User Manual

7
9. Operation
The unit operates automatically and there are no user adjustments.
The amplifier is only intended for use with 2.4 GHz radio modems that alternate between transmit
and receive in the same radio channel. These are referred to as Time Division Multiplex (TDD)
devices. A typical example is an 802.11 WLAN card or Access Point. These modems “ping-pong”
back and forth between transmit and receive so quickly during normal operation that both the TX
and RX LEDs will appear to be lit simultaneously. In fact they are turning on and off so quickly that
they appear to be on all the time. You can tell the duty cycle one of these LEDs by their brightness.
The amplifier will not work with radio modems or wireless bridges that are band-split true full duplex
devices.
The amplifier provides for linear amplification for transmit output powers up to at least 400 mW. This
is important for Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS) radios, especially 802.11 devices. If you
drive the amp so hard as to exceed 400mW output power, the amplifier will start to go into
compression. This will result in raising the sidebands which will result in polluting the adjacent radio
channels.
For Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum radio devices, versions of the amplifier are available from
the that have the output power limited to 250, 400 or 500 mW as specified in the FCC certified
system. These amplifiers should not be used with DSSS radios since the transmit power limiting
mechanism in the amplifier will cause it to go into compression when their respective clamped
output levels are reached.