Abstract A transistor avalanche noise generator (TANG) is described. It is based on an off-the-shelf RF transistor with an integrated planar monopole. From a 70 V DC power it generates sub-nanosecond pulses with amplitudes close to 1 V. The proposed solution does not employ step recovery diodes, and it is based as the name implies on the operation of a bipolar transistor crossing into the avalanche region. Radiation measurements showed energies close to −40 dBm at frequencies near 600 MHz, with energies reaching the range of 1 GHz.
