Mixers with wideband performance enable multiband communications

Mixers with wideband performance enable multiband communications

The single-channel ADL5811 and dual-channel ADL5812 RF mixers are offered as the first of their kind to incorporate wideband LO amplifier, programmable RF balun and IF filter, and IF amplifier — supporting wideband operation for wireless infrastructure and software-defined radio applications. The passive mixers extend across a 700 to 2,800-MHz frequency range in a single device while delivering input IP3 of 24 dBm and an 11-dB SSB noise figure — also claimed to be the best-in-class linearity and noise figure across frequency band over what is available today.

Today’s wireless receiver designers typically have had to choose between an active mixer, which offers excellent wideband operation and moderate spurious-free dynamic range, and a passive mixer, which has greater SFDR performance but much narrower operating bandwidth. These new parts eliminate the need for this tradeoff by giving engineers the linearity, distortion, and noise performance they need while also supporting true wideband frequency operation.

The LO amplifier generates high-voltage square-wave with fast rise time with no dc current penalty over narrowband passive mixers. The RF balun provides a balanced RF input signal drive to the mixer core. And the LPF reduces early compression of the IF amplifier due to unwanted sidebands and improves linearity.

Additional features include 7 dB of power conversion gain, a 0-dBm LO drive level, ESD protection circuitry, and a 3.6 to 5-V operation. The frequencies of the ADL5811 and ADL5812 can be easily changed using a three-wire SPI, which allows designers to tune the mixers with no need for external impedance matching components. The ADL5811 and ADL5812 are housed in 32-lead 5 x 5-mm and 40-lead 6 x 6-mm LFCSP packages. (Ea/1,000: ADL5811, $8.03; ADL5812, $10.98 — prod qty, 3rd qtr.)

By Christina Nickolas

Analog Devices , Wilmington , MA
Sales 800-262-5643
www.analog.com