of high-PAPR modulated signals), and square-law (output proportional to power directly — simplest but compresses at high inputs). Selection comes down to frequency range, dynamic range (how many dB of input power the part can see linearly), response time (matters for fast AGC loops), and temperature stability.

Typical applications include automatic gain control (AGC) loops in cellular and SatCom receivers, transmit-power leveling and ALC loops in cellular base stations and DAS, RF burst detection in TDD radios and radar receivers, threshold detection in jamming and spectrum-monitoring equipment, and calibration paths in test instrumentation. AEC-Q100 grade-2 qualified variants are denoted with a "-W" suffix.

The table below lists the active power detector portfolio sorted by SKU, with frequency range, dynamic range, detection law, supply current, and package. Click any SKU for the full data sheet, S-parameters, and reference designs.