Yuping Toh
Analog Devices

Monolithic logarithmic amplifiers (log amps) can handle signals with dynamic ranges up to 100 dB. They are capable of responding to RF bursts that are as short in duration as a few tens of nanoseconds. However, when demodulating logarithmic amplifiers are used to detect fast RF bursts, strange tails sometimes appear at the output when the applied burst shuts off. This article explains a common cause of these tails and offers suggestions on how to eliminate them.