exxos's Atari, Amiga & retro forum

Hi everyone,

I have a strong interest in retro computing, RF design, and embedded systems. Outside of work, I enjoy tinkering with vintage hardware, analyzing PCB designs, and diving into datasheets for fun. Lately, I've been especially curious about RF front-end modules and the role of GaN/GaAs in modern and legacy systems.

Looking forward to learning from the amazing minds here.

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getawaycar wrote: 10 Jun 2025 07:21 I've been especially curious about RF front-end modules and the role of GaN/GaAs in modern and legacy systems.

All the DTV Tuners we designed at Zarlink in Swindon used to be Bipolar (GaAs) technology up to about 2005 when we went RF CMOS. That allowed the tuners and the demodulators to go into the DTV SoC processes mopping up two chips on the motherboard or expensive MCM packages. I seem to remember the performance wasn't as good but the cost savings made it the winning design. I only worked in the digital bit so I had little or no interaction with the teams doing the work. The Bipolar fab in Swindon closed shortly afterwards.

Welcome to the forum!

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