Microwave Engineering Europe - June 2008 - (Page 38)

38 PRODUCTS LNA with built-in bypass circuit offered in small, thin packages Toshiba Electronics Europe has extended its family of SiGe amplifiers by integrating a low noise amplifier (LNA) with a bypass function into a single MMIC (monolithic microwave integrated circuit). The device, designated TA4029, helps to minimise power consumption in applications such as mobile TV. It also offers improved dynamic range and distortion characteristics of the tuner circuit by switching to low power bypass mode when high gain operation is not needed. The MMIC is ideal for digital terrestrial and mobile TV tuner applications, as well as other VHF-UHF designs where input signal strengths are variable yet where low current consumption and good linearity are critical. Designed for low power operation, the TA4029 operates with a supply voltage of 2.3 V to 3.3 V and is suitable for the frequency range from 40 MHz to 1000 MHz. In LNA mode the supply current is only 4 mA while typical gain and noise figures are rated 13 dB Integrated transceivers with digital control boast enhanced accuracy and precision Endwave Corporation has announced the release of a new line of integrated transceivers called Smart T/R™ Modules, which incorporate digital micro-controller technology for improved performance. In taking the company’s leading microwave transceiver technology and marrying it with digital “smarts”, the result is a next-generation T/R module solution with a higher level of precision, consistency and accuracy. Micro-controllers allow the Smart T/R Module to optimize the bias, control and monitoring of key transceiver components. The digital “smarts” compensate for the lot-to-lot variations in the RF semiconductor devices that form the heart of the subsystem, so the result is more robust, worryfree, consistent module performance. This automatic adjustment reduces the manual touch-time needed to set-up, tune and center the module performance, thereby improving the quality and reliability for the systems they enable. Moving control functions to the digital domain typically reduces control component parts-count by over 10 percent while providing AGC loop timing and accuracy not possible in a strictly analog fashion. A key advantage of the Smart T/R Module is the ability to switch from one transmitter output power level to any other in a precisely controlled time segment — and as quickly (or slowly) as system operating conditions dictate. With the Smart T/R Module, the change is provided by the digital micro-controller interface — which can select any control voltage within the available range. In contrast, an analog control circuit can (at 1 GHz) and just 1.2 dB, respectively. In bypass mode the supply current drops to 3 µA (maximum) and typical loss is only 2 dB (at 1 GHz). The flexibility of the TA4029 to switch between low noise amplification and no distortion pass-through mode is achieved with a single mode control voltage. The new amplifier is available either in a small, thin CST6C leadless package with dimensions of only 1.15 mm x 1.5 mm x 0.38 mm (TA4029CTC) or in a thin (0.7 mm height) flat lead UF6 package with an SOT-363 footprint (TA4029TU). Both versions will operate at temperatures from -40 to 85 degrees Celsius. www.mwee.com/207801193 Reference design kit enables RF engineers to evaluate Class-D amplifiers Microsemi has announced a 1.7-KW, push pull, ClassD reference design kit that enables RF design engineers to immediately evaluate a highly efﬁcient, high power, Class-D ampliﬁer. Based on the company’s DRF1300 Driver/MOSFET hybrid, the reference design kit provides an essential tool in developing high-power, high-voltage RF generators, optimizing efﬁciency and power densities for plasma generation, switch mode power ampliﬁers, pulse generators, ultrasound transducer drivers and acoustical optical modulators Key features include greater than 1700 W output power; better than 80 percent efﬁcient Class-D operation; 13.56-MHz switching frequency; up to 250 supply voltages; internal MOSFET rated at 500 V BV(DSS); low cost system design; and solid state transition for tube ampliﬁers. DRF1300/Class-D reference design kits and samples of the DRF1300 and DRF1301 Driver/MOSFET hybrids are available now. www.mwee.com/207801214 often take twenty times longer to effect a 20 dB output power change compared to a 1 dB change — primarily due to ramping voltages through RC circuits and their associated time constants. The modules offer improved stability and timing of transition. Micro-controller adjusted ramps provide a fast transition without a peak overshoot — allowing faster switching times than analog circuits thanks to substantial reduction in settling times and ringing. The transmitter AGC loop accuracy is improved by over 50 percent. Microcontroller driven, highresolution DACs provide precise output power control. They adjust for frequency and temperature effects, as well as for rectification efficiency variations between digital modulation types used in the system. Finally, a significantly simplified electrical interface ensures no more interconnect issues due to loading of analog interfaces, or the like. The modules open the door to improved performance and reduced manufacturing costs for integrated transceivers. Furthermore, use of a common digital architecture across all module frequency variants enables simplified manufacturing logistics across the Smart T/R Module product family. www.mwee.com/207801184 Microwave Engineering Europe ● June 2008 ● www.mwee.com http://www.mwee.com/207801193 http://www.mwee.com/207801214 http://www.mwee.com/207801184 http://www.mwee.com

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Microwave Engineering Europe - June 2008 Contents Comment News Cover Feature Designing and Simulating a Wireless LAN Antenna 60GHz: Achieving the Ultimate Wireless Dream New Radar Developments Include HFETs to Challenge DMOS/LDMOS and a 77-GHz CMOS PA for Automotive Applications Testing Raises Concerns Over 802.11-Based High-Speed Bluetooth IP2 & IP3 Design Considerations with Direct Conversion I/Q Demodulator Receiver Products Calendar

Microwave Engineering Europe - June 2008

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