Analysis of Indirect Lightning Effects on Low-Noise Amplifier and Protection Design

Abstract

In order to analyze the interference mechanisms of indirect lightning effects on a low-noise amplifier (LNA), a circuit model of the LNA was constructed based on the advanced design system 2020 (ADS 2020) software. Lightning pulse injection simulations were conducted to explore the influence of lightning pulses on the performance of the LNA. A pin injection test was performed to investigate the interference and damage threshold of the LNA. A protective circuit incorporating the transient voltage suppressor (TVS) and Darlington structure was designed through simulation, employing the ADS 2020 for the LNA. The research findings reveal that the interference threshold for the LNA is 60 V, while the damage threshold is determined to be 100 V. The protective circuit demonstrates a measured insertion loss of 0.1 dB, a response time of 1.5 ns, and a peak output voltage of 20 V. The research results indicate that the protective circuit can effectively reduce the impact of lightning’s indirect effects on the LNA. In the future, we will continue the design work of the protective circuit and proceed with physical fabrication and experimental validation.