Transmit chain power amplifier lineup calculator. Assess gain and efficiency across your entire TX chain instantly. All system-level PA parameters are linked — see the ripple effect of any change in real time. Better than spreadsheets, and simple.
All system-level parameters are linked to each other. Change one value and the entire lineup updates instantly — no manual recalculation.
Per-stage and cumulative chain gain in dB. Change driver gain and instantly see the required pre-driver input power update across the entire lineup.
Power Added Efficiency per stage. Linked to DC power consumption — adjust PAE and PDC recalculates automatically, and vice versa.
Output power in dBm and Watts for each stage. The antenna port reflects true delivered power accounting for all stage gains.
DC power consumption per stage and total system draw. Critical for thermal design and battery-operated system budgeting.
lineupCalcRF models a complete transmitter power amplifier lineup from the pre-driver input to the antenna port. Display order follows signal flow from antenna back to pre-driver input.
First amplification stage in the chain. Typically small-signal or low-power. Sets the input power requirement for the full TX lineup.
Intermediate gain stage providing drive power to the final stage. Gain and efficiency here directly impact the back-calculated pre-driver requirements.
The highest-power amplifier stage driving the antenna. Typically has the lowest PAE and highest DC consumption. Dominates total system power draw.
The output reference point. Reflects total delivered RF power after the final stage. Used as the top-level Pout target for the entire lineup calculation.
Gain, efficiency, output power, and DC power are all interconnected. Edit any one value and the entire chain updates — no stale numbers, no manual recalculation.
See total chain gain, system PAE, and aggregate DC power consumption at a glance. Far faster than building and maintaining spreadsheet models.
Copy the full lineup table to clipboard in one tap. Paste directly into emails, design documents, or reports to share with your team.
Explore design trade-offs instantly. Increase final stage PAE by 5% and immediately see the impact on total DC, system efficiency, and driver requirements.
Designed for iPad with a spacious layout that makes the full lineup chain clear and readable. Also runs on iPhone, Mac (Apple Silicon), and Apple Vision.
Your design data stays on your device. DirectRF collects zero data from lineupCalcRF — no analytics, no telemetry, no accounts required.