A technology leader in radio frequency (RF) components for wireless applications, Paratek Microwave, Inc., is now shipping high-performance Adaptive Impedance Matching Module (AIMM™) evaluation kits that have been optimized for Military and Public Safety radio applications. AIMM, vased on Paratek’s ParaScanTM tunable RF technology, is currently finding widespread application in commercial cellular handsets. To achieve a near-optimal match, the 7mm x 21mm AIMM unit dynamically adjusts its internal impedance matching circuit to minimize reflected power. Correcting antenna and amplifier mismatch conditions that often occur with handheld radios and body-worn antennas is the most common application for AIMM. Thanks to Paratek’s ParaTuneTM family of Passive Tunable ICs (PTICs), AIMM can handle in excess of 2 watts with extremely low intermodulation distortion. By overcoming the power limitations of other tunable technologies such as varactor diodes and MEMS, this technology makes AIMM feasible.

By correcting the antenna mismatch that occurs when a radio is in close proximity to the user’s head or torso, AIMM systems for handheld radios have yielded improvements in total radiated power in excess of 5 dB. By proximity effects of the ground, foliage, or debris, AIMM can also be applied in sensor networks where the sensor’s antenna can be detuned.

The product can be used for any application that requires forward power to be maximized and reverse power to be minimized, while the primary application of AIMM is for antenna or power amplifier tuning.

Comprising a tunable impedance network incorporating Paratek’s PTICs, an on-board microprocessor with custom control algorithms, forward and reverse power detectors, and a bias voltage generator, AIMM is a self-contained multi-chip-module (MCM). AIMM’s adaptation and sleep modes are controlled via an SPI interface. The evaluation kit consists of an AIMM mounted on a test fixture with SMA RF connectors as well as an external mechanical switch box that allows standalone operation of the module. While the modules have been optimized for constant amplitude modulation such as FM or BPSK, specialized software loads are available for other modulation types.