NXP Semiconductors OM7961

Overview

OM7961 from NXP Semiconductors is a customer evaluation kit designed for the BFU520A, BFU530A, and BFU550A NPN silicon RF transistors. It includes unpopulated RF amplifier PCBs (standard and with emitter degeneration), four SMA connectors, device samples, and a USB stick containing datasheets, S-parameter/noise files, SPICE models, and application notes. The kit supports broadband low-noise amplifier design up to 2 GHz in ISM band applications.

For engineers reviewing the OM7961 datasheet, OM7961 pinout, OM7961 application, or OM7961 equivalent, this kit provides validated hardware platforms and simulation-ready models to accelerate RF front-end prototyping-especially for 433 MHz and 866 MHz ISM band LNA development, impedance matching verification, and noise figure optimization.

Technical Context

The OM7961 is not a semiconductor component but a hardware evaluation platform comprising two unpopulated PCBs optimized for RF amplifier characterization: one standard layout and one with emitter degeneration for stability enhancement. Each board accepts SOT23-packaged transistors and integrates 50 Ω input/output interfaces via SMA connectors.

It delivers direct access to measured S-parameters and noise parameters of the BFU520A family, enabling accurate small-signal modeling, gain/noise trade-off analysis, and Γ_opt matching validation across 433 MHz, 866 MHz, and 1800 MHz bands under defined bias conditions (e.g., V_CE = 8 V, I_C = 5–10 mA).

Key Specifications

Availability

OM7961 is available at Aetrix Electronics and suitable for RF prototyping, ISM band LNA development, and RF transistor characterization requiring stable component supply and validated reference designs.

Supply support for OM7961 includes scheduled delivery planning, volume procurement assistance, BOM continuity management, traceable sourcing, and lifecycle availability coordination for OEM customers, industrial embedded developers, connected-device designers, and electronics production programs.

Manufacturer

NXP Semiconductors is a global semiconductor company headquartered in Eindhoven, Netherlands, specializing in high-performance RF, automotive, and secure connectivity solutions.

The OM7961 belongs to NXP's RF transistor evaluation ecosystem, developed to accelerate adoption of its BFU5 family-engineered specifically for low-noise, high-gain amplification in ISM, wireless sensor, and automotive radar front-end applications.

FAQ

What is the OM7961 used for?

The OM7961 is a customer evaluation kit for the BFU520A, BFU530A, and BFU550A RF transistors. It enables rapid prototyping of low-noise amplifiers by providing unpopulated PCBs, SMA connectors, device samples, and full design support files-including S-parameters, noise data, and SPICE models. Engineers use OM7961 to validate biasing, impedance matching, and noise performance before committing to custom RF layouts.

Does the OM7961 include populated circuit boards?

No, the OM7961 contains two unpopulated RF amplifier printed-circuit boards-one standard layout and one with emitter degeneration-along with SMA connectors and sample transistors. Users populate the boards themselves to match their specific bias and matching requirements, ensuring flexibility for experimental tuning and parameter sweep testing of the OM7961-supported devices.

Which RF transistors are included with the OM7961?

The OM7961 includes physical samples of the BFU520A, BFU530A, and BFU550A NPN silicon RF transistors in SOT23 packages. These devices share the same AEC-Q101 qualification and 11 GHz f_T silicon technology, differing primarily in noise figure and gain profiles across frequency bands-enabling comparative evaluation within the same OM7961 test environment.

What design resources come with the OM7961 USB stick?

The OM7961 USB stick contains datasheets, application notes (including AN11377 and AN11378), S-parameter files (.s2p), noise parameter files (.np2), Agilent ADS models (Mextram-based), SPICE models (Gummel-Poon-based), PCB solder patterns, and layout guidelines. These resources allow full simulation-to-hardware correlation for the BFU520A and related devices supported by the OM7961 kit.

Can the OM7961 be used for 1800 MHz ISM band evaluation?

Yes, the OM7961 supports 1800 MHz ISM band evaluation through its compatibility with the BFU520A's characterized performance: minimum noise figure of 1.0 dB, maximum stable gain of 12.5 dB, and output IP3 of 18 dBm at 1800 MHz (I_C = 10 mA, V_CE = 8 V). Application note data and S-parameter files on the OM7961 USB stick explicitly cover 1800 MHz operation for both standard and emitter-degenerated configurations.