Bonn Elektronik EMI Preamplifiers
Low-Noise EMI Preamplifiers, 9kHz to 6GHz
Measuring a weak received signal accurately depends on the first amplification stage in the chain — if that stage adds significant noise, no amount of downstream signal processing can recover what's already been lost. Bonn Elektronik's BLNA series addresses this directly: low-noise EMI preamplifiers covering 9kHz to 6GHz, built specifically for boosting weak received signals ahead of an EMI receiver or spectrum analyzer, where noise figure matters more than raw output power.
Gain ranges from 32dB to 41dB depending on model, giving enough amplification to lift a weak signal well above the measurement instrument's own noise floor, while the low-noise design keeps the preamplifier itself from becoming the dominant noise source in the measurement chain. This positions the BLNA series as the receive-side counterpart to Bonn's power amplifier ranges — where the BSA/BLWA/BLMA/TWAL families amplify a signal on its way out to a test antenna or fixture, the BLNA series boosts a weak signal on its way in, ahead of measurement.
This distinction matters in EMI radiated emissions testing specifically, where the signal received by the measurement antenna can be very weak and needs clean amplification before an EMI receiver can characterise it accurately, without the preamplifier's own noise contribution corrupting the measurement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does noise figure matter more than gain for an EMI preamplifier?
A preamplifier with high gain but poor noise figure amplifies its own internally generated noise along with the desired signal, degrading the overall signal-to-noise ratio reaching the measurement instrument. A low noise figure ensures the preamplifier boosts the signal without becoming the dominant noise contributor in the receive chain.
How does the BLNA series relate to Bonn's power amplifier ranges?
They serve opposite ends of the same test chain — Bonn's power amplifier families (BSA, BLWA, BLMA, TWAL) amplify a signal being transmitted out to a test antenna, while the BLNA preamplifiers boost a weak received signal on its way into an EMI receiver or spectrum analyzer for measurement.
What frequency range does the BLNA series cover?
9kHz to 6GHz, spanning the range typically needed for radiated emissions measurement work, with gain from 32dB to 41dB depending on the specific model selected.
See Bonn Elektronik's technical documentation for the BLNA preamplifier series →
