- AEC-Q100 Grade 2 and VDA 6.3, Conforming to Standards for Automotive Components -

The NJG1187AKGC-A^*3, High-gain GNSS LNA for L1/L2/L5/L6

Nisshinbo Microdevices Inc. has launched the NJG1187AKGC-A^*3, which conforms to AEC-Q100 Grade 2, VDA 6.3 and other standards for automotive components, for Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) such as GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou and Galileo in May 2023.

These days, high-precision position information is required to build safe and convenient in-vehicle systems such as dashboard cameras and automotive navigation systems. To meet these requirements, we have expanded the lineup of products for multi-band GNSS which conform to AEC-Q100 Grade 2 ^*1 and VDA6.3 ^*2. The NJG1187AKGC-A^*3 is a low noise amplifier (LNA) with high gain and low noise figure supporting the 1.5-GHz band (1559 to 1610 MHz) and the 1.1- to 1.2-GHz band (1164 MHz to 1300 MHz). The product contributes to improving receiver sensitivity of GNSS receivers and reducing positioning time. In addition, since the circuit stages of the first and second LNAs are matched outside the package, it can be flexibly configured and used according to applications. The adoption of wettable flank package enables easy introduction of automatic visual inspection.

*1AEC-Q100 is a global standard for the reliability of automotive integrated circuits.
*2VDA 6.3 is a process-based auditing standard specified by the German Association of the Automotive Industry.
Conforming to the standard and passing the audit will expand the range of adoption for in-vehicle products.

Figure 1. Operating Frequencies of NJG1187AKGC-A^{*3 *4}

Features

1. High-Gain and Low Noise Figure (NF) Characteristics in Each GNSS Band

Since the receiving frequency can be adjusted by changing the external circuit, this product achieves high gain of 34 dB or more and low NF in the 0.6 dB range in each band from 1.1 to 1.6 GHz. It can support multi-band GNSS, which is necessary for high-precision positioning, contributing to improving receiver sensitivity of GNSS receivers and reducing positioning time.

2. Increased Flexibility in Circuit Configuration

Since the circuit stages of the first and second LNAs are matched outside the package, filters can be placed between the LNA stages. This configuration achieves high attenuation characteristics with minimal effect on NF. Figure 2 shows an example of applications with a filter inserted between stages. This product can be flexibly configured and used according to applications.

Figure 2. Example of Applications with Filter Inserted between Stages^*4

3. Adoption of Wettable Flank Package

The adoption of a 0.5 mm pitch wettable flank package, which is in high demand for automotive applications, enables reliable solder mounting and easy introduction of automatic visual inspection.

Figure 3. Image after Mounting^*4

4. Main Specifications (Please refer to the datasheet for details.)

Item	NJG1187AKGC-A^*3
Package	1.6 × 1.6 × 0.78 mm
Supply Voltage	1.5 V to 3.7 V
Operating Current (Current Consumption)	8.0 mA Typ.
Operating Frequencies	1164 MHz to 1610 MHz
Small Signal Gain	34 dB Typ. @ L1 band 37 dB Typ. @ L2/L5 band 36 dB Typ. @ L6 band
Noise Figure (NF)	0.60 dB Typ. @ L1 band 0.65 dB Typ. @ L2/5/6 band
Sample Price	JPY 132 (Tax Included)
Monthly Production	1 million