For 47 years Microwaves & RF

has been delivering high-quality

Share the experience of editorial content to design
engineers and engineering
managers working with high-
frequency and high-speed
technologies and systems.
A Penton Media Publication
Focusing on the key relevant
information for design engineers
as opposed to theoretical
coverage more appropriate to
academics, Microwaves & RF
continues to be the most
useful, most read publication in
By now you’ve the industry.
come to rely
To apply for a FREE
on our editorial
subscription, simply click on
excellence. Why the button below and fill out our
not share your online subscription form.
secret and pass
this subscription
application on CLICK HERE TO APPLY
to a colleague If you are unable to click on the button above, type the
TODAY? following URL into your browser window:
http://www.submag.com/sub/rf?pk=DI02

DI02
 "
1&/50/
16#-*$"5*0/
t
'&#36"3:
 PFSJPEJDBMT
1PTUBHF
1BJE
t
6414

"QQSPWFE
QPMZ
TRUSTED RESOURCE FOR THE WORKING RF ENGINEER

www.mwrf.com

INTEGRATED
CIRCUITS
Issue

News Report Design Feature Product Technology

Chasing Higher Designing A Rounding Up
Levels Of Integration Low-Power LNA RFIC Amplifiers

Assemble A

VIEW ENGINEERING TV AT ENGINEERINGTV.COM

Wireless is your domain. So don’t just measure it, master it.
Introducing the next-generation Anritsu Master handheld test and measurement analyzers. These
all-in-one wonders are more compact, accurate, sensitive, and rugged—so you get in and out of sites
faster than ever before. Whether it’s sweeping cables, finding interference, or troubleshooting base
stations, find out how our new Masters will make you a Master of the Wireless today.
Call 1-800-ANRITSU to place an order or schedule a demo, or visit www.anritsu-newmasters.com/826

SITE MASTER™ A compact

compact, SPECTRUM
SPECT TRUM MASTER™ CELL MASTER
MAST TER™ A high
high- BTS MASTER™
field-proven, and lightweight A compact Spectrum Analyzer performing ba ase station analyzer A high-performing base station
cable & antenna analyzer for for finding interference and for troublesho
ooting the latest 2G, analyzer for troubleshooting the
all line sweep applications. assessing signal quality. 3G and WiMA AX networks. latest 4G networks like LTE.

Sales Offices: USA and Canada 1-800-ANRITSU, Europe 44 (0) 1582-433433, Japan 81 (46) 223-1111, Asia-Pacific (852) 2301--4980, South America 55 (21) 2527-6922,
www.us.anritsu.com ©2009 Anritsu Company
  
           


 

 
        
!  
 
"#
 $%   
 
! &  

  
'    () *"
       "  
   +'
    


$  
"
$   , 
  ! "


 
  +    
   !$   !
   
   (- 
 !+

 
 
 
      
   


       
    
      


 







 






 


 













 








  
 








 

  
  







 
 
 














 


 



 
 














  


 






 







  

 












 

 





 



 


,
   
 
  "
%     "

 .
   /0(# 102
2334 

    5*
 










 











& !

"


! & $ %
!
 

& 
#
 
 

!
 
& $ 

#

 & 

&   & 

 




 
 
  



 
 

 


 



 









 
 


"


  

   
"
!!! 
IN-STOCK ..And Ready
y For
Immediate Delivery

Customers &ORDECADES.ARDAHASBUILTITSMICROWAVE
components to industry forecasts and
Trust Narda
inventories over 1000 different models,
to Maintain SOYOUDONTHAVETOTHUSSAVINGYOU
the Product OVERHEADCOSTS-OSTMODELSAREINSTOCK
Inventory ANDIFNOTAREAVAILABLEONADEFINED

They Need. SCHEDULE/URMULTI MILLIONDOLLARPRODUCT

inventory is a reflection of our customer
CENTEREDBUSINESSPHILOSOPHY!LLCUSTOMER
ORDERSAREPROCESSEDANDSHIPPEDPROMPTLY
Narda...the best possible service,
combined with engineering and
manufacturing excellence.

The Most Trusted Link to RF & Microwave Solutions.

435 Moreland Road, Hauppauge, NY 11788

4EL s &AX 
e-mail: nardaeast@L-3com.com
www.nardamicrowave.com
 Spawning new ideas and getting
them to market fast are the mark
of innovative companies. So we’re
happy that customers tell us they

Ideas grow more than double their productivity

®
with today’s Microwave Office design
environment. ACE™ automated

faster in circuit extraction cuts interconnect

modeling to seconds. AXIEM™ 3D

the right planar EM reduces most EM cycle

times by a factor of 10. Plus our

environment
open framework means everything
is in the same workflow so there’s
no jumping in and out of different
tools. It means shorter turnarounds
and less hectic deadlines too. Grab
a test copy at awrcorp.com/MWO.

MICROWAVE
OFFICE
 A PENTON PUBLICATION
'&#36"3:
 70-

t
/0


NewsReport
34 | Wireless Demands Focus Designers On Integration
Both handset and infrastructure developers are asking for higher
levels of integration and creative ways to preserve performance while
cutting costs and speeding time to market.

38 | RF Primer
Device Processes Differ In Benefits

94 COVER STORY
A wide range of silicon- and GaAs-based semiconductor processes are
available from open foundries, for fabricating low-noise and power
devices and circuits through millimeter-wave
millimeter wave frequencies.
frequencies

USB Devices Simplify

RF/Microwave Testing DesignFeature
A growing number of RF test func- 57 | Low-Power LNA Drops Noise At 2.4 GHz
tions, including signal generation This CMOS amplifier delivers high gain and low noise figure at 2.4 GHz
and control, power measurements, with extremely low power consumption, by means of current-reuse and
common-gate design strategies.
and signal switching, are now avail-
able by plugging a USB device into a 64 | Analyze Phase Noise In A Sampled PLL
personal computer. Part 2 of this three-part series on phase noise in sampled PLLs analyzes
the differences between the behaviors of continuous-time and sampled
loops and how they can be modeled effectively.
Departments
p
74 | Match The Ports Of Differential Devices
13 48 This straightforward approach shows how to match the impedances of
Feedback Company News high-frequency, differential devices both with discrete components and
microstrip circuit elements.
17 50
Editorial People 84 | Optimize Class E Power Amplifiers
By tuning load impedances, it is possible to achieve 60-percent efficiency
22 52 from 1.9 to 2.2 GHz with a Class E amplifier based on a 10-W GaAs
The Front End Educational pHEMT device.
Meetings
26
Microwaves In 54 ProductTechnology
Europe R&D Roundup
98 | IndustryInsight
28 92 Properly Packaging RF Semiconductors
Web Table Of Application Notes Although often overlooked, the package is an inseparable part of an RF/
Contents microwave semiconductor device, contributing to electrical performance
99 and long-term reliability.
42 Infocenter
Crosstalk 100 | ProductTrends
104 RFIC Amps Add Gain Where Needed
46 Editor’s Choice A range of narrowband and broadband gain blocks, low-noise ampli-
Financial Lead fiers, and power amplifier is available in chip and package forms from RF
through millimeter-wave bands.

FEBRUARY 2010 ■ Microwaves & RF visit www.mwrf.com 5

 OCTAVE BAND LOW NOISE AMPLIFIERS
Modeld l No. Freq (GHz) Gain (dB) MIN Noise Figure g (dB) Power -out @ P1-dBB 3rdd Order d ICP VSWR
CA01-2110 0.5-1.0 28 1.0 MAX,, 0.7 TYP +10 MIN +20 dBm
d 2.0:1
CA12-2110 1.0-2.0 30 1.0 MAX,, 0.7 TYP +10 MIN +20 dBm 2.0:1
CA24-2111 2.0-4.0 29 1.1 MAX,, 0.95 TYP +10 MIN +20 dBm 2.0:1
CA48-2111 4.0-8.0 29 1.3 MAX,, 1.0 TYP +10 MIN +20 dBm 2.0:1
CA812-3111 8.0-12.0 27 1.6 MAX,, 1.4 TYP +10 MIN +20 dBm 2.0:1
CA1218-4111 12.0-18.0 25 1.9 MAX,, 1.7 TYP +10 MIN +20 dBm 2.0:1
CA1826-2110 18.0-26.5 32 3.0 MAX, 2.5 TYP +10 MIN +20 dBm 2.0:1
NARROW BAND LOW NOISE AND MEDIUM POWER AMPLIFIERS
CCA01-2111
0 2 0.4 - 0
0 0.5 28 0.6 MAX,, 0.4
0 0 TYP +100 MIN +20
20 dBm
d 20
2.0:1
CA01-2113 0.8 - 1.0 28 0.6 MAX,, 0.4 TYP +10 MIN +20 dBm 2.0:1
CA12-3117 1.2 - 1.6 25 0.6 MAX,, 0.4 TYP +10 MIN +20 dBm 2.0:1
CA23-3111 2.2 - 2.4 30 0.6 MAX,, 0.45 TYP +10 MIN +20 dBm 2.0:1
CA23-3116 2.7 - 2.9 29 0.7 MAX,, 0.5 TYP +10 MIN +20 dBm 2.0:1
CA34-2110 3.7 - 4.2 28 1.0 MAX,, 0.5 TYP +10 MIN +20 dBm 2.0:1
CA56-3110 5.4 - 5.9 40 1.0 MAX,, 0.5 TYP +10 MIN +20 dBm 2.0:1
CA78-4110 7.25 - 7.75 32 1.2 MAX,, 1.0 TYP +10 MIN +20 dBm 2.0:1
CA910-3110 9.0 - 10.6 25 1.4 MAX,, 1.2 TYP +10 MIN +20 dBm 2.0:1
CA1315-3110 13.75 - 15.4 25 1.6 MAX,, 1.4 TYP +10 MIN +20 dBm 2.0:1
CA12-3114 1.35 - 1.85 30 4.0 MAX,, 3.0 TYP +33 MIN +41 dBm 2.0:1
CA34-6116 3.1 - 3.5 40 4.5 MAX,, 3.5 TYP +35 MIN +43 dBm 2.0:1
CA56-5114 5.9 - 6.4 30 5.0 MAX,, 4.0 TYP +30 MIN +40 dBm 2.0:1
CA812-6115 8.0 - 12.0 30 4.5 MAX,, 3.5 TYP +30 MIN +40 dBm 2.0:1
CA812-6116 8.0 - 12.0 30 5.0 MAX,, 4.0 TYP +33 MIN +41 dBm 2.0:1
CA1213-7110 12.2 - 13.25 28 6.0 MAX,, 5.5 TYP +33 MIN +42 dBm 2.0:1
CA1415-7110 14.0 - 15.0 30 5.0 MAX,, 4.0 TYP +30 MIN +40 dBm 2.0:1
CA1722-4110 17.0 - 22.0 25 3.5 MAX,, 2.8 TYP +21 MIN +31 dBm 2.0:1
ULTRA-BROADBAND & MULTI-OCTAVE BAND AMPLIFIERS
Model
d l No. Freq (GHz) Gain (dB) MIN Noise Figure (dB) Power -out @ P1-dBB 3rdd Order d ICP VSWR
CA0102-3111 0.1-2.0 28 1.6 Max,, 1.2 TYP +10 MIN +20 ddBm 2.0:1
CA0106-3111 0.1-6.0 28 1.9 Max,, 1.5 TYP +10 MIN +20 dBm 2.0:1
CA0108-3110 0.1-8.0 26 2.2 Max,, 1.8 TYP +10 MIN +20 dBm 2.0:1
CA0108-4112 0.1-8.0 32 3.0 MAX,, 1.8 TYP +22 MIN +32 dBm 2.0:1
CA02-3112 0.5-2.0 36 4.5 MAX,, 2.5 TYP +30 MIN +40 dBm 2.0:1
CA26-3110 2.0-6.0 26 2.0 MAX,, 1.5 TYP +10 MIN +20 dBm 2.0:1
CA26-4114 2.0-6.0 22 5.0 MAX,, 3.5 TYP +30 MIN +40 dBm 2.0:1
CA618-4112 6.0-18.0 25 5.0 MAX,, 3.5 TYP +23 MIN +33 dBm 2.0:1
CA618-6114 6.0-18.0 35 5.0 MAX,, 3.5 TYP +30 MIN +40 dBm 2.0:1
CA218-4116 2.0-18.0 30 3.5 MAX,, 2.8 TYP +10 MIN +20 dBm 2.0:1
CA218-4110 2.0-18.0 30 5.0 MAX,, 3.5 TYP +20 MIN +30 dBm 2.0:1
CA218-4112 2.0-18.0 29 5.0 MAX, 3.5 TYP +24 MIN +34 dBm 2.0:1
LIMITING AMPLIFIERS
Model
d l No. Freqq (GHz) Input
p Dynamic
y Range
g Output
p Power Range g Psat Power Flatness l ddB VSWR
CLA24-4001 2.0 - 4.0 -28 to +10 dBm +7 to +11 dBm +/-
/ 1.5 MAX 2.0:1
CLA26-8001 2.0 - 6.0 -50 to +20 dBm +14 to +18 dBm +/-
/ 1.5 MAX 2.0:1
CLA712-5001 7.0 - 12.4 -21 to +10 dBm +14 to +19 dBm +/-
/ 1.5 MAX 2.0:1
CLA618-1201 6.0 - 18.0 -50 to +20 dBm +14 to +19 dBm +/-
/ 1.5 MAX 2.0:1
AMPLIFIERS WITH INTEGRATED GAIN ATTENUATION
M d l No.
Model N Freq
F (GHz) GGain (dB) MIN Noise
N Figure
F (dB) Power -out @ P1-dBB GGain AAttenuation RRange
g VSWR
CCA001-2511A
00 2 0.025-0.150
0 02 0 0 21
2 5.0
0 MAX,, 33.5 TYP +12 2 MIN 30 dBd MIN 2.0:1
20
CA05-3110A 0.5-5.5 23 2.5 MAX,, 1.5 TYP +18 MIN 20 dB MIN 2.0:1
CA56-3110A 5.85-6.425 28 2.5 MAX,, 1.5 TYP +16 MIN 22 dB MIN 1.8:1
CA612-4110A 6.0-12.0 24 2.5 MAX,, 1.5 TYP +12 MIN 15 dB MIN 1.9:1
CA1315-4110A 13.75-15.4 25 2.2 MAX,, 1.6 TYP +16 MIN 20 dB MIN 1.8:1
CA1518-4110A 15.0-18.0 30 3.0 MAX, 2.0 TYP +18 MIN 20 dB MIN 1.85:1
LOW FREQUENCY AMPLIFIERS
M d l No.
Model N F (GHz) G
Freq Gain (dB) MIN NoiseN Figure
F dB Power -out @ P1-dBB 3rd 3 d Order
O d ICP VSWR
CA001-2110
CA001 2110 0
0.01-0.10
01 0 10 18 4.0
4 0 MAX
MAX,, 2.2
2 2 TYP +10
10 MIN +2020 dB
dBm 2.0:1
201
CA001-2211 0.04-0.15 24 3.5 MAX,, 2.2 TYP +13 MIN +23 dBm 2.0:1
CA001-2215 0.04-0.15 23 4.0 MAX,, 2.2 TYP +23 MIN +33 dBm 2.0:1
CA001-3113 0.01-1.0 28 4.0 MAX,, 2.8 TYP +17 MIN +27 dBm 2.0:1
CA002-3114 0.01-2.0 27 4.0 MAX,, 2.8 TYP +20 MIN +30 dBm 2.0:1
CA003-3116 0.01-3.0 18 4.0 MAX,, 2.8 TYP +25 MIN +35 dBm 2.0:1
CA004-3112 0.01-4.0 32 4.0 MAX, 2.8 TYP +15 MIN +25 dBm 2.0:1
CIAO Wireless can easily modify any of its standard models to meet your "exact" requirements at the Catalog Pricing.
Visit our web site at www.ciaowireless.com for our complete product offering.

Ciao Wireless, Inc. 4 0 0 0 V i a P e s c a d o r, C a m a r i l l o , C A 9 3 0 1 2

Tel (805) 389-3224 Fax (805) 389-3629 sales@ciaowireless.com
 29

More Q. Less Copper

63.546

These tiny new air core inductors

hhave the highest Q and current handling
in the smallest footprint.
C
Coilcraft’s new SQ air core inductors have unmatched Q
ffactors: most are above 200 in the 1-2 GHz range! That’s 3
ttimes higher than comparably sized 0805 chip coils.
And with their extremely low
DCR, they can handle 4 to 8 times
more current: up to 4.4 Arms.
SQ air core inductors are perfect
for your LC filter and RF impedance
matching applications. They come in
15 values ranging from 6 to 27.3 nH,
Q factors are 3X higher than all with 5% tolerance.
standard chip inductors
These coils
aare significantly smaller than exist-
iing air core inductors. We reduced
tthe footprint by using close-wound
cconstruction and keeping the leads
cclose to the body. The square shape
ccuts the height to as low as 1.5 mm
aand creates flat top and bottom sur-
faces for easy automated handling
and stable mounting.
See how the ultra-high Q and
The square shape and narrow footprint
Th current handling of Coilcraft’s
rreduce board space by 60-75% over new SQ air core inductors can
conventional air core inductors.
maximize the performance of
your next design. For complete specifications and free
y
eevaluation samples, visit www.coilcraft.com/sq

RCOoMPH S
LIANT

www.coilcraft.com 800/322-2645
 RF/LO Conversion LO-to-RF
Model Frequency Loss Image Rejection Isolation
Number (GHz) (dB) Max. (dB) Min. (dB) Min.
IMAGE REJECTION MIXERS
IRM0204(*)C2(**) 2 – 4 7.5 18 20
IRM0408(*)C2(**) 4 – 8 8 18 20
IRM0812(*)C2(**) 8 – 12 8 18 20
IRM1218(*)C2(**) 12 – 18 10 18 20
IRM0208(*)C2(**) 2 – 8 9 18 18
IRM0618(*)C2(**) 6 – 18 10 18 18
IR1826NI7(**) 18 – 26 10.5 18 20
IR2640NI7(**) 26 – 40 12 18 20

RF/LO Conversion Balance LO-to-RF

Model Frequency Loss Phase (±Deg.) Amplitude (±dB) Isolation
Number (GHz) (dB) Max. Typ./Max. Typ./Max. (dB) Min.
I/Q DEMODULATORS
IRM0204(*)C2Q 2 – 4 10.5 7.5/10 1.0/1.5 20
IRM0408(*)C2Q 4 – 8 11 7.5/10 1.0/1.5 20
IRM0812(*)C2Q 8 – 12 11 5/7.5 .75/1.0 20
IRM1218(*)C2Q 12 – 18 13 10/15 1.0/1.5 20
IRM0208(*)C2Q 2 – 8 12 7.5/10 1.0/1.5 18
IRM0618(*)C2Q 6 – 18 13 10/15 1.0/1.5 18
IR1826NI7Q 18 – 26 13.5 10/15 1.0/1.5 20
IR2640NI7Q 26 – 40 15 10/15 1.0/1.5 20

RF Conversion Carrier Carrier Suppression

Model Frequency Loss Suppression Carrier - Fundamental IF
Number (GHz) (dB) Max. (dBc) Min. (dBc) Min.
IF DRIVEN MODULATORS
SSM0204(*)C2MD(**) 2 – 4 9 20 20
SSM0408(*)C2MD(**) 4 – 8 9 20 18
SSM0812(*)C2MD(**) 8 – 12 9 20 20
SSM1218(*)C2MD(**) 12 – 18 10 20 18
SSM0208(*)C2MD(**) 2 – 8 9 20 18
SSM0618(*)C2MD(**) 6 – 18 12 20 18

For full data sheets on the

products shown, please visit MODEL NUMBER OPTION TABLE
(*) LO/IF P1 dB C.P. (**) IF FREQUENCY
www.miteq.com/adinfo
Add Letter Power Range (dBm) (Typ.) Add Letter OPTION (MHz)
L 10 – 13 dBm +6 A 20 – 40
For Carrier Driven Modulators, M 13 – 16 dBm +10 B 40 – 80
please contact MITEQ. H 17 – 20 dBm +15 C 100 – 200
Q DC – 500 (I/Q)
RFMD.
D
®

Broadband High and Medium Power SPDT

Switch Family

The RFMD family of broadband single-pole double

throw (SPDT) switches is designed for general purpose
applications which require very low insertion loss and
medium to high power handling capability. The RF3021
is a reflective high-power, high isolation switch featuring
an on-chip inverter for single positive supply. The RF3023
and RF3024, reflective medium-power broadband SPDT
switches, offer low insertion loss. Both switches are identical
with the exception that their switching logic is reversed. The
RF3025, a high-power broadband absorptive SPDT switch,
features an on-chip inverter for single positive supply. Each
switch is fabricated with 0.5μ GaAs pHEMT process and
comes in a compact 3 x 3 mm or SC-70 QFN package.

SPECIFICATIONS
Part Freq Range PO.1dB Insertion Loss Isolation Control Package Size Sample
Number (MHz) (dBm) (dB) (dB) Interface (mm) Availability
RF3021 10 to 6000 27 0.4 to 0.6 >50 GPIO QFN 3 x 3 July 09
RF3023 10 to 3000 30 0.2 to 0.4 25 GPIO SC70 July 09
RF3024 10 to 3000 30 0.2 to 0.4 >50 GPIO SC70 July 09
RF3025 10 to 6000 25 0.5 to 0.6 >50 GPIO QFN 3 x 3 July 09

FEATURES
• 10 MHz to 6 GHz operation
• Very low insertion loss
• 2.5 V minimum supply voltage
• 0.25 to 0.5 dB insertion loss at 1 GHz
• 48 to 50 dBm IP3 at 3 V

Order RFMD products online at www.rfmd.com/rfmdExpress

/ p
For sales or technical support, contact your authorized local sales representative (see www.rfmd.com/globalsales).
/g
Register to receive RFMD’s latest product releases with our Email Component Alerts at www.rfmd.com/emailalert
/ .
7628 Thorndike Rd., Greensboro, NC 27409-9421 USA • Phone 336.664.1233 • Fax 336.931.7454

These products comply with RFMD’s green packaging standards.

RFMD® is a trademark of RFMD, LLC. All other trade names, trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ©2009 RFMD.

To The Editor:
In reading your December 2009 issue
and the report on the “Top Products
of 2009,” I was intrigued by the
diversity of the products on the list,
everything from the smallest ICs and
low-cost voltage-variable attenuators
(VVAs) to the most expensive vector
network analyzers (VNAs). Yet, on the
same list with these fancy VNAs were
low-cost power meters built into the
shell of a Universal Serial Bus (USB)
device. Although the list seemed to
be heavy on test equipment, it also
contained components and devices.
In reading the story, I was not able to
find an explanation or justification for
how these products were selected by
your editors, or what made them so
special. I would appreciate some kind
of explanation on the rationale used
to determine what is a “Top Product.”
And I would also like to know if this

/:

FEBRUARY 2010 ■ Microwaves & RF
feedback
is a contest only open to advertisers in
the magazine, or if a small company
with a limited budget, such as ours,
could be considered for a top product,
say in 2010?
Al Ternate
Configuration Analysis Management
Danbury, CT
Editor’s Note:
Thank you for reading the story and for
your interest in our Top Products of The
Year selections. To clarify a few of your
points: First of all, not every product
on the list represents an advertiser in
the magazine. Many companies making
this annual list have never advertised in
this magazine and perhaps never will,
but advertising in the magazine is not
a prerequisite for consideration as a
Top Product of The Year. Second, not
all of the companies mentioned in the
article are large. Often startup companies
visit www.mwrf.com
make the list because they have intro-
duced something that is practical yet
innovative. And that is the key to what
makes the list: that the list contains what
our editors consider the most innova-
tive, highest-performance, and practical
products introduced during the year.
Not all are flashy or expensive, but all
make a contribution in some way to
this industry, and across any number
of technologies, including components,
devices, software, systems, and test
equipment. It is not a perfect list, but
it does generate interest, from those
who are on it and those who want to
be on it, no matter how large or small
the company.
Microwaves & RFF welcomes mail from its
readers. Letters must include the writer’s
name and address. Please write to:
Jack Browne, Technical Director
jack.browne@penton.com
Microwaves & RFF t
Penton Media, Inc.

8
UI
4U
t
/FX
:PSL
13
 VCOs
10 to 6840 MHz
Want a miniature surfa
$
11
from
95
ea. (qty. 5)
ace mount, shielded plug-in, or rugged
connectorized voltage cocontrolled oscillator with the right stuff
TM

for your project ? Contact

ct Mini-Circuits! From custom designs to o S
COMPLIANT
standard catalog modelss always in stock, we’ll supply extra RoHS models available, consult factory.
robust, 100% tested VCO O solutions you need at a price you can afford. Choose from narrow, to broad, to
octave bandwidths. Select from models with low phase noise, linear tuning, load insensitivity, dual output,
wide modulation bandwidths, s, or 5 V models optimized for PLL ICs and synthesizers. And pick from an innovative
array of miniature surface mou
ount packages as small as 0.25” square, all featuring our exclusive glue-down
process on each circuit compo ponent to give you ultimate reliability during reflow soldering. You can quickly find the
model you need using our online e catalog orr “The YONI2 Search Engine” at the Mini-Circuits web site.
Just enter your specs into YONI2…click…and immediately start evaluating suggested VCO solutions using the
actual measured performance dat ata displayed. But perhaps you need a custom design. Not a problem!
Contact us for our fast response,, low prices, and quick turnaround. For your commercial, industrial,
and military applications, choose Mini-Circuits VCOs! Mini-Circuits...Your partners for success since 1969
 For high reliability, all Mini-Circuits
VCOs are tested with the
Agilent E5052B Signal Source Analyzer.
www.agilent.com/find/ssa
g sa

Detailed Performance Data & Specs For Mini-Circuits VCOs

Available Online at: www.minicircuits.com/oscillat.html

ISO 9001 ISO 14001 AS 9100 CERTIFIED

TM P.O. Box 350166, Brooklyn, New York 11235-0003 (718) 934-4500 Fax (718) 332-4661
The Design Engineers Search
r Engine
g finds the model you need, Instantly • For detailed performance specs & shopping online see
IF/RF MICROWAVE COMPONENTS 402 rev L
 TINY TTO
OUGHEST MIXE
XERS
UNDER TH
UN THE SU
SUN

W
NO
UP TO

SIM
0.1
MH
z-2
0G
Hz

Rugged, tinyy ceramic SIM mixers from

$ 95
9
f om ea.qty.
t 1004
000
0
. environments,
i i l di hi
including high
h ESD llevels, the SIM
offer unprecedented wide band, high frequency mixers are competitively priced forr military,
performance while maintaining low conversion 0.2"x 0..18" industrial, and commercial applications. Visit our
loss, high isolation,, and high IP3. website to view w comprehensive performance
Over 21 models IN STO T CK are available to operate data, performance curves, data sheets, pcb layouts,
from an LO level of your choice, +7, + +10, +13, and and environmental specifications. And, you can
+17 dBm. So regardless of the specific frequency even order direct from our web store and have it in
band of your applications, narrow or wide band, your hands as early as tomorrow!
there is a tiny SIM RoHS compliant mixer to select Mini-Circuits...Your partners for success since 1969
from 100 kHz to 20 GHz. Built to operate in tough U.S. Patent # 7,027,795 RoHS compliant

ISO 9001 ISO 14001 AS 9100 CERTIFIED

TM P.O. Box 350166, Brooklyn, New York 11235-0003 (718) 934-4500 Fax (718) 332-4661
The Design Engineers Search
r Engine
g finds the model you need, Instantly • For detailed performance specs & shopping online see
IF/RF MICROWAVE COMPONENTS 428 rev D
 from the editor

What's In
The Package?
A
t RF and microwave frequencies, the more perti-
nent question often is, “What is the package?” At
higher frequencies, the package can have as much
effect on the performance as the circuit it houses and
it is better to think of the package and the device as
Perhaps one of inseparable. Years ago, custom packages were needed to
the major boons ensure that the performance of microwave circuits was
not “thrown away” once in a package. For applications
to device and IC where protecting the circuit was tantamount to success,
designers is the such as in aerospace and military systems, package
increasing number design specialists such as StratEdge (www.stratedge.
com) built strong reputations with high-reliability
of package models metal-ceramic packages for use past 40 GHz. The
in high-frequency company continues to custom design packages that,
while not inexpensive, provide the highest performance
design programs. levels possible at microwave frequencies.
Of course, cost pressures have forced many device
and circuit designers to seek more standard, lower-cost packaging
solutions. Companies such as Mini-Circuits (www.minicircuits.com)
have long balanced the tradeoffs between cost and performance in
drop-in and surface-mount RF/microwave packaging. The firm has
kept pricing reasonable by choosing packages that are low in cost
but don’t compromise performance.
The ideal package would be electrically “invisible” with lossless
interconnections between the circuit within and the outside world. It
would also afford protection against contamination, moisture, and
other environmental factors. The interconnections would be practical,
with ground connections and electrical paths when mounted with a
variety of automatic assembly equipment or even by hand.
There is no “ideal” package, of course, and few come close. But
circuit and component designers have more packaging options than
ever, with excellent high-frequency performance. Most of the newer
standard packages are developed for small footprints and standard
die sizes, encouraging IC and device designers to follow standard
foundry rules for pad placements and other circuit considerations.
Such factors also simplify the use of standard wafer probes and test
equipment when it is time to characterize die before packaging.
Perhaps one of the major boons to device and IC designers faced
with evaluating package options is the increasing number of package
models in high-frequency design programs, such as the Advanced
Design System (ADS) from Agilent Technologies (www.agilent.com)
and Microwave Office from AWR (www.awr.com). These software
tools essentially allow designers to “package” their circuits in the
computer before trying the real thing, helping to tame those difficult
tradeoffs whenn finding a housing for that “perfect” cir
circuit.

Technical Director

2010 ■ Microwaves & RF 17

 Penton Publication

Technical Director
+BDL
#SPXOF



t
KBDLCSPXOF!QFOUPODPN
Editor
/BODZ
,
'SJFESJDI



t
OBODZGSJFESJDI!QFOUPODPN
Managing Editor
%BXO
)JHIUPXFS



t
EBXOIJHIUPXFS!QFOUPODPN
Online Managing Editor
-JTB
.BMJOJBL
t
MJTBNBMJOJBL!PQUJNVNOFU
European Editor
1BVM
8IZUPDL
t





t
QBVMXIZUPDL!QFOUPODPN
Special Projects Editor
"MBO
i1FUFw

$POSBE
Contributing Editor
"OESFX
-BVOESJF

PRODUCTION
Production Coordinator
,BSB
)BSMPX




ART DEPARTMENT
Art Director/Group Design Manager
"OUIPOZ
7JUPMP
t
UPOZWJUPMP!QFOUPODPN
Senior Artist
+BNFT
.
.JMMFS

Staff Artist
.JDIBFM
%FTDVM
Multimedia Designer
%BNJBO
.FOEF[

CIRCULATION CUSTOMER SERVICE

1IPOF



t
5PMM
'SFF



'BY



NJDIFMFCBSUMFUU!QFOUPODPN

REPRINTS/PERMISSION SALES


+PFM
,JSL
%JSFDU



5PMM
'SFF



'BY



&NBJM
KPFMLJSL!QFOUPODPN
0OMJOF
XXXQFOUPOSFQSJOUTDPN

LIST RENTALS
8BMUFS
,BSM
*OD
3PTBMJF
(BSDJB
t




SPTBMJFHBSDJB!XBMUFSLBSMJOGPVTBDPN

EDITORIAL OFFICE
1FOUPO
.FEJB
*OD

8
UI
4U
/FX
:PSL
/:


ELECTRONIC DESIGN GROUP

Senior Vice President
#PC
.BD"SUIVS
Group Publisher
#JMM
#BVNBOO
Director of eMedia
(FPGG
%FBLJO
Penton Audience Marketing/Circulation Dept.
"VEJFODF
.BSLFUJOH
.BOBHFS#SFOEB
3PPEF
VP, Production
-JTB
1BSLT

Chief Executive Officer

4IBSPO
3PXMBOET
Chief Financial Officer/Executive Vice President
+FBO
$MJGUPO

18 visit www.mwrf.com FEBRUARY 2010 ■ Microwaves & RF

“I need to achieve profit goals and control costs.”

Fast, lean and ready to adapt.

P es
Pr e su
sure to controol costs is increasing. But
utt so is presssur
uree to
t deliver
fasterr. Ag
Agililen
ent’
t’ss ne
new CXA signal analyzerr he
help
lpps you doo bot
both, whether
for product de deveveelo
lopment or manufactu
tuuri
r ng
n teestingg. Itt’s the quickest
analyzer in its price cllas
ass.
ss. One-butto
O on chhan
a neel poowe
wer,r, ACP, OBW and
SEM* measurements speed de desi
sign
gnn andd tes
e t reesuultltss fo
for greater yield. And
it’s one of the new future-ready test tool
olss in tthe
he Agi
gilent
il X X-Series
S i spanning i
instruments, measurements and software. Thaat’s flexibility to run lean
today and upgrade as needed. Spec Agilent, andd expect more.

The NEW
W Agilent CXA signal analyzer (N9000A)
-161 dBm DANL for fast spur search

70 standard-specific formats with 89600 VSA software

Simultaneous detectors, trace math and up to 12 markers

EMC, analog demod, phase noise, noise figure applications

Unlock additional capabilities with an easy license key upgrade

Download the demo video and EMC application

note at www.agilent.com/find/fastCXA
* Adjacent Channel Power, Occupied Bandwidth and Spectrum Emission Mask
© 2009 Agilent Technologies, Inc. u.s. 1-800-829-4444 canada: 1-877-894-4414
 DAICO LAUNCHES
TRANSMITTER SUB
Leveraging o
SYSTEMS
ff a history o
Daico is now f superior m
delivering TR icrowave com
ANSMITTER S ponents,
UBSYSTEMS w
quality, reliab ith the same
ility and tech
nical innovati
The DTX0951 on.
1, designed fo
r a weather m
system, deliv onitoring rad
ers 12 kW pu ar
lsed RF energ
y with ±0.5 d
linearity ove B
r a >20 dB dy
namic range
.

DAICO Indust
ries, Inc.
1070 East 233r
d Street
Carson, Califor
nia 90745
Phone 310 50
7 3242
Fax 310 507 57
01

Daico can show you how to get your design off the ground.

www.daico.com
frontend
Compiled b
by Da
h
Dawn
n Highto
Hightower
er

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Claim

New Markets And Business
The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in Global UAV for Border Protection
border-security missions around the world is Market Forecast—2010-2015
expanding rapidly. It will create new markets and 575
new business opportunities—particularly for inte- Type 1 545
grated capabilities guided by an operating concept 500 Type 2 480
and turnkey packages that include equipment, Type 3
training, operations, and maintenance. The new Type 4 410
400
[Millions of Dollars]
research report from Market Intel Group LLC
(MiG) titled, “Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for 315
300
Border Security - Global Market & Technologies 260
Outlook - 2010-2015,” examines, analyzes, and
predicts the evolution of border-security markets 200
and relevant UAV technologies. It also moves beyond
market predictions to lay out a clear profit path. 100
Currently, small nations are discovering UAV
technology. Smaller types of UAVs will especially 0
benefit in these new markets, as the established play- 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
© 2009 MiG
ers have less influence. In the report, an operating
concept ties the most common border-security technologies into the capabilities demanded by border agents.
The report indicates which nations need these UAVs, what relevant foreign aid they receive from the US, and
how to approach those governments. Analyses and global forecasts of UAV procurement trends are presented
by region as well as UAV type. For more information on the report, visit www.marketintelgroup.com.

Smart-Card Market Players Join Forces To Advance Applications

LONDON, UK—Together with chip suppliers Infineon Technolo-
gies AG and INSIDE Contactless S.A., smart-card manufacturers
Giesecke & Devrient GmbH (G&D) and Oberthur Technologies
S.A. have launched an industry initiative to provide a security
solution for next-generation, smart-card-based public-transport
applications. The solution will build on an open standard that
is being implemented by the four partner companies. Eventu-
ally, that standard will be governed by an independent body.
Companies that are active in the smart-card arena—providers
of chips, smart cards, application-specific operating software,
reader devices, and transportation systems—are invited to
join the initiative for the advancement of more secure public-
transportation applications.
The new standard promises to bring many key benefits to
public-transport agencies and smart-card industry players. In
addition to providing higher-performance and advanced sys-
tem security for public-transport applications, it will ensure
that multiple sources are available for chip products. Through
independent testing, the open standard will provide optimized
interoperability to enable simple and fast integration into public-
transport schemes. The first emulation chips and transportation
smart cards using this standard are scheduled to be available by
the end of this year.
The industry initiative is based on groundwork performed
by Infineon, which has developed a hardware-based securi-
ty system suited for public-transportation smart-card appli-
cations. INSIDE Contactless has signed an agreement with
Infineon to implement the security scheme for its chip platforms.
In addition, G&D and Oberthur Technologies have agreed to
develop public-transport applications based on the scheme.

visit www.mwrf.com FEBRUARY 2010 ■ Microwaves & RF

 VVAs
Constant Impedance

10 to 3000 MHz

IP 3
H I G H

RoHs compliant

$
3
95
from ea. qty.10-49

Voltage Variable Attenuators ( V VAs) Mini-Circuits V VAs are enclosed in shielded

deliver as high as 40 dB attenuation control over the
10 MHz through 3.0 GHz range. Offered in both 50
and 75 Ω models these surface-mount and coaxial
low-cost V VAs require no external components
and maintain a good impedance match over the
entire frequency and attenuation range, typically
20 dB return loss at input and output ports. These
high performance units offer insertion loss as low as
1.5 dB, typical IP3 performance as high as
+56 dBm, and minimal phase variation low as 7°.
surface-mount cases as small as 0.3” x 0.3” x
0.1”. Coaxial models are available with unibody
case with SMA connectors. Applications include
automatic-level-control (ALC) circuits, gain and
power level control, and leveling in feedforward
amplifiers. Visit the Mini-Circuits website at www.
minicircuits.com for comprehensive performance
data, circuit layouts, environmental specifications
and real-time price and availability.
Mini-Circuits...Your partners for success since 1969

ISO 9001 ISO 14001 AS 9100 CERTIFIED

TM P.O. Box 350166, Brooklyn, New York 11235-0003 (718) 934-4500 Fax (718) 332-4661
The Design Engineers Search Engine finds the model you need, Instantly • For detailed performance specs & shopping online see
IF/RF MICROWAVE COMPONENTS 449 rev C

002MRF23.indd 1 2/9/2010 9:42:38 AM

ffront end
th

“
Partnership Results In High-Permeability
Depending on the Magnetic Shielding Tubing
welding method WARWICK, RI— —A.T. Wall Company has partnered

used, this tubing’s with the MuShield Company to develop the

MμShield seamless, high-permeability magnetic
shielding capability shielding tubing that ranges to 20 feet in length.
promises to be 20 Depending on the welding method used, this
tubing’s shielding capability promises to be
to 30 percent better 20 to 30 percent better than a formed and welded
than a formed and product. The tubing can hold outside and inside
diameters to +/-0.002 inches along with wall
and attenuation
uniformity throughout
its walls and length. In addition, the tubing
claims to decrease machining times signifi-
cantly while saving on material costs, which

”
welded product. thicknesses within 0.002 inches. The seamless
tubing is available with wall thicknesses from
0.005 through 0.250 inches. Sizes range from
outside diameters of 0.080 to 2.625 inches.
The tubing meets the standards of ASTM
A753-08, standard specification for wrought
nickel-iron soft magnetic alloys. It vows to
provide complete shielding homogeneity
is key for applications with tight tolerances on
machined details and roundness. The product is
well suited for applications that require preci-
sion-machined magnetic shield components or
long lengths of small-diameter tubing. Typical
applications include aircraft instrumentation,
medical and surgical equipment, oil explora-
tion, and imaging equipment.

Kudos
BROOKLYN, NY—Gloria and Harvey Kaylie were honored at
the OHEL annual dinner on February 21, which celebrated
the agency’s 40-year anniversary. Harvey is the President and
CEO of Mini-Circuits. He and his wife are benefactors of the
Marvin Kaylie Center at OHEL, which is named in honor of
Harvey’s brother, and the soon-to-be-dedicated OHEL CAMP.
OHEL Bais Ezra, founded in 1969, is a social-services agency
that delivers programs and services for individuals and families
with developmental or psychiatric disabilities.
STATE COLLEGE, PA—State of the Art, Inc. (SOTA) celebrated
its 40th anniversary. The company was founded in 1969 as
a consulting business specializing in thick-film technology
seminars. Manufacturing began in 1972 and displaced the
consulting business. The firm developed the nickel barrier
in 1980. In 1987, it became the first MIL-PRF-55342 QPL
qualified S-level manufacturer.
HILLSBORO, OR— —TriQuint Semiconductor, Inc. highlighted the
success of CuFlip, its patented flip-chip interconnect technol-
ogy, noting shipments of 100 million units.
LAWRENCE, MA—Aeroflex/Metelics received a manufacturer’s
certification in compliance with the MIL-PRF-19500N slash
sheets by the Defense Supply Center Columbus (DSCC) for
its small-signal switching diodes. Copies of the notification of
qualification letter from DSCC along with the product data
sheets are available at www.aeroflex.com/metelics.
RA'ANANA, ISRAEL—Percello Ltd. has announced that Frost &
Sullivan has presented the company with the 2009 European
Technology Innovation of the Year Award for its femtocell
baseband processor solutions. The research firm noted that
the PRC6500 is the highest-capacity baseband processor for
UMTS/HSPA+ femtocells, supporting up to 16 simultaneous
users and 21.6/5.76 Mb/s HSPA+ data rates with sniffing and
embedded security capabilities.
BOSTON, MA—Harris Corp. has announced that its P5400 800-
MHz Project 25 (P25) portable radio is the first to meet the
Department of Homeland Security’s P25 Compliance Assess-
ment Program (CAP) process. The P25 CAP is a voluntary
program managed in partnership with the National Institute
of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Office of Law Enforce-
ment Standards and a coalition of emergency responders and
communications-equipment manufacturers.
SANTA CLARA, CA— —Japan’s Yamagata University has select-
ed Agilent Technologies’ SystemVue software for use in its
emerging-communications physical-layer (PHY) research. The
electronic-system-level software is expected to reduce the time
required for design and verification of the team’s communica-
tion PHY system by up to 30 percent.
WESTFORD, MA—Laser Services, Inc. is celebrating its 30th
anniversary. Established in 1979 by Bruce and June Beauchesne,
the company is owned and operated today by Gregory Sexton,
President and CEO. In the past 30 years, the firm has contrib-
uted to the NASA Chandra Telescope and the CERN particle
accelerator. It also perfected solder preforms that enabled the
design of microwave assemblies used in anti-IED devices.

24 FEBRUARY 2010 ■ Microwaves & RF

 We Still Make ‘em …
Like They Used To®

Some classic designs

are timeless…
Lansdale Semiconductor still manufacturesr some of the most
popular…and timeless commercial
r wireless, telecommunications,
military and aerospace integrated circuits (ICs) classic designs.

As a global pioneer in IC products life cycle management, Lansdale manufactures over 3,000 classic
design ICs in the original package, exactly as they were created and produced by AMD, Fairchild,
Freescale Semiconductor, Harris, Intel, Motorola, National, Philips (formerly Signetics), and Raytheon.

Our exclusive life cycle management program assures you of a dependable, continuous, cost effective,
and high quality source
r of classic designed ICs today…tomorrow!

This means Lansdale eliminates the need to go to the time or expense of designing in a replacement part
or even doing a complete product
r redesign – not when we still make ‘em…exactly like they used to.

Log on to our Web site at www.lansdale.com to review our up-to-date

product
d t listings
li ti and
dddata
t sheets.
h t

Contact Chris@Lansdale.com today.


4PVUI
UI
4USFFU
t
1IPFOJY
";

1IPOF


t
'BY


'
 Microwaves
Paul Whytock, Eu
Europe
ur pean Corresp nden
HARDWARE AND

PERFORMANCE
D SOFTWARE
ENHANCE CELLU
ULAR

Chip Helps Manage M2M Mobile Communications

G RLAND—Smart-card
ENEVA, SWITZERLAND S t
integrated-circuit (IC) maker STMi-
croelectronics has developed a low-power
d Applications
processor chip dedicated to managing
SIM data for machine-to-machine (M2M)
cellular communications. Recent research
is suggesting that this expanding market
could account for over 200 million mobile
connections by 2013. The ST32-M IC
family combines the advantages of non-
proprietary processor architecture and
high-density, low-power, embedded-Flash
memory, enabling machines to connect to
cellular networks, authenticate themselves,
and communicate automatically.
This IC series is used in M2M communica-
tions applications like the European eCall
road-accident alert system, which allows
vehicles to automatically inform rescue
services of the location of an accident.
A l using M2M capabilities
include the European eCall road-accident
alert system, which is planned for launch
this year (see Figure). That system allows
vehicles to automatically inform rescue
services of the location and details of
an accident. To communicate with the
cellular network, the ST32-M has the
same capabilities and security features as
the company’s existing ST32 smart-card
processor, which is used in cell-phone SIM
cards. The ST32-M is designed explicitly
for M2M applications. By operating from
-40° to +105°C, it allows M2M equipment
to function in harsh environments.

Shooting Bouncing Ray Method Is At Solver’s Roots Equalizer Design Raises

Uplink Performance
D ARMSTADT, GERMANY—CST Microwave Studio (CST MWS) now incor-
porates an asymptotic solver that is based on the Shooting Bouncing Ray
method—an extension to physical optics. The integration of CST Microstripes C AMBRIDGE, ENGLAND— To improve
Long Term Evolution (LTE) uplink
into the CST Studio Suite should facilitate access to features that are par- performance, Cambridge Consultants has
ticularly valuable in EMC simulations, such as compact models and Octree developed Dual-domain Uplink Equaliser
meshing, within the design environment. The software is capable of tackling for LTE (DUEL) technology. DUEL is
simulations covering thousands of wavelengths, as might be done in radar- designed as an algorithmic and digital-
cross-section (RCS) analysis. signal-processing (DSP) extension to LTE
CST MWS’ frequency-domain solver features the firm’s new sensitivity base-station receiver designs. It requires
analysis approach. After the introduction of true geometry adaptation with no changes to handsets, as the LTE uplink
version 2009, the inclusion of third- and mixed-order elements should enable supports the transfer of information from
further increases in simulation efficiency and speed. In addition, the CST MWS users’ terminals to the network.
time-domain solver includes functional enhancements, such as arbitrary-order Although LTE promises to deliver
dispersive material modeling and domain decomposition for cluster computing high data transfer rates, these can only
(also in combination with GPU computing). be achieved under perfect channel condi-
tions, such as low user mobility (walking
Femtocell Reference Platform Is Under Development speed or lower) and high diversity (low

G UILDFORD, ENGLAND—A flexible, high-performance reference platform

for femtocell designs is being developed through a collaboration between
Lime Microsystems and Percello. The platform combines Percello’s PRC6xxx
correlation) between receive paths at the
base station.
Cambridge Consultants’ patent-pend-
baseband IC with Lime’s multiband, multi-standard RF transceiver IC, the ing DUEL receiver vows to improve the
LMS6002. It will be used to develop femtocell designs for high-data-rate performance of the uplink in all channel
UMTS/HSPA+ air interfaces. conditions. Its algorithms take advantage
The PRC6xxx IC from Percello is a baseband processor for third-generation of properties of the LTE uplink signal path
(3G) femtocells. It supports up to 16 simultaneous CS/PS/HSPA calls with to optimize signal fidelity. As a result, it
throughput of 21.6/5.76 Mb/s HSPA+ data rates. It also supports extended claims to work well even when the signals
cell range for enterprise and outdoor applications. The IC has the ability to received by each base-station antenna are
cascade two or more PRC6xxx ICs to support 32 and 64 simultaneous users. highly correlated.

26 visit www.mwrf.com FEBRUARY 2010 ■ Microwaves & RF


    
   


*
'
' 


 


 +
 
 

 (
 (
(,
 ,
, 
 
 
 -
 .
. 

 
,
,
 /
//
/
/ 
 (0
(0



 
 .
. 
 1
 .
. 
 0 0
0
0
0
 

2
 




 
 
.
.
. 


 (
(,
(  
, 
 (
( ,
, 3
3
3

 

 ""4
4
 
(
 (,
( ,
,  
0
0
0  



0
0
0(
( (
 

 
  0
  0/ (
 

 -
-
,
,

 

-
- .
- .


 5
5
"
"

 






 






 

 

  %
% 
!!!
! & 

 !
! %
! % 



 
 '
' *%
' *%&+
&+
+

 

 %'
%' 
' 
 

# # 



(

( 


  
,)
,)
) )-
- ./
. /
/
/ 

 
 





 

 
 

 (

)
)
) 
 
 


 
 !


 
 ! 

 
  0
  



1
1/
1 / 
/  

 

 
 

 "

"


  "
 "
 .##

 23
23)-)-
 "!
"! 

 
 
!
! ##
! # 
$
$
$  

 
 ' "



 






 
  
 "
"



  
  ! 
  #
# 
 $ 
 
 
  
 

 % 
 


 
 
 

       
     ! "#"  $%! "#"&
'
( !  )  
 " (  "  
 " (



 


 













 
 

  
 



 
   



 
  



 





 




 
 
  



  
   
  
  ! 
 




 E te
En er Se
Sear
arch
ch Go

A vanc
Adv anced
anced Sea
earch
arch
ch | Hel
He p

Par
art o
a off the
e Nettwor
workk

Home Product Data Directory Topics Back Issues Events Subscribe / Renew

MWRF.com has "
1&/50/
16#-*$"5*0/
t
+"/6"3:
 PFSJPEJDBMT
1PTUBHF
1BJE
t
6414

"QQSPWFE
QPMZ

TRUSTED RESOURCE FOR THE WORKING RF ENGINEER

archives of print TEST &

MEASUREMENT
www.mwrf.com

Issue

and online articles News Report

Tackling The Needs
Of Nonlinear Testing
Design Feature
Study Phase Noise
In Sampled PLLs
Product Technology
Perusing Portable
Microwave Testers

dating back to p. 99

October 2002. Link To The Industry’s

Visit MWRF.com Most Trusted Directory
today and click the The Microwaves & RF F web site offers several instant links
“Back Issues” link. to the industry’s only complete directory of products and
suppliers: The Microwaves & RF Product Data Directory.
VIEW ENGINEERING TV AT ENGINEERINGTV.COM
With products from more than 2000 companies, thought-
fully classified into 500 product categories, the Microwaves
The Latest News, In E-Mail Form & RF Product Data Directory y is an invaluable specifier’s
guide to the high-frequency industry.

ve
Some of the most important high-frequency news won’t
be found in Microwaves & RF F magazine, but in the e-mail

- E x cl u s i
newsletter Microwaves & RF UPDATE. Sent directly to
your computer desktop each week, this concisely written
newsletter features products, financial news, business
Web News And Products
Pllea
ease s jjoi
se oin us in welc
oin weelccom ominng Li L ssaa Mal a innia
iak, O Onnline
liline
updates, and technology advances. Subscriptions are Maannaaging
M ng EEdi dito
di tor, ttoo th
to
tor, thee st afff of Mi
staf
af Micr crow
cr owav
ow avves & RRFF.
free, and available from the Microwaves & RF F web site Liisa
s , whho re rece ceiv
ce ivved a BBSE SEEE frfrom
SE m Rut u ge
gers rss Unniivever--
at www.mwrf.com. sity
si
ity
ty,, haas be beene wor
en o ki
king
ngg as an a edi dito
torr foor 20 yea
to ears r.
rs
Asid
As idde frfrom
om stint ntss as bbot
nt othh a Teechhno
ot n lo loggygy EEddi
dito
torr andd

ut
Check eow Video e-Me
e- Medi
ten fo
ten
new po
ne
diaa Ed
di
forr Wi
Editititor
Wire
W rele
less
le
p sition, Lisaa w
or El
or ffor
or
essss Sys
Elec
Elec
yyste
ectrtrtron
tems
te
emss Des
onic
on
nic
i D Des
eesig
wilililll be pro
esig
es
ign
ig
rovi
iggn, sh
gn andd EE
v di
vi ding
ng conte
shee ha
EEEPPPN
onnte
hass wr writitt-
N. Inn hher
tenntt foror the
er Lis
issa Mali
alin
al
alinia
nia
n iak
ak

our n Coverage
For some time, Microwaves & RF Editor
Micr
Mi
an
crow
andd po
to LLis
owavves & RFF web ssititte. She willl re
p st both news
a, Mi
isa,
onlililine
on n conte
M crcrow
tent
owav
ws aand
a es
av
nt from
nd ppro
e & RF is ha
m ou
rodu
ro duuct sto
happ
our Europeann Corrre
sto
pppy to
regu
toririries
ies
gullla
gu

to be ffe
ressp
larl
arlrlyy writ
e . In add
feat
spond
atur
at
onde
writitee
wr
adddittio
urin
ur inng
dent
dent
nt,
ionn

Nancy Friedrich and European Paul

Pa ul Why hytotock
to ck. Pa Paulu willl reguulaarrlly up upda daate our
date u aaud uddi
udi-
Correspondent Paul Whytock ence
en ce with bootthh hot aand uniquee neews ws ffro rom
ro m ththee Eu Eurro-
have been bringing you video p ann RRFF maarrkket
pe sit ww
et.. Viisi
sit www. w.mw
w. mwrf
mw rf.c
rf
rf.c
.com
.com m tod o ayy to se seee
Paul
Pau
a l Whyt
Whyt
hytock
ock
coverage from the floors of what
wh at’s
at ’s neww onl nlin
ine.
in e
e.
important tradeshows like the
International Microwave Sympo- Share Your Thoughts With Quick Polls
sium (IMS) and European Micro- Quick polls allow you to regularly share your opinion on a
wave Week. To see Nancy’s most wide range of topics.
recent interviews at IMS in Boston,
LATEST POLL RESULTS:
for example, go to www.mwrf.com
and click on IMS 2009 on the left Does the use of millimeter-wave-based
toolbar. These videos strive to provide technologies in airports make you concerned
both attendees and non-attendees with a for your privacy?
personal view of some of the key product
developments and trends that emerge at 41% Yes
industry events. As editors, we have the 59% No
benefit of being able to meet and exchange
ideas with some of the greatest minds in the NEW POLL:
microwave industry. We’re hoping that our
Has the technology of microwave packaging kept
video interviews offer insight into the latest product devel-
opments while introducing you to the microwave engineers pace with that of microwave ICs?
who created them. Stay tuned for more video coverage on
www.mwrf.com! To cast your vote, go to www.mwrf.com
m now!

28 visit www.mwrf.com FEBRUARY 2010 ■ Microwaves & RF

 
  
 
   
   
  

     

   

      
   


     
  
  

! " #$
 %& &'

 


  
  
 
    

    
  

 !
" #$  


     
 4   5        ' 
+ 

 

  



,

,
.  

 
  

 
-
 
 6

! !
& 7
7 8)' 7 & 7 7 8)' 7
 >
 >
101
,1 01 , 1,0 4 ,1 4 15110< ?>@   !
"  

 >
1 1;;
,1 ;1 . 1.1 1.0 ,0 5 15110< ? >@@      

  ="
1 1.1
31 ;1 ,1 1,1 1.
.1 35 ;1 .1,
,. ?=@
 



1.11
;1 .1 / 1,
1,0 131 /3 01 .1,
. ,. ?@   
>.+

+
1

1.11
,0 .1 / 1.1 1.1 .0
0 ,5 .1,
.1
1 . ?>@
>.+
1 1,1
.1
.1 ,1 ,1 1;1
1 1;1 3, .3 .1,
.1
1 . ?>@
   

 >
1,

1,1

1 0
1
, ,1
1 . 1.
.0 1.0 ,5
5 A 101
013 ? >@     


 >
110
,
,0 0 / 13
31 1/11 .; ,2 1 3 ?
101  >@
     ' 
B : * 
 
 ?>@ 
 ?=
=@    
 ?
 @


 ###
$%&
'($%    
 4 +     
4 


 (  
 

   
 / 2 1
1 
)

  
  )  *
 -
1  &3  &33  &
 &3  &33 


$.0 $% <
$%< 13 1;
; 15 0 ,2 .2 .1,.


<.0
0 <%$ 13 1; 15 0 ,2 .2
.2 .1,.
)
 !)"  *+,

7 #
 
 
   

        50
0 "  
7 "(  (
 ,1 +=9+ 

     !

"4  
4 

 /-
0 / +
 ,

.  /  ,
  / ! / !   
 -

+,
 + ,  -./0
0 0 1,1
1, 1 /.1 2/1 2 101
01
13
+.
.,   -./0 4 1,0 /.1 2/1 2 101
13
.1
.1, 

 -./0 , 115
11 /1 ,.1 51 101
13
.1
.1.  6,5
,5 , 1,5
1 /1 ,.1 51 1013

7 +  8   +

+,,       

7 + 
8    +.,   

    
   
(
( 
 
 
   
 
7  
  9
 (  8
8   .1,   .1. .      (
((
 

 

 :   :    

0; "      (  )) 



   
 PO
POWER
PLITT
TTERS
MBINERS
MB
! ¢
NOW
from kHz to
t 18
1 GHz
H as low as 7
79
THE INDUSTRY’S LAR RGEST SELECTION Mini-Circuits offers thousands of power
splitters/combiners for appplications from 2 kHz to 18 GHzz and with power handling as
high as 300 watts. Choose e from coaxial, flat-pack, and surface-mount housings, for 50 Ω
and 75 Ω applications. T The industry’s largest selection includes 2-way through
48-way power splitters/co ombiners in 0°, 90°, and 180° configurations, with outstanding
performance in terms off insertion loss, VSWR, amplitude unbalance, and phase
unbalance. All models are e characterized with detailed data and performance curves,
available at the touch o of a button using Mini-Circuits advanced Yoni2 search
engine. These low-costt, off-the-shelff power splitters/combiners are available
immediately, and backed d by Mini-Circuits 1year guarantee. But if your application
calls for a custom unit, ouur development team will meet or exceed your requirements
quickly and cost-effectivvely. Contact Mini-Circuits today, for the industry’s largest
selection of power splittters/combiners.
RoHS Compliant
Mini-Circuits...Your pa
artners for success since 1969 Product availability is
listed on our website.

ISO 9001 ISO 14001 AS 9100 CERTIFIED

TM P.O. Box 350166, Brooklyn, New York 111235-0003 (718) 934-4500 Fax (718) 332-4661
The Design Engineers Search
r Engine
g finds the model you need, In
nstantly • For detailed performance specs & shopping online see
IF/RF MICROWAVE COMPONENTS 448 rev D
Stretching Technology
Generates Revolutionary Oscillator Products
Phase Noise Measurement
2-18 GHz and 2-20 GHz frequency coverage is now 0
available in fundamental (continuous single band unit) -20
and switched band products. Micro Lambda Wireless, Inc. -40
MLXB & MLXS Series
introduces two new oscillator model series that provide -60
Noise (dBc/Hz) SSB

excellent phase noise performance over the 2-18 GHz and -80
2-20 GHz bands. -100
MLXS-T Series
-120
-140
MLXB & MLXS- Series Low Noise Fundamental
-160
(Continuous Single Band Unit) YIG-Tuned Oscillators
-180
covering 2-18 GHz and 2-20 GHz -200
10 1 10 2 10 3 10 4 10 5 10 6
1.25” cube and 1.75” cylinder packages offer +12 to +13dBm Frequency (Hz)
power output levels and operate over the 0° to +65°C
commercial temperature range. Phase noise at 100 kHz
offset is -112 dBc/Hz at 18 GHz and -107 dBc/Hz at 20 GHz. www.microlambdawireless.com
MLXS-T Series Low Noise Switched Band YIG-Tuned
Oscillators covering 2-18 GHz and 2-20 GHz
2.0” cylinder packages provide +13 to +14 dBm power
output levels and operate over the 0° to +65°C commercial
temperature range. Phase noise at 100 kHz offset of
-123 dBc/Hz is provided for all models “Look to the leader in YIG-Technology”

46515 Landing Parkway, Fremont CA 94538 4 (510) 770-9221 4 sales@microlambdawireless.com

 W I R E L E S S I N T E G R AT I O N

NewsReport

Wireless Demands Focus

Designers On Integration
Both handset and infrastructure developers are asking for higher
levels of integration and creative ways to preserve performance while
cutting costs and speeding time to market.
customers want more processing capabil- products in advanced bipolar processes.
NANCY FRIEDRICH ity in a given volume. In many instances, Customers then apply digital control
Editor
customers expect a system cost reduction functions within their systems. Wilson
as multiple functions are incorporated in points out that newer BiCMOS processes

I
ntegration has been a key to the
advancement of wireless com-
munications, leading to smaller
devices with more functionality.
Although the mobile handset is at
the forefront of these trends, cost
savings and time to market are among
the drivers pushing for higher
integration in cellular infra-
structure as well. As wireless
integrators strive for more func-
tions in smaller packages, the
trend in ICs continues toward
higher levels of analog, digital,
and high-frequency integration
in a single device. To compli-
cate matters, both handset and
infrastructure integrators are 1. This RF modulator and downconverter house an integrated PLL,
trying to fit multiple wireless which is a multi-modulus fractional-N synthesizer designed to support device. The four ADRF660x
standards in one system. To LTE’s 100-kHz channel raster.
balance these various demands,
creative design techniques are leverag-
ing advanced technology resources and
expertise in amplifiers, transceivers,
and other devices to create more highly
integrated systems that do not sacrifice
performance.
Dale Wilson, Analog Devices’ (www.
analog.com) Senior Marketing Manager,
RF Group, states, “Size is an obvious
consideration and most important in
handheld or portable applications but
also desired in larger systems, where
a single device. There is also the reduced
cost of assembly and test as well as actual
design work. If all of the tuning, filtering,
biasing, etc. is handled on the chip, there
is less work required to be done by the
user. This can also improve the customer’s
time to market. Performance of discrete
RF components will generally be better
than that of a more integrated device.
But in many applications,‘good enough’
performance is acceptable—as long as
price targets are achieved. As analog
and high-performance RF devices make
more use of CMOS processes, there are
more opportunities to incorporate digital
control functions as well.”
To handle such increased levels of
integration, ADI has traditionally imple-
mented many of its high-performance RF
are now being used, which have superior
analog performance and the additional
capability to integrate digital control
functions on chip. CMOS processes also
are being utilized for highly integrated RF
devices, often using digital processing to
overcome RF performance limitations.
This past fall, the firm debuted
RF mixers and modulators that
enable high-density radio cards
while increasing capacity and
speed for Long Term Evolution
(LTE) and fourth-generation
(4G) base stations (Fig. 1). The
ADRF660x series of mixers and
ADRF670x series of modula-
tors combine multiple discrete
functional blocks into a single
products integrate an active RF
mixer, RF input balun for single-
ended 50-Ω input, and a PLL synthesizer
with integrated voltage-controlled oscil-
lator (VCO) in one package. The active
mixer provides a voltage conversion
gain of 6 dB. The differential IF output
operates to 500 MHz. The ADRF6601
receive mixer operates from 300 to 2500
MHz with an internal LO range of 750 to
1160 MHz. It reaches 1-dB compression
with +12 dBm input power and achieves
an input third-order intercept point of
+30 dBm. The mixer exhibits 12 dB

FEBRUARY 2010 ■ Microwaves & RF visit www.mwrf.com 33

 W I R E L E S S I N T E G R AT I O N
NewsReport
single-sideband (SSB) noise.
Each of the four ADRF670x modu-
lators integrates an analog in-phase/
quadrature (I/Q) modulator, RF output
switch, and phase-locked-loop (PLL)
with integrated VCO in a single RFIC.
The modulator input bandwidth is 500
MHz. The ADRF6701 I/Q modulator’s
PLL/synthesizer uses a fractional-N PLL
to feed a multiplied-by-two version of the
LO signal to the I/Q modulator. The PLL
reference input accepts signals from 12
to 160 MHz. The modulator covers an
output frequency of 400 to 1300 MHz.
It boasts an internal LO frequency range
of 750 to 1160 MHz. The device provides
+14 dBm output power at 1-dB compres-
sion and +29 dBm output third-order
intercept point. It offers a noise floor of
−158 dBm/Hz.
PAs FEEL THE SQUEEZE
As 3G wireless networks are completed
and a transition is being made to 4G
systems, the use of distributed archi-
tectures and active antenna systems is
driving the need for smaller and more
efficient transceiver and PA implemen-
tations. For example, the MAX9947
from Maxim Integrated Products (www.
maxim-ic.com) promises to simplify the
implementation of Antenna Interface
Standards Group (AISG)-compliant base
stations and tower-mounted equipment
(Fig. 2). The single-chip transceiver packs
a transmitter, receiver, and active filters
into a 3-x-3-mm TQFN package.
The transmitter includes an OOK
modulator, a bandpass filter that is com-
pliant with the AISG spectrum-emission
profile, and an output amplifier. The
receiver includes a bandpass filter with
200-kHz bandwidth centered at 2.176
MHz center frequency. It also includes
an OOK demodulator and a compara-
tor for reconstructing the digital signal.
The MAX9947 offers input dynamic
range from −15 to +5 dBm at 50 Ω. Its
resistor-adjustable output power, which
spans +7 to +12 dBm, compensates for
losses in external circuitry and cabling.
The transceiver supports all AISG data
rates: 9.6, 38.4, and 115.2 kb/s.
On the PA side, designers are faced
34
2. This transceiver integrates an autodirection
output that handles bus arbitration in tower-
mounted equipment without requiring a
microcontroller.
with high peak-to-average ratios and
stringent spectral-growth specifications.
Scintera Networks, Inc. (www.scintera.
com) is hoping to provide an answer with
the SC1887 adaptive RF PA linearizer
(RFPAL) system-on-a-chip (SoC), which
performs complex signal processing in the
RF domain. The SC1887, which is fab-
ricated in standard CMOS, implements
the firm’s Gigahertz Signal Processing
technology (GSP). This programmable
analog-signal-processor (ASP) platform
vows to provide the advantages of digital
signal processing (DSP) at the reduced
power and size of analog solutions.
The SC1887 RF in and RF out solution
supports modular PA designs that are
independent of the baseband and trans-
ceiver subsystems. Consuming less than
600 mW, the SC1887 is well suited for
lower-power transmitters.The SoC covers
698 to 1000 or 1800 to 2800 MHz. It
supports an input signal bandwidth to
60 MHz with a peak-to-average ratio of
10 dB. The chip promises to provide an
adjacent-channel-leakage-ratio (ACLR)
improvement to 26 dB.
Enhanced efficiency also is the driver
of a PA development from Nujira (www.
nujira.com) and RF Micro Devices, Inc.
(www.rfmd.com). The firms assert that
wireless-infrastructure vendors will be
able to leverage this PA to develop a single
multimode, broadband RF front end that
can be deployed to meet various transmis-
sion standards anywhere in the world.
The PA design, which targets 4G base sta-
tions, integrates RFMD’s RFG1M09180
180-W gallium-nitride (GaN) broadband
power transistor with Nujira’s Coolteq.h
envelope-tracking power modulators.
Using just one RFG1M device with a
Coolteq.h module, the RFMD Nujira RF
front end transmits over a 728-to-960-
MHz band. It delivers average output
power of +45 dBm with over 50 percent
efficiency. Using GaN devices currently in
development at RFMD, the two compa-
nies expect to cover cellular frequencies
from 700 to 2600 MHz with just three
broadband PAs.
By using carbon nanotubes as heat-
dissipation material in PA transistors,
Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd. (www.fujitsu.
com) has successfully operated high-
frequency, 100-W-class, flip-chip ampli-
fiers that also target the mobile base
stations designed for 4G systems. To
achieve high frequency, output, and ampli-
fication, the firm developed “dual-side
heat-dissipation” technology, in which
heat is dissipated through both sides
of the transistor chip. According to the
company, this technology also enables
the reduction of the transistor chip size
to less than two-thirds the size of existing
transistor chips.
Using the flip-chip structure, carbon-
nanotube bumps were run between the
electrode on the top of the amplifier and
the substrate. In addition, a heatsink was
affixed to the reverse side of the amplifier
to draw heat away from the amplifier
from both its front and back sides. To
attain high amplification rates at high
frequencies, the interconnects need to
be at least 10 μm long. Fujitsu used an
aluminum-iron (Al-Fe) film to grow car-
bon nanotubes to a length of 20 μm or
longer perpendicular to the board. The
new technology promises to improve
heat dissipation by an increase of 1.5X
compared to conventional methods.
FEBRUARY 2010 ■ Microwaves & RF
 ZVA-213X

SUPER ULTRA WIDEBAND

AMPLIF
AM +24 dBm output... 0.7 to 21GHz from
$
ea.
Calling these amplifiers “wideband” doesn’t beg egin to describe them.
Consider that both the ZVA-183X and ZVA-2 213X amplifiers are
TYPICAL SPECIFICAT
FICATIONS
unconditionally stable and deliver typical +24 dBm output power at 1dB
MODEL FREQ.
FR GAIN POUT NOISE FIG. PRICE
compression, 26 dB gain with +/- 1 dB flatness, no oise figure of 3 dB ( GHz) (dB) ( dBm) (dB ) ( 1-9 )
and IP3 +33 dBm. What’s more, they are so rugge ed they can even @ 1 dB Comp.
withstand full reflective output power when the outputut load is open or ZVA-183X+ 0.7-18 26 +24 3.0 845.00
short. In addition to broadband military and commercia ial applications, ZVA-213X+ 0.8-21 26 +24 3.0 945.00
these super wideband amplifiers are ideal as workhorses khorses for a NNote: Alternative heat-sink must be provided to limit maximum base plate temperature.
wide number of narrow band applications in yourr lab or o in a
production environment. Z
ZVA-183+ 0.7-18 26 +24 3.0 895.00
ZVA-213+
Z 0.8-21 26 +24 3.0 995.00
Visit our website for comprehensive performance data and All models IN STOCK!
A RoHS compliant
specifications for our ZVAs or any of our over 10,000 catalog items.
You can even order on-line for next day shipment.
Mini-Circuits...Your partners for success since 1969

ISO 9001 ISO 14001 AS 9100 CERTIFIED

TM P.O. Box 350166, Brooklyn, New York 11235-0003 (718) 934-4500 Fax (718) 332-4661
The Design Engineers Search
r Engine
g finds the model you need, Instantly • For detailed performance specs & shopping online see
IF/RF MICROWAVE COMPONENTS 440 rev E
 W I R E L E S S I N T E G R AT I O N
NewsReport
This work underscores the
concern of many mobile-com-
munications design engineers
for effective thermal manage-
ment. According to Homay-
oun Ghani, Toshiba America
Electronic Components’ (www.
toshiba.com) Development
Manager, Microwave, RF, and
Small Signal Devices, higher-
efficiency designs require a
smaller heatsink, which enables
the use of smaller and lighter 3G/4G
devices in mobile-systems transceiver/
applications. He notes, “The baseband
resulting challenges are mainly
the heat generated from these
small devices and how to prop-
erly design a system capable
of handling that heat.” Ghani
points out that some systems
integrators are using liquid-
cooling techniques.
Cellular handsets provide
their own set of integration
obstacles. According to Shane
Smith, TriQuint’s Senior Direc- 3. By using this converged module in place of multiple discrete
tor for Marketing, Mobile modules, handset manufacturers can save precious board space for
Devices, “For analog integra- features like Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth, cameras, and FM radios.
tion, semiconductor companies
are developing power amplifiers that
deliver multi-mode, multiband opera-
tion. Today, five bands of WCDMA with
EDGE and GMSK modulation requires
our customers to purchase six PAs. In
2010-2011, customers will be able to
purchase one PA module with the same
functionality.”
To target 3G/4G converged handset
architectures, TriQuint Semiconductor
(www.triquint.com) provides the TriQuint
unified Mobile Front-end architecture
(TRIUMF; Fig. 3). The module provides
an RF footprint that combines GSM,
EDGE, WCDMA, and HSPA transmit
functionality. In doing so, it promises to
offer up to a 50-percent size reduction
over standard multiband module solu-
tions. By combining four separate PA
modules into one, TRIUMF cuts handset
assembly cost. It also miniaturizes the RF
system, as a single converged PA module
coupled with antenna switching, mode/
band, switch and duplexers will reduce
36
Antenna
LLTE band 7
TRITIUM PPA-duplexer module
ASM with
SPxT
x to +28.0 dBm. The PA exhib-
High band
Converged PA
P in high-power mode and 28
(multi-mode/multiband)
Low band
front-end board area.
Although CMOS offers many compel-
ling benefits in terms of cost-effective
integration, CMOS PAs simply have not
been able to match or surpass the perfor-
mance of gallium-arsenide (GaAs) PAs in
handsets. Patrick Morgan, Javelin Semi-
conductor’s (www.javelinsemi.com) Vice
President of Marketing, explains,“Axiom
Microdevices developed a 2G PA archi-
tecture based on the distributed active
transformer (DAT), which is a primarily
analog technique. ACCO Semiconductor
developed a new transistor technology
for PAs called MASMOS. In summary,
companies attempting to solve the CMOS
PA challenge have followed three paths:
digital signal processing, aggressive ana-
log architecture derivations, or making
significant process changes to the standard
CMOS flow.”
The JAV5001 PA from Javelin, which
targets W-CDMA and HSPA wireless
communications, is implemented in a
standard CMOS process. This
PA houses the transceiver
together with the baseband.
In a 3-x-3-mm package, the
JAV5001 integrates circuitry
for power regulation, PA bias,
input and output matching, and
power control. The PA oper-
ates on a single voltage supply.
During W-CDMA modulation,
Antenna it boasts linear output power
its gain ranging from 5 dB in
low-power mode to 27 dB in
high-power mode. It provides
an electro-static-discharge
(ESD) HBM rating of 2.5 kV.
Its adjacent channel leakage
ratio (ACLR) is typically −40
dBc with a maximum of −38
dBc with a ±5-MHz offset.
The JAV5001 offers 40 percent
power-added efficiency (PAE)
percent PAE in medium-power
mode. It features maximum
noise of −150 dBm/Hz from
2400 to 2484 MHz to −147
dBm/Hz in the RX band with
a 190-MHz offset.
As more high-frequency functions are
handled or assisted by digital circuitry, the
biggest obstacle is probably to maintain
analog performance. As stated by Ramesh
Ramchandani, Director, Marketing &
Business Development at TowerJazz
(www.towerjazz.com), “IC designers
driving a true integration of both digital
and analog functions onto a single chip
are finding it increasingly difficult to get
the performance out of their integrated
chip as they would out of an analog
chip. Many engineers are getting creative
in finding circuit solutions to compro-
mise for the lack of analog performance.
However, one of the drawbacks here is
the extra circuitry that must be included
that can require additional capacitors,
resistors, inductors, and other passive
elements to bring the performance to
par.” The decades-old quandary still
thrives: Integration is sorely needed, but it
cannot be gained at the price of even a
little performance.
FEBRUARY 2010 ■ Microwaves & RF
 ,8602,3
0-54+0/3
is an innovator of
high-reliability analog and mixed signal
semiconductors. The Company’s products
are key elements in the design of all types of
transmitters and receivers, from small consumer
wireless microphones to complex navigational
aid systems.

(6
2((
(3+)/(2
+43
Select products and sample/designer
kits available for purchase online. BU
BUY
BU
UYY
NOW
NO
OW
W

" 
 
;
3+%





74

;
5201(


 
;
.%+-
3%-(33,8602,3+/&&0.
6663,8602,3+/&&0.

;

 
$
 P R O C E S S T E C H N O LO G I E S

RF Primer

Device Processes
Differ In Benefits
A wide range of silicon- and GaAs-based semiconductor processes
are available from open foundries, for fabricating low-noise and power
devices and circuits through millimeter-wave frequencies.

JACK BROWNE cesses, particularly for millimeter-wave and military funding has supported
Technical Director
applications. Along the way, commercial substrate materials such as GaN and
silicon foundries, encouraged by the SiC with potentially higher power densi-

S
emiconductor processes have
their differences. Some pro-
vide high power densities;
some excel in integration of
different functions. Under-
standing the differences
is helpful not just to those choosing
foundry services, but for anyone trying
to understand the capabilities of differ-
ent integrated circuits (ICs).
More than three decades ago, a point
of debate in RF/microwave semiconduc-
tors had to do with whether not only if
a fledgling technology such as gallium
arsenide (GaAs) could improve upon
vacuum-tube devices, but whether GaAs
was even an improvement upon silicon
bipolar technology. As with many new
high-frequency semiconductor technol-
ogies, GaAs owed its early development
to military funding, but gained a boost
from commercial applications, such as
television-receive-only (TVRO) satellite
systems in the 1980s and cellular/wire-
less technology in the 1990s.
Similarly, military investments fos-
tered the early growth of newer high-
frequency process technologies, such
as gallium nitride (GaN) and silicon
carbide (SiC). Not to be forgotten in
those years of development were similar
defense-related investments in indium
phosphide (InP) semiconductor pro-
pressing needs of computers and tele-
communications for faster processing
speeds and data rates, have quietly eased
silicon CMOS technologies well into the
millimeter-wave range. With so many
process choices, it is easy to wonder
exactly how they differ and why one
would choose a particular process.
GaAs metal-epitaxial-semiconductor
field-effect transistors (MESFETs) have
been the mainstay of both low-noise
and large signal solid-state RF and
microwave designs for well over 30
years. The semi-insulating material
offers a dielectric constant (12.9) that
is compatible with microstrip struc-
tures in microwave-integrated-circuit
(MIC) designs and supports operating
frequencies into the millimeter-wave
region. The initial process technol-
ogy has been extended over the years
with heterojunction-bipolar-transistor
(HBT) and high-electron-mobility-
transistor (HEMT) configurations
that take advantage of the material’s
basic electron mobility characteristics
for improved gain at higher frequen-
cies. But, in spite of impressive invest-
ments in time and capital, GaAs process
technologies still fall short in terms of
output power per device compared, for
example, to vacuum-tube electronics.
As a result, much recent commercial
ties. In recent cases, the two materials
have been combined (GaN deposited
on SiC) to achieve high-voltage devices
capable of high output-power densities
with good linearity.
Before low-cost silicon semiconduc-
tor processing is written off, it should
be noted that much recent development
work has been in scaling down the
features of silicon CMOS and BiCMOS
processes to achieve cutoff frequencies
beyond 100 GHz. Also, the use of later-
ally diffused metal-oxide-semiconductor
(LDMOS) silicon processes has resulted
in robust transistors capable of output-
power levels rivaling the best reported
results for GaN and SiC devices. In
addition, processes such as silicon Bi-
CMOS readily support the integration
of RF, analog, digital, and mixed-signal
functions on a single die.
Unfortunately, silicon has poor insu-
lating properties compared to GaAs, so
that transmission lines tend to suffer
high losses at high frequencies. Even
in silicon germanium (SiGe) processes,
which have been used to fabricate HBTs
for many wireless applications, the
performance of these devices is limited
in terms of power and noise figure
compared to GaAs devices (albeit at
lower cost). And the cost of extending
the high-frequency performance of SiGe

38 FEBRUARY 2010 ■ Microwaves & RF

 W
NE

HI-REL MIXE
XERS
For mission cri
r tic
t al app
p lilcati
tions
150 kHz to 4 GHz

US Army Photo

U.S. Navy Photos

TUF -R
R
E-
D

CERAMIC DIODE QUAD

A

Plastic
Case I STOCK from
IN
$
3 9
95
ea. qtyy.10-49
Metal
Case

Miniature hi-rel surface-mount mixers from Mini-Circuits
are built to handle tough applications in hostile environments.
Featuring hermetically sealed ceramic quads, rugged ADE-R
mixers are supplied in durable plastic packages while
reliable TUF-R mixers are enclosed in laser welded shielded
metal housings. ADE-R and TUF-R mixers cover a frequency
range from as low as 150 kHz through 4 GHz, with models
for a wide selection of LO drive requirements, including +3,
+7, +10, and +13 dBm. Both versions offer outstanding
multi octave wideband performance featuring conversion
loss as low as 5.0 dB, very high isolation up to 50 dB and
IP3 up to 22 dBm. They are ideal wherever space is at a
premium in military, industrial, and commercial applications;
from UHF/VHF tactical radios to cellular basestations.
For your mission-critical applications, count on rugged
surface-mount ADE-R and TUF-R mixers. With a wide
selection of models, you'll find a high-rel mixer optimized
for your requirements. Visit the Mini-Circuits website at
www.minicircuits.com for comprehensive performance
data, circuit layouts, and environmental specifications.
Order online for next day shipment.
Mini-Circuits...Your partners for success since 1969
U.S. Patent # 7,027,795 and # 6,133,525 RoHS compliant

ISO 9001 ISO 14001 AS 9100 CERTIFIED

TM P.O. Box 350166, Brooklyn, New York 11235-0003 (718) 934-4500 Fax (718) 332-4661
The Design Engineers Search
r Engine
g finds the model you need, Instantly • For detailed performance specs & shopping online see
IF/RF MICROWAVE COMPONENTS 450 Rev E

RF Primer
processing has been a reduction in break-
down voltage and, consequently, output
power (as demonstrated by IBM’s SiGe
process enhancements over the last few
years). The number of silicon foundries is
large worldwide, and includes such firms
as austriamicrosystems (www.austria-
40
microsystems.com), IHP Microelectron-
ics (SiGe, www.ihp-microelectronics.
com), JAZZ Semiconductor (RF CMOS,
SiGe, www.jazzsemi.com), and Taiwan
Semiconductor Manufacturing Com-
pany Ltd. (TSMC, www.tsmc.com).
On silicon carbide, however, some
P R O C E S S T E C H N O LO G I E S
impressive high-power devices have been
fabricated, notably by companies such as
Microsemi (www.microsemi.com) and
Cree (www.cree.com) for pulsed radar
applications. Unfortunately, the wafer
sizes are relatively small (to about 3 in.
diameter) compared to traditional sili-
con wafers, resulting in higher costs per
device than traditional silicon CMOS
or bipolar processing.
GaN processes and their variants,
such as GaN deposited on SiC wafers,
have great appeal for high-power device
fabrication because of the high break-
down voltages of GaN processes (100
V and more). Numerous studies on
GaN devices have shown greater high-
frequency potential than SiC HBTs and
GaAs MESFETs because of the mate-
rial’s excellent electron transport prop-
erties and short transit times, implying
higher gain at higher frequencies than
GaAs or SiC. In addition, GaN-based
materials have shown great potential for
high-performance small-signal devices,
such as low-noise amplifiers (LNAs),
indicating that a single GaN foundry
could support both power and low-noise
device fabrication. A further benefit of
a GaN-based LNA is its potential to
withstand higher input power levels
than GaAs-based LNAs. A number of
foundries currently offer GaN and GaN/
SiC processes, including Cree, Nitronex
(www.nitronex.com), TriQuint Semi-
conductor (www.triquint.com), and
RF Micro Devices (www.rfmd.com),
like TriQuint, long a supplier of GaAs
foundry services. Additional GaAs
foundries include WIN Semiconduc-
tors (www.winfoundry.com), United
Monolithic Semiconductors (www.
ums-gaas.com), OMMIC (www.ommic.
com), and Northrop Grumman (www.
northropgrumman.com).
In fact, military interest is so great
in GaN on SiC that the US Department
of Defense (DoD) has issued an online
grant offer (www.grants.gov), number
BAA-04-08-PKM-CALL-17. Sponsored
by the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL),
the grant aims to establish a domestic
open-foundry merchant supplier of GaN
on 100-mm SiC substrates.
FEBRUARY 2010 ■ Microwaves & RF
 3 3 0 0 -3 6
00 MHz

1710 - 2 4
824-960 00 MHz
MHz

ULTRA L
AMPLIO WN
FIERSOISE

D p
w as
as Lo
450 5 dB NF $995
5 -6000 MHz 0.55 9 ffrom
TAMP Typical Specifications
a. qty. 5-49

The TAMP series of LNAs not only eliminates the need for
Frequency, NF Gain Max Output Price $
designers to optimize low noise transistor bias and matching MODEL GHz dB dB dBm (5-49)
circuitry, but they’re also optimized to give superior performance TAMP-960LN+ .82-.96 0.55 18.0 16.5 9.95
of ultra low noise and high dynamic range in a self contained, TAMP-242LN+ 1.7-2.4 0.65 13.0 17.0 9.95
drop-in, compact metal-shielded case. The case PCB area is TAMP-242GLN+ 1.7-2.4 0.85 30.0 20.0 13.95
smaller than most LNA transistor designs with external circuitry. TAMP-272LN+ 2.3-2.7 0.90 14.0 18.0 9.95
TAMP-362LN+ 3.3-3.6 0.90 12.0 11.0 10.95
The TAMPs do not require any external elements, are unconditionally
TAMP-362GLN+ 3.3-3.6 0.90 20.0 16.0 14.95
stable, and are matched to 50Ω input/output. They’re the ideal mix
TAMP-Custom Customer to specify
of flexibility, efficiency, and price and come in a single, integrated
RoHS compliant
component ready to drop-in to your assembly board.
Visit us online at www.minicircuits.com to view actual performance data for our complete line of new, all-in-one LNAs –
the latest way Mini-Circuits continues to deliver on it’s commitment to bring you more engineering value for your money.
Mini-Circuits. Your partners for success since 1969.

ISO 9001 ISO 14001 AS 9100 CERTIFIED

TM P.O. Box 350166, Brooklyn, New York 11235-0003 (718) 934-4500 Fax (718) 332-4661
The Design Engineers Search
r Engine
g finds the model you need, Instantly • For detailed performance specs & shopping online see
IF/RF MICROWAVE COMPONENTS 461 rev E

John Regazzi has been
Chief Executive Officer and
a Director of Giga-tronics
since April 2006. His previous
positions at the company
included stints as President
and Vice President of
Operations for the instru-
ment division. Among
John’s previous experience
is 22 years at Hewlett-Pack-
ard Co. and Agilent Technol-
ogies in various design and
management positions
associated with their micro-
wave sweeper and synthe-
sizer product lines.
42
crosstalk
An Interview With
John Regazzi
NF: How has the test and measurement industry changed over the last 30 years?
JR:: When Giga-tronics was founded, the microwave test industry was much less mature than
it is today. The microwave field was evolving rapidly with product advancements occurring
on a regular basis. In 1980, a few milliwatts of power at 20 GHz were difficult to achieve
and the best synthesizers could fetch up to $70,000 apiece—plenty of margin to support
multiple participants and healthy profits. Newly designed equipment was just beginning
to take advantage of the microprocessor to enhance calibration accuracy and allow for
automated control, which opened many military and commercial applications.
Today, the industry is characterized by a few major players who together own
somewhere between 70 to 75 percent of the microwave test equipment market. Capi-
talization requirements to enter and obtain a leadership position in this business are
much higher today due to product complexity and existing entrenched competitors.
A 20-GHz synthesizer has gone from “black art” to “commodity” (with vastly supe-
rior capability selling for less than half the 1980 price without adjusting for inflation)
since Giga-tronics first entered the market.
NF: Let’s talk about the company. After restructuring in 2006, you have co-located
everything but the component business, correct?
JR: That’s right. When I became CEO, Giga-tronics was conducting business as three
separate companies—each with its own product line. This isn’t necessarily a bad approach
until you find yourself without sufficient volume to sustain the extra infrastructure,
which is exactly where the company was in 2006. Besides collocating as much as we
could, we built a single leadership team. Now we are able to select the best investments
looking across all our markets and apply our resources to match the real opportunities
available. The facility that builds our components operates strictly as a manufacturing
organization with most of the support functions, such as sales and marketing, order
entry, purchasing, etc., coming out of our main location in San Ramon, CA.
NF: As a result, did your employees gain knowledge about the various product lines?
JR: Absolutely. Besides the efficiencies gained by cross-training our direct employees on
all the different products, our management team gained an appreciation of the unique
value proposition offered by each of the businesses. We found out there were a lot of
synergies we had been missing and we’ve taken steps to offer our customers more com-
plete solutions rather than just separate pieces.
NF: Giga-tronics is uniquely positioned because of its goal of offering customized prod-
ucts and its status as a switch and instrument provider. What customer solutions has
that enabled you to provide?
JR: At the most basic level, we tailor our general-purpose test equipment at the request
of our customers. For example, we are often asked to emulate obsolete equipment or
add special features so that an upgrade can be made without affecting a test system’s
software. In one case, we were able to replace three obsolete instruments with a single
Giga-tronics microwave generator. At the more complex level, we custom design many
of the switching solutions we deliver because the customer’s DUT is always unique. We
are in the process of delivering a switch design that helps a semiconductor test provider
deliver a solution for testing high-speed data storage components. Also, I can’t tell you
how many times we’ve encountered a customer who purchased a very high-performance
instrument, only to destroy the benefits by connecting it to the DUT through an inferior
switch. We have been able to bring our measurement knowledge to customers needing
RF interface units to help them produce test systems with good signal integrity and high
measurement accuracy. We don’t stop with the customer requirement, but sit with them
visit www.mwrf.com FEBRUARY 2010 ■ Microwaves & RF
 M
!
NOW
DC -18
8 GHz

MS
P2T
-18X
MSP L
2TA
-18X
L

MTS
-18 X
L-B

$
Value Packed
Recession Busters! from 139 95
13
Tired of the high cost and lost time that come with constantly having to replace your current
IN STOCK
ET XE R DEDN

mechanical switches? Then why not change over to Mini-Circuits ultra reliable DC to 18 GHz Y T N ARRAW
AE Y 0

switches, (three versions available; SPDT reflective, SPDT absorptive and Transfer switches)
– you could start saving up to 90% right away.
How? Our RF/microwave mechanical switches use breakthrough, advanced technology to
eliminate springs and other life shortening moving parts. The result? Switches that are so
10 Yr.
100 Million Cycles*
reliable they’re backed by our 1-year, 10 million cycle warranty, extendable to a 10-year, *10
10 ye
year
ar agr
agreem
eement
ent
100 million cycle warranty. In fact, they’re so robust we’ve even tested them in sleep mode for req
quiri edd
up to four years without a single start up failure. Plus, they still deliver the superior performance, See websi
we bsite
te for detai
de tails
ls

good impedance matching, low insertion loss, and high isolation (up to18 GHz ), you’ve come to
expect from any of Mini-Circuits high quality components. For details, please see our website.
Outstanding performance. Unmatched reliability. Guaranteed.
It’s all part of our commitment to giving you the best in value.
Protected by patents 5,272,458 6,650,210 6,414,577 7,633,361 and additional patents pending.

ISO 9001 ISO 14001 AS 9100 CERTIFIED

TM P.O. Box 350166, Brooklyn, New York 11235-0003 (718) 934-4500 Fax (718) 332-4661
Design Engineers Search
r Engine
g finds the model you need, Instantly • For detailed performance specs & shopping online see
IF/RF MICROWAVE COMPONENTS 460 rev H

and explain any issues we see as RF and
microwave engineers.
NF: In the defense arena in particular,
what opportunities do you see in aircraft
upgrades, such as the F-18?
JR: Although the F-18 is an older design,
the RADAR and airframe upgrades it
has received have made it a very capable
and cost-effective multi-mission fighter
crosstalk
jet. Giga-tronics supplies a unique, fast-
tuning, multi-sphere YIG filter that solves
a difficult interference problem between
the newly installed RADAR and the exist-
ing electronics on the plane. A number of
additional airplanes—including the F-15
and the B-52—are slated to receive new
RADARs as well.
NF: How exactly does the filter solve
interference problems between the major
airplane subsystems?
JR: The new RADARs all use phased-array-
antenna technology. They are capable of
operating at much higher power levels
than the RADARs being replaced. When
these new RADARs fire, energy from the
pulse can “leak” through a number of
paths into the aircraft’s self-protection
electronics, inadvertently triggering a
threat reaction. Our YIG filter stops the
RF leakage into the self-protection elec-

SATCOM & Cellular/PCS

tronics at the moment the RADAR fires. It
then rapidly tunes clear so the protection
system can function normally.
RF Test Equipment NF: What other emerging applications are
you seeing—defense or otherwise?
JR: On the commercial side, the push for
Satellite Link Emulator “always on” fast Internet connections
RF link emulation for payload or VSAT ter- accessed via the new crop of handhelds
minal development. Doppler, delay, path loss, being produced is driving infrastructure
phase shift and fading may be independently upgrades as well as a new generation of
programmed . Dynamic changing delay offers semiconductor devices to support the
fully phase continuous operation. Up to four
many wireless interfaces in use today,
independent channels.
such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and 3G/4G
cellular formats. In addition, the trend
Low cost CW Synthesizer toward “software as a service” and “cloud
High performance (10MHz to 4 GHz) CW computing” is driving the need for fast,
synthesizer with downloadable date file to high-density hard disk drives.
control power and frequency for sweep test- In defense, the emerging applica-
ing. Ethernet, GPIB and RS 232 control tions are in support of intelligence-
gathering activities for combating the
global threat of terrorism and in high-
AWGN Carrier/Noise Generators speed secure wireless data communica-
Complete line of frequency tunable broad-
tions. There are numerous programs
band Additive While Gaussian Noise
(AWGN) generators with built-in power for new surveillance electronics aboard
measurement. Eb/No ratio accuracy of UAVs and for wideband radios capable
0.1dB over full frequency range of delivering voice and video to front-
line personnel. There is also a need for
more portable test systems to keep all
these things working while deployed.
For example, personnel in forward
positions want to carry only that test
capability needed to support the assets
they’ve taken with them. Yet full test
capability is required when they return.
Support systems based upon synthetic
instrument principles will be key to de-
livering this type of scalability.
NF: Please provide your definition of a syn-
thetic instrument and how it will impact
ruce Street ‹ Oakland NJ 07436
32A Spru given applications.
01) 677-0008 ‹ Fax (201) 677-9444
Tel (201) JR: In my view, a synthetic instrument
refers to the aggregation of several dif- f
RF Test Equipment for Wireless Communications www.dbmcorp.com ferent measurement assets into a com-
mon view through the use of external

44 visit www.mwrf.com FEBRUARY 2010 ■ Microwaves & RF

 crosstalk
software. The software coordinates the the ability to make informed decisions. Ful- or grow through acquisitions. Also, being
behavior of those assets to produce the filling these requirements requires additional public forces you to continually evaluate
desired measurement function. ATE sys- legal and accounting infrastructure as well what’s best for the business—something
tems have followed this model for a long as public-relations efforts because we I think isn’t always done in the case of a
time. For ATE integrators, however, it’s compete for shareholders. It’s best if this privately held company.
not always so easy to coordinate the additional infrastructure can be spread over To learn more about Giga-tronics, go to
behavior of various test assets into a as large a base as possible. On the positive www.mwrf.com and check out the video
coherent function—especially given that side, having publicly traded stock gives the interview we conducted with them before
today’s instrumentation is typically very company additional avenues to raise capital they rang the NASDAQ bell.
complicated and capable of making mul-
tiple measurements by itself.
The synthetic concept of breaking
down traditional measurement instru-
ments into simpler blocks and then
coordinating their behavior with ex-
ternal software is an idea aimed at de-
signing instruments that will produce
better ATE systems. Systems designed
using a synthetic-instrument approach
will support easier mixing and match-
ing of capability to customer require-
ments. The resulting solutions will
be lower in size, weight, and power
consumption—good in any situation,
but essential for portable applications.
And while I believe that a synthetic
approach to building test equipment
doesn’t require any specific form fac-
tor, card-based formats for the indi-
vidual test assets are an ideal approach
for addressing multi-channel applica-
tions, such as electronic surveillance
and RADAR target simulation. Final-
ly, simpler test assets can be replaced
without affecting the TPS more easily
than when replacing a complex instru-
ment, which helps enable the 25-year
support now required by our military.
NF: What will be the direction of future
development at Giga-tronics?
JR: Right now, our instrumentation
and switching products use different
platforms and form factors, making it
more cumbersome to integrate these
resources tightly together. Giga-tronics is
embarking on the development of a next-
generation platform that will support a
range of test capability and connectivity
to permit building high-density, scalable
test systems with superior signal integrity
and accuracy.
NF: What are the pluses and minuses to
being a publicly traded company? www.ph
ww phaa sematrix.com
m
JR: Being a publicly traded company carries 877-
87 7-44
447-
7-27366 oor 408-428-1000
additional reporting requirements aimed at
enhancing transparency to give investors

2010 ■ Microwaves & RF visit www.mwrf.com 45

 financialnews
Plessey Semiconductors Is Reborn
PLESSEY SEMICONDUCTORS has name of the operating business has 8-in. wafers for external customers in
been spawned from the acquisition of been subsequently changed to Plessey a foundry business model on 0.35-μm
the share capital of X-FAB UK Ltd. Semiconductors. The firm is now trading complementary-metal-oxide-semicon-
together with existing engineering com- from its semiconductor manufacturing ductor (CMOS) process technologies.
petence within a design and technology facility in Roborough, Plymouth, UK. Plessey Semiconductors is transferring
center located in Swindon, UK. The That facility currently produces its bipolar process technologies on both
silicon and silicon-on-insulator (SoI)
substrates to its Roborough facility. Both
technologies will be used to support a set
® of existing foundry customers. However,
Plessey Semiconductors will follow in its
namesake’s footsteps by developing and
Microwave Components & Instruments supporting a range of high-performance
DC to 67 GHz analog and mixed-signal semiconductor
products as well.
“The historical significance of what
we are doing is not lost on the manage-
ment and employees of our new busi-
ness,” says Michael LeGoff, Managing
Director of Plessey Semiconductors Ltd.
Directional Detectors
“A large proportion of our employees
Directional Couplers started their careers in Plessey working
3 dB 90° Hybrid Couplers to 50 GHz
to 67 GHz
to 40 GHz in the various sites around the UK. We
see this announcement as a return to
our roots. This is a business model that
addresses a market that we know very
well—designing and manufacturing a
set of high-technology semiconductor
Detectors products that competes with any semi-
Zero Bias conductor company in the world.”
Schottky According to Paul James, the firm’s
Double Arrow 3 dB 180° Planar Doped
Hybrid Couplers to 26.5 GHz Barrier Planar Commercial Director, “Our positioning
MLDD Power Divider/
Tunnel Diode Combiner to 40GHz addresses the critical and immediate
Threshold Detectors requirements we have identified in the
to 40 GHz market for our high-performance analog
technology and products. We have been
receiving very positive responses from
the market about our plans to support
both our existing foundry customers and
Adapters: DC to 50 GHz to engage new customers with exciting
In Series: SMA, 2.92 mm, 2.4 mm Coaxial
RF & Microwave Terminations new product releases. The first of these
Between Series: 2.29 mm to 2.4 mm
Power Meter to 50 GHz product families is on schedule for release
100 KHz to 40 GHz later in 2010.”
Broadband Limiters
Pin-Pin Diode The UK’s South West Regional Devel-
Pin-Schottky Diode to 18 GHz opment Agency (RDA) will partially
fund the project by providing nearly one
MIL Qualified Components Available million pounds Sterling under the Grant
®
for Business Investment scheme when the
1288 Anvilwood Ave. Sunnyvale, CA 94089 deal is completed. Paul Wilson, Business
Investment Adviser for the South West
Toll Free: (877) 734-5999 • Fax: (408) 734-3017 • sales@krytar.com
www.krytar.com lists complete specifications RDA, states, “We are delighted to sup-
and application ideas for all products port a solution that provides continuity
of well-paid high-tech manufacturing
jobs in the region.”

46 visit www.mwrf.com FEBRUARY 2010 ■ Microwaves & RF

 AMPLIFIERS
Gain Noise In/Out Output Power
Frequency Gain Flatness Figure VSWR at 1dB Comp.
Model Number (GHz) (dB, Min.) (±dB, Max.) (dB, Max.) (Max.) (dBm, Typ.)
JSW4 18002600 20 5A
JSW4-18002600-20-5A 18-26
18 26 34 1.5 2.0 2.0:1/2.0:1 5
JSW4-26004000-28-5A 26-40 25 2.5 2.8 2.2:1/2.0:1 5
JSW4-18004000-35-5A 18-40 21 2.5 3.5 2.5:1/2.5:1 5
JSW4-33005000-45-5A 33-50 21 2.5 4.5 2.5:1/2.5:1 5
JSW5-40006000-55-0A 40-60 18 2.5 5.5 2.75:1/2.75:1 0
Higher output power options available.

MIXER/CONVERTER PRODUCTS
Frequency (GHz) Conversion Noise Image LO-RF
Gain/Loss Figure Rejection Isolation
Model Number RF LO IF (dB, Typ.) (dB, Typ.) (dB, Typ.) (dB, Typ.)
LNB-1826-30
LNB 1826 30 18-26
18 26 Internal 2-10
2 10 42 2.5
25 25 45
LNB-2640-40 26-40 Internal 2-16 42 3.5 25 45
IR1826N17* 18-26 18-26 DC-0.5 11 9.5 25 25
IR2640N17* 26-40 26-40 DC-0.5 11 9.5 25 25
SBW3337LG2 33-37 33-37 DC-4 -7.5 8 N/A 25
TB0440LW1 4-40 4-42 .5-20 -10 10.5 N/A 20
DB0440LW1 4-40 4-40 DC-2 -9 9.5 N/A 25
SBE0440LW1 4-40 2-20 DC-1.5 -10 10.5 N/A 20
* For IF frequency options, please contact MITEQ.

MULTIPLIERS
Frequency (GHz) Input Output Fundamental DC current
Level Power Feed Through Level @+15VDC
Model Number Input Output (dBm, Min.) (dBm, Min.) (dBc, Min.) (mA, Nom.)
MAX2M260400 13-20 26-40 10 10 18 160
MAX2M200380 10-19 20-38 10 10 18 200
MAX2M300500 15-25 30-50 10 10 18 160
MAX4M400480 10-12 40-48 10 10 18 250
MAX3M300300 10 30 10 10 60 160
MAX2M360500 18-25 36-50 10 10 18 160
MAX2M200400 10-20 20-40 10 10 18 160
TD0040LA2 2-20 4-40 10 -3 30 N/A
Higher output power options available.

 (/+
+$$#./
!1/0+)
"#/'%*/
0+
)##0
4+1.
/,#!'$'!
.#-1'.#)#*0/
+.
""'0'+* (
'*$+.) 0'+*
+.
0#!&*'! (
/1,,+.0
,(# /#
!+*0 !0
+1.
 (#/
#, .0)#*0
0



 
+.
#) '(
!+),+*#*0/)'0#-!+)



 2'"/
.'2#
5

2'"/
.'2#
5
 1,,
1,, 1%#

1%#
 











5













5







www.miteq.com
www.miteq.com
 companynews
CONTRACTS
Northrop Grumman Corp.—Has been awarded a contract by the
Ministry of Defence of Brunei Darussalam to provide Joint
Operations Centre (JOC) command and control capability
for the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF). The contract,
which will be undertaken by Northrop Grumman UK, will
include the supply of an integrated Command, Control,
Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance,
and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) headquarter system and a
deployable JOC together with the provision of training and
in-country support. The JOC will provide the RBAF with a
facility that will deliver command and control capability for
military commands and civil organizations at the national
and international level. It will be interoperable with NATO
and ASEAN allies as well as coalition partners.
Hughes Network Systems—Has been selected by the State
of New York to provide a suite of managed services and
connectivity under the Comprehensive Telecommunica-
tions Services contract, Group 77017, Award 20268. The
indefinite-delivery indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract is for
a term of seven years. It enables authorized users, such as
statewide agencies, local governments, and eligible nonprofit,
educational, and charitable organizations, to purchase tele-
communications services provided by Hughes.
Bridgewater Systems—Has announced that MetroPCS Com-
munications, Inc. has selected its Long-Term Evolution (LTE)
product suite including the Bridgewater Home Subscriber
Server and Policy Controller. Both are anchored by Bridge-
water’s Subscriber Data Broker for its fourth-generation
(4G) LTE network.
Vincotech—Has signed a distribution contract with Atlantik
Elektronik, a full-service electronics distributor and market-
trend analyst for global technologies. Atlantik Elektronik, a
partner of CSR, and Vincotech, the European GPS module
partner of SiRF (a CSR company), will market the latest GPS
modules and telematics solutions. The primary focus of this
partnership is on promoting Vincotech’s SiRFstarIV-based
technology and telematics product solution while continuing
the design-in support of Vincotech’s SiRFstarIII portfolio.
F R E S H S TA R T S
Diagnosys Systems—Has launched a new web site (www.
diagnosys.com) that coincides with a change to the Diag-
nosys logo and overall corporate identity. In addition to test
equipment, Diagnosys now offers a complete suite of testers
and test services to assist customers in effectively using diag-
nostic tools as a way to return faulty boards to service more
rapidly. The web site allows prospects to move directly to
pages covering functional test (go/no go), circuit-card diag-
nostics, high-performance testing, boundary scan, conformal
coating removal, test services, or turnkey and custom design
applications. General information on training and support
is available as well.
48 visit www.mwrf.com
Mentor Graphics Corp.—Freescale Semiconductor has selected
Mentor as a partner in the silicon-test, yield-analysis, physical-
verification, and design-for-fabrication-and-manufacturability
(DFM) technology areas. This collaboration enables Freescale’s
deployment of Mentor’s Tessen and Calibre technologies cov-
ering design for test (DFT), physical verification and analysis,
advanced resolution-enhancement technologies (RETs), and
pre- and post-tapeout DFM.
Microchip Technology, Inc.—Has acquired Sunnyvale-based
ZeroG Wireless, Inc., which specializes in low-power embedded
WiFi solutions. ZeroG is a privately held, fabless-semiconductor
developer of WiFi-certified transceivers and FCC-certified
modules. This acquisition is expected to strengthen Microchip’s
wireless offerings by enabling embedded designers to easily
connect to this ubiquitous networking protocol with any 8-,
16-, or 32-bit PIC microcontroller.
Cree, Inc.—Has announced a distribution agreement with
Arrow Electronics, Inc. for Cree silicon-carbide (SiC) power
products. This agreement gives Arrow’s customers ready access
to the firm’s latest commercially available SiC junction-barrier-
Schottky (JBS) products. Among the Cree products available
through Arrow will be the Z-REC series of 600-V Schottky
diodes and the 1200-V Schottky-diode line.
AT4 wireless—Has appointed HCT Korea as its official calibra-
tion laboratory, offering local, KOLAS-accredited calibration
services in South Korea.
Conexant Systems, Inc.—Has agreed to sell property adjacent
to its Newport Beach headquarters to City Ventures LLC
for $26.1 million. City Ventures is a residential and mixed-
use developer of urban projects throughout California. The
property, located on Jamboree Road in Newport Beach,
consists of approximately 25 acres and includes two leased
buildings. The transaction is expected to be completed by
the end of March.
Exalt Communications—Has announced that the South Metro
Fire Rescue Authority in Colorado has upgraded its mobile
emergency-communications network with Exalt EX-4.9i
microwave radio systems. South Metro provides fire and
emergency services over 176 square miles in both Douglas
and Arapahoe counties.
Avery Dennison Corp.—Has announced that its radio-frequency-
identification (RFID) inlays have passed the specifications
and system tests and met the performance requirements
established by the International Air Transport Association
(IATA) for the tagging of luggage at airports. The Avery Den-
nison RFID technology has already been successfully deployed
in tagging solutions at Las Vegas and Hong Kong airports.
Through its partnership with Motorola and Print-O-Tape,
Avery Dennison will supply Hong Kong International Air- r
port (HKIA) with inlays for up to 70 million RFID-enabled
baggage-tracking tags.
Cycleo—Has announced the appointment of Spinnaker Systems,
Inc. as its distributor in Japan. Spinnaker, a PALTEK Group
company, will be responsible for sales and front-line support
of the Lora IP family from Cycleo.
FEBRUARY 2010 ■ Microwaves & RF
 GVA
-81
+
10 d
GVA
B
-83
+
GVA
-82
20 d +

B 15 d
B

GVA
-84
+

24 d
B

+20 dBm
m Power Ampllifierss wiith a choice of g
gai
ain !

PLIFIERS
DC to 7 GHz
Mini-Circuits’ monolithic, surface-mount GVA amplifiers are
from
as +41 dBm a
$
182 ea. (qty. 25)
at 1GHz. Supplied in RoHS-compliant, SOT-89
extremely broadband, with wide dynamic range and the housings, low-cost GVA amplifiers feature excellent
right gain to fit your application. Based on high-performance input/output return loss and high reverse isolation. With
InGaP HBT technology, patented GVA amplifiers cover DC* to built-in ESD protection, GVA amplifiers are unconditionally
7 GHz, with a selection of gain choices 10, 15, 20 or 24dB, stable and designed for a single 5-V supply. For more on
(measured at 1 GHz). They provide better than +20 dBm broadband GVA amplifiers, visit the Mini-Circuits’ web site
typical output power, with typical IP3 performance as high at www.minicircuits.com.
US patent 6,943,629 *Low frequency determined by coupling cap. Mini-Circuits...Your partners for success since 1969

ISO 9001 ISO 14001 AS 9100 CERTIFIED

TM P.O. Box 350166, Brooklyn, New York 11235-0003 (718) 934-4500 Fax (718) 332-4661
The Design Engineers Search
r Engine
g finds the model you need, Instantly • For detailed performance specs & shopping online see
IF/RF MICROWAVE COMPONENTS 458 rev C
 people

Sakurai Receives 2010 IEEE

Award For Solid-State Circuits
TAKAYASU SAKURAI has been awarded the 2010 IEEE
Donald O. Pederson Award in Solid-State Circuits.
The award, which is sponsored by the IEEE Solid-
State Circuits Society, recognizes Sakurai for pio-
SAKURAI
NAME neering contributions to the design and modeling of
high-speed and low-power complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor
(CMOS) logic circuits. Sakurai was one of the earliest researchers to
create effective power-efficient solutions to the challenge of designing
CMOS logic circuits involving very-large-scale-integration (VLSI)
circuit design. The models that he developed over 20 years ago are still
being used by designers today. Sakurai is currently a professor with
the University of Tokyo’s Institute of Industrial Science.

AZ Electronic Materials—GEOFF WILD has tive Officer of Monticello Capital in

been appointed Chief Executive Officer.
He succeeds THOMAS VON KRANNICH-
FELDT, who will retire as CEO but remain
on the board of the company. Wild will
be based in Hong Kong. He was most
recently President and Chief Executive
Officer of Cascade Microtech.
Conexant Systems, Inc. — PHILLIP E.
POMPA has joined the company in the
newly created position of Senior Vice
President of Product Marketing. Pompa
joined Conexant from Rational Semi-
conductor, where he was Co-Founder
and served as President and Chief
Executive Officer.
Herley Industries, Inc.—JOHN A. THONET
has succeeded DAVID M. LIEBERMAN as
Chairman of the Board. Thonet has been
a director of the company since 1991
and served as secretary as well. Thonet
is the President of Thonet Associates,
Inc., a consulting firm that he founded
in 1980. Lieberman was appointed to
the company’s board of directors on
July 22, 2009 and elected as an Execu-
tive Officer of the company, serving
in the capacity as Chairman of the
Board. Lieberman provided services
to the company for over 35 years and
has transitioned back as counsel to the
company. In addition to these changes,
MICHAEL N. POCALYKO has been elected
to the board of directors as a Class II
Director to serve until 2011. Pocalyko
is Managing Director and Chief Execu-
Chantilly, VA.
Sunrise Micro Devices, Inc. — DR. ED
CALLAWAY, the company’s Co-Founder
and Chief Technology Officer, has been
named a Fellow of the Institute of Elec-
trical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
for his contributions to wireless sensor
networks and low-power design tech-
niques for communications devices and
systems. Callaway holds 43 issued US
patents and has written several books,
book chapters, and technical papers.
MI Technologies—
JEFFREY FORDHAM
has been named
Vice President of
the Near-Field
Systems and Prod-
ucts Business Area.
He formerly held
executive-manage-
FORDHAM
ment positions in
engineering, sales, applications engi-
neering, and marketing within the com-
pany. In addition, MALCOLM WARREN
has been appointed International Sales
Director. Warren was most recently
the Managing Director for Asia for
ViaSat in Atlanta.
MasTec, Inc.— RAY HARRIS has been
appointed President. He brings over
30 years of experience in the utility
and energy industries. Harris most
recently served as President and CEO
of Mesa Power.

50 visit www.mwrf.com FEBRUARY 2010 ■ Microwaves & RF

 education
MEETINGS
IWCE
March 8-12, 2010 (Las Vegas, NV)
For more information, visit:
www.iwceexpo.com
ISQED 2010 11th International Symposium
& Exhibits on Quality Electronic Design
March 22-24, 2010 (San Jose, CA)
DoubleTree Hotel
For more information, visit: http://www
isqed.org
Exhibitions are free of charge
6th Annual International Conference and
Exhibition on Device Packaging
March 9-11, 2010 (Scottsdale, AZ)
Radisson Fort McDowell Resort
For more information, visit:
www.imaps.org/devicepackaging
Australian EW and IO Convention 2010
April 12-13, 2010 (Adelaide, South Australia)
Hilton Hotel Adelaide
For more information, visit:
www.oldcrows.org.au
European Microwave Week
Sept. 26-Oct. 1, 2010 (Paris, France)
For registration information,
contact: Rhoda McCorquodale
Horizon House Publications Ltd.
Phone: +44 20 7596 8723
E-mail: rmccorquodale@horizonhouse.co.uk
IEEE GLOBECOM 2010
Dec. 6-10, 2010 (Miami, FL)
For more information, visit:
www.ieee-globecom.org/2010
SHORT COURSES
dSpace Free Autocoding Seminars
dSPACE is offering a series of free seminars
and webinars on automatic production-
code generation from MATLAB/Simulink/
Stateflow
For more information, visit:
http://www.dspaceinc.com/
goto?direct_2009-10_INC_21
CST 2009 Innovations
Computer Simulation Technology (CST)
announces a series of customer-centric
workshops focusing on how innovations in
EM simulation can help solve high-frequen-
cy system design challenges.
Details of the CST Innovations workshop
series’ initial program and location informa-
tion can be found at:
http://www.cst.com/Content/Events/
Workshops.aspx
For more information, contact:
Ruth Jackson
Marketing Communications, CST
52
visit www.mwrf.com
Phone: +49 6151 7303-752
E-mail: info@cst.com; Web: www.cst.com
ANTENNAS: Principles, Design, and
Measurements
May 3-6, 2010 (Annapolis, MD)
ARINC Conference Center
Registration Fee: $1695
Topics include antenna fundamentals,
arrays, wire antennas, broadband anten-
nas, horns, reflectors, antennas in systems,
antennas for wireless communications, and
measurements.
For enrollment information, contact:
Leanne Traver, Northeast Consortium
for Engineering Education (NCEE)
P.O. Box 68, Port Royal, VA 22535-0068
Phone: (804) 742-5611
FAX: (804) 742-5030
E-mail: ed-pub@crosslink.net
For questions concerning course
content, contact: Dr. Warren Stutzman
Virginia Tech, ECE Dept. 011
Blacksburg, VA 24061
Phone: (540) 231-8401
Web site: antenna@usit.net
CALL FOR PAPERS
ISQED 2010 11th International Symposium
& Exhibits on Quality Electronic Design
March 22-24, 2010 (San Jose, CA)
For more information, visit: www.isqed.org
IEEE WCNC 2010
April 18-21, 2010 (Sydney, Australia)
For conference information and submission
guidelines, visit www.ieee-wcnc.org/2010
Contact: Heather Ann Sweeney
IEEE Communications Society
3 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10016
Phone: (212) 705-8938
E-mail: h.sweeney@comsoc.org
Or visit: www.ieee-wcnc.org/2010
ASQED10, International Symposium and
Exhibits on Quality Electronic Design
Aug. 3-4, 2010 (Penang, Malaysia)
Paper submission must be done on-line
through the conference web site at:
www.isqed-asia.org.
The guidelines for the final paper format
are provided on the symposium web site.
E-mail: info2010@isqed-asia.org.
Paper submission deadline: March 16, 2010
Acceptance notification: April 24, 2010
Final camera-ready paper: June 2, 2010
IEEE International Symposium
on Phased Array Systems and
Technology
Oct. 12-15, 2010 (Boston, MA)
Westin Waltham Hotel
For more information, visit:
www.array2010.org
FEBRUARY 2010 ■ Microwaves & RF
 STOCK
IN

2995
MODELSS ( Add Prefix BW
BW- )

$ 2 W SMA 5 W SMA 5 W Type-N

$29.95 $44.95 $54.95
Attenuation (dB)
Nominal Accuracy *
from ea. (1-49) S1W2 S1W5 N1W5 1 ±0.40
S2W2 S2W5 N2W5 2 ±0.40
Rugged Stainless Steel Construction, High Repeatability, Miniature Size, Low Cost, S3W2 S3W5 N3W5 3 ±0.40
and Off-The-Shelf Availability are some of the features that make Mini-Circuits “BW”
family of precision fixed attenuators stand above the crowd! This extremely broad S4W2 S4W5 N4W5 4 ±0.40
S5W2 S5W5 N5W5 5 ±0.40
band DC to 18 GHz series is available in 5 watt Type-N and 2 & 5 watt SMA coaxial
designs, each containing 15 models with nominal attenuation values from 1 to 40 dB. S6W2 S6W5 N6W5 6 ±0.40
Built tough to handle 125 watts maximum peak power, these high performance S7W2 S7W5 N7W5 7 -0.4, +0 .9
attenuators exhibit excellent temperature stability, 1.15:1 VSWR typical, and cover a S8W2 S8W5 N8W5 8 ±0.60
wealth of applications. So contact Mini-Circuits today, and capture this next generation of S9W2 S9W5 N9W5 9 -0.4, +0.8

performance and value! Mini-Circuits...Your partners for success since 1969 S10W2 S10W5 N10W5 10 ±0.60

Now Available! Adapters ( Prices: qty. 1-49 ) S12W2 S12W5 N12W5 12 ±0.60
S15W2 S15W5 N15W5 15 ±0.60

To order Attenuators as RoHS, add +

to base model No. Example: BW-S1W2+
Type N to SMA
Type-N SMA to SMA QUICK CONNECT SMA SMA to BNC Type-N to Type-N Adapters available as RoHS, see web site.
DC-18 GHz $2295 ea. DC-18 GHz from $495 ea. DC-2 GHz $395 ea. DC-6 GHzz $995 ea.
o S
COMPLIANT

ISO 9001 ISO 14001 AS 9100 CERTIFIED

TM P.O. Box 350166, Brooklyn, New York 11235-0003 (718) 934-4500 Fax (718) 332-4661
The Design Engineers Search
r Engine
g finds the model you need, Instantly • For detailed performance specs & shopping online see
IF/RF MICROWAVE COMPONENTS 331 rev N
 R & finan-
Droundup
On-Glass AS AN ALTERNATIVE
A to monopole-type antennas,
many commercial vehicles now provide frequency-
Vehicle Antenna modulation (FM) reception via antennas that are
Receives FM printed directly on the rear or quarter glasses of a
For RVs vehicle. Unfortunately, these on-glass antennas tend
to possess a low vertical gain and narrow bandwidth.
They also exhibit nulls in their radiation patterns, as
they are placed in close proximity to the conducting
frame of the vehicle and are printed on glass with
high dielectric losses. To serve the unique needs of a
recreational vehicle (RV), an on-glass antenna with a
multiloop structure for FM radio reception has been
developed by Seungbeom Ahn, Dongwook Park,
and Hosung Choo from Seoul’s Hongik University
together with Seulgi Park from LIG Nex1 Co. Ltd.
and Yongho Noh from Hyundai-Kia Motors.
Thee an
Th ante
tenn
nnaa co
cons
nsis
ists
ts of
of co
cond
nduc
ucti
ting
ng str
strip
ipli
line
ne
that is printed on glass and fed by a coaxial cable
from the upper left corner of the quarter glass. It
Antenna-In- TO ENABLE VERY-HIGH-DAT ATA-RATE
A applications,
the IEEE 802.15.3c standards group is defining
Package Forges specifications for 60-GHz radios that use only a
Interconnection few gigahertz of unlicensed spectrum. Typically,
At 60 GHz those radios have been designed by assembling
several monolithic microwave integrated circuits
(MMICs) in gallium-arsenide (GaAs) semiconductor
technology. Yet a recently proposed antenna, which
targets highly integrated 60-GHz radios, is specifi-
cally designed to exhibit capacitive input impedance
that complements low-cost wirebonding packaging
and assembly techniques. It was developed by Y.P.
Zhang and M. Sun from Nanyang Technological
University, K.M. Chua and L.L. Wai from Singapore
Institute of Manufacturing Technology, and Duixian
Liu from th
Li he IIBM
BM T.J.
J Watson R Researchh Center.
At millimeter-wave frequencies, one challenge
is the realization of a low-loss interconnection
between a radio chip and antenna using a wire-
bonding technique. Although this antenna-in-
Filter Mitigates TO BLOCK UNWAW NTED frequencies, it is common to
place a very-high-Q high-temperature-semicon-
Interference ductor (HTS) filter before the low-noise amplifier
For Astronomy (LNA) of a radio telescope’s front end. A minia-
Observations turized HTS four-pole filter for the RF interfer-r
ence mitigation of the 900-MHz cellular band in
radio telescopes was recently presented by Alonso
Corona-Chavez from Mexico’s National Institute
for Astrophysics, Optics, and Electronics; Ignacio
Llamas-Garro from Spain’s Technical University
of Catalonia; and Michael J. Lancaster from the
University of Birmingham in the UK.
54 visit www.mwrf.com
uses a multiloop structure with three differently
sized loops and a common feed line. This structure
broadens the operating band by efficiently using the
available glass area while raising the vertical gain
by maximizing the z-directed currents.
After the antenna was installed in a commercial
RV, its performance was measured. On average,
the antenna exhibits gain of roughly −9.5 dBi with
deviation of less than 4 dB compared to the gain
of a conventional quarter-wavelength roof-mount-
ed monopole. To examine the omnidirectional
property, the azimuth radiation pattern also was
measured. The result was a gain deviation below
20 dB. The transparency of the antenna body was
improved by adjusting the stripline widths based
on the induced current distribution. See “Design of
an OOn-
n-Gl
Glas
asss Ve
Vehi
hicl
clee An
Ante
tenn
nnaa Us
Usin
ingg a Mu
Mult
ltil
iloo
oop
p
Structure,” Microwave And Optical Technology
Letters, January 2010, p. 107.
package (AiP) design may provide an answer, it
also invites the risk of the antenna coupling to the
radio chip. In the worst-case scenario, in which
no guard ring and pattern grounded shield are
used for the inductor and the distance between
the inductor and antenna is the shortest allowed
by the on-chip layout rule, coupling from the
in-package antenna to the on-chip inductor was
lower than 27.5 dB at 60 GHz.
The quasi-cavity-backed, guard-ring-detected,
substrate-material-modulated slot antenna is
implemented in a thin cavity-down, ceramic-ball-
grid-array (CBGA) package in low-temperature-
co-fired-ceramic (LTCC) technology. It offers an
impedance bandwidth of 59 to 65 GHz with 94
percent estimated
i d effi
fficiency.
i See “A
“Antenna-in-
i
Package Design for Wirebond Interconnection
to Highly Integrated 60-GHz Radios,” IEEE
Transactions On Antennas And Propagation,
October 2009, p. 2842.
To achieve a quasi-elliptic response, capacitive
cross coupling is added between the first and last
nonadjacent resonators to introduce two trans-
mission zeroes at the edges of the rejected band.
The notch filter targets RF interference mitigation
centered at 859 MHz with 8.1-percent fractional
bandwidth for the migration of the 900-MHz cel-
lular band. Miniaturized half-wavelength resonators
are coupled to the main transmission line. See “A
High Temperature Superconducting Quasi-Elliptic
Notch Filter for Radioastronomy,” Microwave And
Optical Technology Letters, January 2010, p. 88.
FEBRUARY 2010 ■ Microwaves & RF
 Directional
Directiona
al / Bi-Directional
Bi Directional

LTC
TCC CO
COU69PLLER FAMILY
Y
TM

o S
COMPLIANT

OCK $
IN ST
From
Mini-Circuits LTCC coupler family offers versatile, low cost
1 eea. Qty.1000
technology delivering both minimal insertion loss and high
solutions for your 5 kHz to 4600 MHz needs with rugged directivity with models handling up to 65 W. All of our couplers
connectorized models from .74”x.50” to surface mount are ESD compliant and available as RoHS compliant. For full
couplers from .12”x.06””, the smallest in the world! Choose product details and specifications for all our couplers, go to
from our 50 & 75 Ω directional and bi-directional couplers with Mini-Circuits web site and select the best couplers for your
coupling ranging from 6-22 dB and with capability to pass commercial, industrial and military requirements.
DC. Mini-Circuits offers the world’s most highly evolved LTCC Mini-Circuits...Your partners for success since 1969

ISO 9001 ISO 14001 AS 9100 CERTIFIED

TM P.O. Box 350166, Brooklyn, New York 11235-0003 (718) 934-4500 Fax (718) 332-4661
The Design Engineers Search
r Engine
g finds the model you need, Instantly • For detailed performance specs & shopping online see
IF/RF MICROWAVE COMPONENTS 396 rev J
 ±0.3dB Accurate RMS Power
Measurement to 2.7GHz

Exceptional Accuracy over Temperature from 40MHz to 2.7GHz, with

Fast 5μs Settling to 1dB Ripple
The LT ®5570 provides fast, accurate RMS RF power measurements of high crest-factor modulated signals.
Its >50dB dynamic range meets the most demanding requirements of cellular basestations, WiMAX and
wireless infrastructure equipment. And its industry-leading accuracy performance over temperature simplifies
design and calibration procedures.

RF Power Detector Family Output Voltage, Linearity Error vs Info & Free Samples
RF Input Power
Part No. Frequency Range Dynamic Range 2.4 3 www.linear.com/5570
f = 2140MHz
LT5570 40MHz – 2.7GHz 60dB RMS 1-800-4-LINEAR
2.0 2
60dB
LT5534 50MHz – 2.7GHz
Log Detector
Linearity Error (dB)

1.6 1
90dB Free Wireless
VOUT (V)

LT5537 5MHz – 1GHz

Log Detector 1.2 0 Solutions Brochure
LTC®5505 300MHz – 3.5GHz 46dB Peak
0.8 –1
LTC5507 100kHz – 1GHz 46dB Peak
LTC5508 600MHz – 7GHz 44dB Peak 0.4 TA = 85°C –2
LTC5532 600MHz – 11GHz 42dB Peak TA = 25°C www.linear.com/wrlssolutions
TA = –40°C
0 –3
–45 –35 –25 –15 –5 5 15 , LTC, LT and LTM are registered trademarks of
Linear Technology Corporation. All other trademarks
RF Input Power (dBm) are the property of their respective owners.

Low-Power LNA
Drops Noise At 2.4 GHz
This CMOS amplifier delivers high gain and low noise figure at
2.4 GHz with extremely low power consumption, by means
of current-reuse and common-gate design strategies.
CHUNHUA WANG
Professor
BAIMEI LIU
Master’s Program
School of Computer and Communication, Hunan
University, Changsha 410082, Peoples’ Republic
of China; e-mail: wch1227164@sina.com, e-mail:
liubaimei1314@163.com.
L
ow-noise-amplifier
(LNA) design requires
tradeoffs, often among
such goals as noise fig-
ure, gain, linearity, and
stability. In addition,
portable applications call
for low power consump-
tion. But through the use of a com-
mon-gate (CG) architecture for input
impedance matching and reduced
power consumption through current-
reuse techniques, an RF CMOS LNA
was developed with 15.5-dB forward
gain and 1.68 dB noise figure at 2.4
GHz. With its excellent input and
output impedance matching, it con-
sumes only 1.05 mW power.
Low-voltage and current-reuse
design approaches can effectively
decrease power consumption,1-9 in-
cluding the use of cascode amplifier
configurations.1-4 With the current-
reuse topology, desirable gain can be
achieved with relatively low current
consumption. However, due to the
use of multiple transistors, it employs
Microwaves & RF ■ FEBRUARY 2010
DesignFeature
Vdd
M2
C2
C4 C3
L1
M1
R1
RFin
C1
LS
1. This schematic diagram shows the vari-
ous components used with the low-power
2.4-GHz CMOS LNA.
increased supply voltage. To lower the
supply voltage, a folded topology has
been proposed.5,6 The required sup-
ply voltage is reduced by one transis-
tor compared with that of a cascade
amplifier. Unfortunately, with more
than one gain stage, the total current
consumption of a CMOS LNA may
not be minimized. A current-reuse,
two-stage common-source (CS) to-
pology can provide high gain at low
supply voltage and power consump-
tion, although at somewhat elevated
noise levels.7-9 With a current-reuse,
two-stage CG topology, however,
visit www.mwrf.com
LO W  P O W E R L N A
both high gain and low noise figure
can be achieved at low voltages and
power consumption.
The inductor-degenerated CS to-
RFout
pology is a popular LNA choice for
narrowband applications; it provides
both high gain and relatively low
noise figure. But it provides low noise
figure via high power consumption
and/or high-quality-factor (high-Q)
off-chip inductors. The noise figure
of these structures increases sharply
as the power consumption is de-
creased.13 For a low-power receiver,
Vbias an LNA based on a CG approach is
the preferred topology.11 At 2.4 GHz,
CG LNAs typically offer lower noise
figures than CS LNAs for power con-
sumption below 3.1 mW.12 Com-
pared to CS LNAs, CG LNAs feature
broadband input match and better
linearity and stability.13 To achieve a
low noise figure with low power con-
sumption, a CG LNA input structure
was used (Fig. 1); by tuning input in-
ductor LS and capacitor C1, the noise
figure can be reduced to minimum. In
addition, this structure’s current-re-
use two-stage topology provides rela-
tively high gain with reduced power
consumption.
In Fig.1, CS MOS transistors M1
and M2 represent the first and second
stages, respectively, of the LNA. They
share the same DC bias current flow-
ing through L1 to reduce power con-
sumption. The amplified RF signal
57
 LO W  P O W E R L N A
DesignFeature
from M1 is directed to the gate node
of M2 through coupling capacitor C4.
Capacitor C3 is the RF bypass for M2.
Inductor LS and capacitor C1 help to
obtain simultaneous power and noise
matching for the input stage, while
output matching is provided by Ld,
C2, and C5. The LC network L1-C4
between the gain stages is used for in-
terstage matching.
The proposed LNA topology is ba-
sically a two-stage amplifier (Fig. 2).
The overall transconductance is equal
to the multiplication of the individual
transconductances of devices M1 and
M2. Therefore, it has a comparable
power gain to the cascaded CS ampli-
fier topology.
The input of the LNA must be
matched to the output of the filter
following the antenna to minimize
reflections between the LNA and the
antenna. The proposed LNA is treated
as a two-stage amplifier, with simpli-
fied circuit model in Fig. 2. The condi-
tions for input matching7 are shown
in Eqs. 1-3:
Zssource = Z * inin , 1 (1)
Zoout , 1 = Z * in, 2 (2)
Zoout , 2 = Z * L (3 )
where Zsource is the impedance seen
at the gate of M1 when looking to-
ward the antenna,
Zin,1 is the input impedance of
M1, and ZL is the load impedance.
A simple, small-signal equivalent
circuit of the first gain stage is illus-
trated in Fig. 3 where RS is the source
impedance, and gm represents the
transconductance of the MOSFETs.
In Fig. 3, the input impedance of M1,
Zin, is expressed by Eq. 4:
(See Eq. 4 in box at right.)
From Eq. 4, the input impedance
matching to a 50-Ohm system can be
achieved by
w0 4 Ls 2C12 gm
Rs =
w0 2 C12 + ( w0 2 LsC 1 gm)2
58
Output
Interstage Zout,1 Zout,2
matching matching
M2
Input matching
Zin M1 C4 Ld C5 RL
L1
C1
RS LS Zin,1
Zin,2
VS
2. This circuit schematic diagram represents an equivalent two-stage cascaded amplifier.
employed in the proposed LNA to-
(See Eq. 6 in box below.) pology to boost the amplifier gain for
ultra-low-voltage operation.
From Eqs. 5 and 6, the operating As the first active building block in
frequency, ω0, can be derived as an RF receiver, the LNA is required
1 to provide sufficient gain such that the
w0 = ( 7)
Ls ( C 1 − Ls g m 2 ) noise contributed from the following
stages can be effectively suppressed.
From the input matching conditions In a cascade amplifier, the total noise
described in Eqs. 1-3, the effective figure can be expressed14 by Eq. 10:
transconductance of the first stage, F 2 − 1 F 3 −1
gM1,eff, can be written as: F = F1 + + + ... (10)
G1 G 2G 1
(See Eq. 8 in box below.) where NFn and Gn are the noise
figure and gain of the nth stage, re-
where s = jω0 and gM1 is the spectively. According to Eq. 10, the
transconductance of M1. From Eqs. noise figure and gain of the first stage
1-3, it is possible to also know the are both very important for total noise
effective transconductance of the sec- figure contribution. Thus, the first
ond stage, gM2,eff, as stage should be carefully designed to
gm 2 achieve a good input matching and
gm 2, efeff = (9) to make a tradeoff among gain, noise
2 w0Cggs 2 Re( Ziin, 2)
figure, and power consumption.
where gM2 is the transconductance The noise factor of a two-port net-
of M2 and Cgs2 is the gate-to-source work, such as the LNA, can be ex-
capacitance of M2. The overall ef- pressed1 as Eq. 11:
fective transconductance is equal to
Gn 2
the multiplication of the individual F = F min + Zssource − Zoopt (11)
transconductance of M1 and M2. Rsourcre
Therefore, two cascaded stages are where Fmin is the minimum noise
w0 4 Ls 2C12 gm + jw0C 1(C 1Lsw0 2 − w0 2 Ls 2 gm 2 − 1)
Ziin = (4 )
w0 2 C12 + ( w0 2 LsC 1 gm ) 2
jw0C 1(C 1Lsw0 2 − w0 2 Ls 2 gm 2 − 1) = 0 (6 )
s 2 C1Lsgm1
(5 ) gm1, efeff = − (8)
s 2C 1Ls ( gm1Rs + 1) + s (C 1Rs + Lsgm1) + 1
FEBRUARY 2010 ■ Microwaves & RF
 CERAMI
CE MIC FI
FILTTERS
LOW PASS BANDP
DPASS HIG
GH PASS

Value Packed
Recession Busters! from 99
a. qty.9¢
t 1000
In today’s tough economic situation there is no choice: Reducing cost while
improving value is a must. Mini-Circuits has the solution…pay less and get more
for your purchases with our industry leading ultra small ceramic filters.
141
Over 120 models…45 MHz to 13 GHz
Measuring only 0.12" x 0.06", these tiny hermetically sealed filters utilize
our advanced Low Temperature Co-fired Ceramic (LTCC) technology to Wild Card KWC-LHP LTCC Filter Kits only$98
9
offer superior thermal stability, high reliability, and very low cost, making
g Choose any
n 8 , LFCN, HFCN model d ls.
them a must for your system requirements. Visit our website to choose e Re
eceive 5 of ea. model, for a total of 40 filters.
and view comprehensive performance curves, data sheets, pcb layoutss, Order your KWC-LHP FILTER KIT TODAY!
and environmental specifications. And you can even order direct from m RoHS compliant
R U.S. Patent 6, 943 , 646

our web store and have a unit in your hands as early as tomorrow!
Mini-Circuits...Your partners for success since 1969

ISO 9001 ISO 14001 AS 9100 CERTIFIED

TM P.O. Box 350166, Brooklyn, New York 11235-0003 (718) 934-4500 Fax (718) 332-4661
The Design Engineers Search
r Engine
g finds the model you need, Instantly • For detailed performance specs & shopping online see
IF/RF MICROWAVE COMPONENTS 432 rev J
 LO W  P O W E R L N A

DesignFeature

Comparing different CMOS amplifier designs

REFERENCE CMOS PROCESS FREQUENCY S11 (DB) S22 (DB) S21 (DB) NF (DB) IIP3 (DBM) POWER GAIN/PDC FOM
(UM) (GHZ) (MW) (DB/MW) (MHZ)
2 0.13 2.4 -13 -10 13 3.6 — 6.5 2 —
5 0.18 5.0 -13.4 -10.6 10 3.37 -8.6 1.08 9.3 27.0
6 0.13 5.0 -17.7 -11.4 10.3 5.3 -13 1.03 10 20.0
7 0.18 5 -12 -21 9.2 4.5 -16 0.9 10.2 19
8 0.18 2.8-3.3 -11.1 <-12 15.2 3.01 -10.8 1.81 8.4 2ww3.4
This work 0.18 2.4 -10.5 -12.3 15.5 1.68 -6.5 1.05 14.7 31.9

factor, Gn is the equivalent noise con-
ductance, Zsource = Rsource + jXsource
is the impedance seen at the input
of the LNA when looking toward
the antenna, and Zopt = Ropt + jXopt
is the optimum source impedance.
Although Fmin can be minimized by
properly choosing the width of the
MOS device, this is not a good choice
for constant DC current. To minimize
the NF, [where NF=10log(dB)], it is
crucial to design the matching net-
work of the LNA such that the second
term in Eq. 14 is close to zero, which
in turn means that Zsource should be
close to Zopt.
The matching conditions for mini-
mum noise figures of the cascaded
gain stages7 are given by Eq. 12:
Zssource = Zoopt , 1 (12 )
with the matching conditions speci-
fied in Eqs. 1-3 and 12 resulting in
Zssource = Z *in , 1 = Zooppt (13 )
Rsource = Rin, 1 (14)
From Eq. 13, this yields
o t = Rsource (15)
Rop
From Fig. 2, the relations of
Eqs. 16 and 17 can be found:
w02 Ls 2 Rs
Rsource =
( Rs ) 2 + ( w0 Ls − 1 ) 2
w 0C 1
1 power consumption, and
Rin, 1 ≈ (17 )
gm
According to the defini-
tion of a matching network,
the noise and power match-
ing of the LNA are achieved 3. This is the small-signal equivalent circuit for M1.
when Eqs. 14 and 15 are satisfied.
Therefore, when Ropt is larger than
Rin,1, there is a tradeoff between the
noise figure and S11. Using a CS LNA
configuration with inductive degener-
ation for input matching, power and
noise matching cannot be obtained si-
multaneously at low current bias, thus
the noise figure could be potentially
high for low-power applications. For
a low-power LNA, a CG LNA is the
preferred topology.
In the proposed LNA, even when
the MOSFET’s Ropt is larger than
Rin,1, from Eqs. 16 and 17, it is pos-
sible to adjust the sizes of M1, LS , and
C1 to achieve optimum input match-
ing and noise matching simultaneous-
ly. In addition, a value of S11 of less
than -10 dB is adequate for an LNA
in most applications.1 Therefore, the
value of Rsource can be brought much
closer to the value of Ropt by alter-
ing the values of LS and C1 for better
noise matching, while S11 is less than
-10 dB. Noise figure responses with
various values of LS and C1 are shown
in Figs. 4(a) and 4(b), respectively, indi-
cating that is it possible to reduce the
noise figure as low as possible by ad-
Zsource
Vgs
(16 )
RS C1
Vin LS
Zin
ZinM
justing the values of LS and C1. With
shunt capacitance C1, the value of LS
can be decreased to a level suitable for
on-chip integration.
Circuit simulations for the pro-
posed design were performed with the
Advanced Design System (ADS) suite
of software tools from Agilent Tech-
nologies (www.agilent.com). Mea-
sured S-parameters are shown in Fig. 5
for comparison. The maximal power
gain is 15.5 dB at 2.4 GHz, S11 is
-10.5 dB at 2.4 GHz, and S22 is -12.3
dB at 2.4 GHz. The measured noise
figure reaches 1.68 dB at 2.4 GHz.
The LNA’s measured input third-or-
der intercept (IIP3) is -6.5 dBm. The
DC power consumption is only 1.05
mW from a 0.9-V supply.
A commonly used figure of merit
(FOM) for comparing low-power
LNAs is the ratio of power gain to
DC power consumption (gain/DC
power). A more meaningful FOM
includes the effects of amplifier gain,
noise figure, linearity (IIP3), operating
frequency (f0), and DC power con-
sumption (Pdc)15 as shown in Eq. 18
(see p. 62).
The table shows data from a num-
ber of low-power CMOS
LNAs. It shows that this
ultra-low-power LNA can
provide better overall per-
Vgsgm
RL formance in terms of gain,
noise figure, linearity, DC
Vout
frequency of operation. The
LNA was fabricated with a
standard 0.18-μm CMOS
technology and offers the
best gain to DC power ratio
and overall FOM among re-

60 FEBRUARY 2010 ■ Microwaves & RF

The spirit of innovation knows no bounds.
Let us help you embrace the endless possibilities. Intercept's superior RF, Hybrid, and PCB design
software gives you total design flexibility from analysis to layout to manufacturing. Our RF solution
includes bidirectional analysis interfaces, parametric RF models, a parametric model route mode
and model generator. Design with or without a schematic, or create one automatically from a layout.
Visit us at www.intercept.com to learn more about how we can drive your next innovation.

Visit us at DesignCon, February 2-3

PANTHEON ADVANCED PCB, HYBRID, RF LAYOUT

MOZAIX NEXT GENERATION SCHEMATIC CAPTURE
X TENT TECHNOLOGY RULES EDITOR/HIGH SPEED CONSTRAINT MANAGER
INDX FLEXIBLE LIBRARY MANAGEMENT
DRAWING X , QC X , RELEASE X DESIGN AUTOMATION
PALINDROME REVERSE ENGINEERING
INTERFACES TO RF, SIMULATION, AUTOROUTERS
30+ DATABASE TRANSLATORS www.intercept.com

©2010 Intercept Technology, Inc.

 LO W  P O W E R L N A

DesignFeature

 20 40
 S21
0 30

Noise figure(2)—dB




S21—dB

–20 20


NF

!
%$" –40 10
!


%

  –60 0
   
    1.2 1.7 2.2 2.7 3.2
" '%$() (a) S21 and noise figure Frequency—GHz
 0 0
–2 –2
S22
–4



 –4

S11—dB

S22—dB
 S11 –6
–6

%$" –8

–8
–10

& –10 –12

–12 –14
    
    1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0
# '%$() (b) S11 and S22 Frequency—GHz
+40
4. These plots show modeled (a) noise figure with values of source
+20
inductance, LS, and (b) noise figure with values of capacitor C1.
0
lin3—dBm
lin1—dBm
in3—dBm
in1—dBm

cently published low-power CMOS LNAs. –20

–40
REFERENCES IIP3 = –6.5 dBm
–60
1. Saman Asgaran and M. Jamal Deen, “Design of the Input Matching
Network of RF CMOS LNAs for Low-Power Operation,” IEEE Transactions –80
On Circuits And Systems, Vol. 54, No. 3, March 2007, pp. 544-554. –100
2. Majid El Kaamouchi and Mehdi Si Moussa, “A 2.4-GHz Fully Integrated
–45 –40 –35 –30 –25 –20 –15 –10 –5 0
(c) RF power—dBm
ESD-Protected Low-Noise Amplifier in 130-nm PD SOI CMOS Technology,”
IEEE Transactions On Microwave Theory And Techniques, Vol. 55, No. 12, 5. These plots show measured data for (a) gain and noise figure, (b)
December 2007, pp. 2822-2831. S11 and S22, and (c) third-order-intercept performance for the low-
3. Mikaël Cimino and Hervé Lapuyade, “Design of a 0.9-V, 2.45-GHz Self-
power 2.4-GHz LNA.
Testable and Reliability-Enhanced CMOS LNA,” IEEE Journal Of Solid-
State Circuits, Vol. 43, No. 5, May 2008, pp. 1187-1194.
4. Yiping Feng, Gaku Takemura, Shunji Kawaguchi, and Peter Kinget. Gain[ dBd ] IIP3[mw]
II f0
“Design of a High Performance 2-GHz Direct-Conversion Front-End FOM = 10 ⋅ lg(100 ⋅ ⋅ ) + 10 lg( ) (1
188 )
( F − 1) ⋅ Pdc
d [ mw] Pdc
d [ mw] 1GH
GHz
With a Single-Ended RF Input in 0.13-μm CMOS,” IEEE Journal Of
Solid-State Circuits, Vol. 44, No. 5, May 2009, pp. 1380-1390.
5. Hsieh-Hung Hsieh, “Gain-Enhancement Techniques for CMOS Folded 11. Wenjian Chen, Tino Copani, Hugh J. Barnaby, and Sayfe Kiaei, “A
Cascode LNAs at Low-Voltage Operations,” IEEE Trans. Microwave 0.13-μm CMOS Ultra-Low Power Front-End Receiver for Wireless Sensor
Theory And Techniques, Vol. 56, No. 8, August 2008, pp. 1807-1816. Networks,” 2007 IEEE RF Integrated Circuits Symposium, pp.105-108.
6. Dake Wu, “A 0.4-V Low Noise Amplifier Using Forward Body Bias 12. James Ayers, Kartikeya Mayaram, and Terri S. Fiez, “Tradeoffs in the
Technology for 5 GHz Application,” IEEE Microwave And Wireless Design of CMOS Receivers for Low Power Wireless Sensor Networks,
Components Letters, Vol. 17, No. 7, July 2007, pp. 543-545. Circuits, and Systems,” ISCAS 2007, IEEE International Symposium, May
7. Hsieh-Hung Hsieh, “Design of Ultra-Low-Voltage RF Front-ends With 27-30, 2007, pp. 1345-1348.
Complementary Current-Reused Architectures,” IEEE Trans. Microwave 13. Saeed Sarhangian and S. Mojtaba Atarodi, “A Low-Power CMOS
Theory And Techniques, Vol. 55, No. 7, July 2007, pp. 1445-1458. Low-IF Receiver Front-End for 2450-MHz Band IEEE 802.15.4 ZigBee
8. Muh-Dey Wei, “A Low-Power Ultra-Compact CMOS LNA with Shunt- Standard,” Circuits and Systems, ISCAS 2007, IEEE Int. Symp., May 27-30,
Resonating Current-Reused Topology,” IEEE Third European Microwave 2007, pp. 433-436.
Integrated Circuits Conference, October, 2008, pp. 350-353. 14. Da-Ke Wu, Ru Huang, and Yang-Yuan Wang, “A Low-Voltage and
9. Chen-Yuan Chu and Chien-Cheng Wei. A 24GHz Low-Power CMOS Low-Power CMOS LNA Using Forward-Body-Bias NMOS at 5 GHz,”
Receiver Design. Circuits and system, 2008.ISCAS 2008.IEEE International 2006 Solid-State and Integrated Circuit Technology, ICSICT 2006, 8th
symposium on 18-21 May 2008.p.980-983. International Conference, pp. 1658-1660.
10. Jere A. M. Järvinen, Jouni Kaukovuori, and Jussi Ryynänen, “2.4-GHz 15. Hanil Lee and Saeed Mohammadi, “A 3-GHz Subthreshold CMOS Low
Receiver for Sensor Applications,” IEEE Journal Of Solid-State Circuits, Noise Amplifier,” 2006 IEEE Radio Frequency Integrated Circuits (RFIC)
Vol. 40, No. 7, July 2005, pp. 1426-1433. Symposium, June 11-13, 2006, p. 4.

62 FEBRUARY 2010 ■ Microwaves & RF

 The First Name in

Microwave
w w w. m a c o m t e c h . c o m
G 60 Y E A R S

+$('
$' ,
'& 
-#

/+-(+
'
 &(',-+- 
-#
!$+,-
' "-$/
+ ,$,-'
/+-(+
$(
)+& -+$
&)%$!$ +

ld
nce Gou
r. Lawre
o ci ate s CEO D to circa 1961)
ss
wave A hlir (pho
ith Microtor Dr. Arthur U
Hines w
$(' +

-#
!$+,-
Marion varactor inven
and

,) +!-
)% 

$'
,(%+
(+$-
('

+#

 
++$ 




)+& -+$
&)%$!$ +
&)%(1$'"
 Microwave
Associates varactor
0$-#

'($,
!$".+

(!


M/A-COM Technology Solutions
(predecessor Microwave Associates)
was first in the field with volume
production of silicon varactors,
which have become the heart of
modern day VCOs.
Today, M/A-COM Tech is still
leading the way with new InGaP
HBT-based voltage controlled
oscillators for frequency generation.
With extremely low phase noise,
our MAOC Series of VCOs are
ideal for many radio
applications, including
point-to-point.

0

#,
($,
2

-20
-40 -40°C
25°C
-60 85°C

-80
-100
-120
-140
-160
For information on VCOs and other products from 10 2 10 3 10 4 10 5 10 6 107
M/A-COM Technology Solutions, visit macomtech.com + *. '1
!!, -

3
 


 #'(%("1
(%.-$(',
'
 S A M P L E D P L L S , PA R T 2
DesignFeature
Analyze Phase Noise
In A Sampled PLL
Part 2 of this three-part series on phase noise in sampled PLLs analyzes
the differences between the behaviors of continuous-time and sampled
loops and how they can be modeled effectively.
PETER BEESON
RF Consultant
LA Techniques Ltd., The Works, Station Road, Claygate
KT10 9DH, United Kingdom +44 1372 466040,
FAX: +44 1372 466688, e-mail: peter.beeson@latech-
niques.com, Internet: www.latechniques.com
P
hase noise in sampled
phase-locked loops (PLLs)
can impact the perfor-
mance of a wide range of
commercial and military
systems, including com-
munications networks based on phase
modulation. As shown last month in
the first installment of this three-part
series, modeling approaches may dif-
fer depending upon whether a PLL is
a continuous-time or sampled system,
with nonlinear approaches needed for
th latter. In this second article install-
ment, it may be helpful to examine
the results of a continuous PLL sys-
tem so that it might be possible to see
the differences when compared to a
sampled system. The open-loop gain
[Gol(s)] for a continuous system is
GK( s )
Gol ( s ) := (36)
N The corresponding closed loop
Figure 3 shows a plot of open-loop
gain (magnitude versus frequency)
for a continuous system with an open
loop bandwidth set to about 3 kHz,
while Fig. 4 shows a plot of open-
loop phase for a continuous system.
64
The closed-loop transfer function is Figure 6 shows the familiar closed-
given by: loop phase response as a function of
GK( s ) frequency.
Tr ( s ) :=
GK( s ) (37) The open-loop gain for a sampled
1+ system is given by Eq. 38. In this case,
N
the gain has been scaled by a factor
When this function is plotted, it of T to keep the value correct. Also, n
provides the familiar response shown has been reduced from infinity to 5 to
in Fig. 5, a plot of closed-loop mag- speed the calculations. The results of
nitude as a function of frequency. Eq. 38 are plotted in Fig. 7 on a linear
scale for open-loop magnitude as a
function of frequency. The open-loop
Closed-loop magnitude versus frequency gain is aliased about each harmonic
101 of the sampled frequency. The same
91
81 information is plotted in Fig. 8 on
20log[(|Tr(jω)|]
71 the more familiar log scale so that the
61 gain and phase margin can be more
51
41 easily seen in this plot of open-loop
31 magnitude response. Figure 9 shows
21 the measured open-loop gain of the
1 x 102 1 x 103 1 x 104 1 x 105
ω/2π test PLL, while Fig. 10 shows the
open-loop phase with sampling in a
5. This plot of magnitude as a function of fre- plot of open-loop phase as a function
quency is typical of closed-loop systems. of frequency.
Compared to the continuous time
system, the open-loop gain in the
Closed-loop phase versus frequency sampled system passes through unity
0 gain at a higher frequency and that
ang[(|Tr(jω)|]57
–45 the phase margin is reduced at this
–90 frequency.
–135
transfer response with sampling,
–180 Tr’(s), is given by Eq. 39. This is not
1 x 102 1 x 103 1 x 104 1 x 105
ω/2π a true transfer response as it is the
output phase divided by the sampled
6. This plot of phase response as a function of input phase. Figure 11 shows a plot
frequency is typical of closed-loop systems. of the closed-loop transfer response
visit www.mwrf.com FEBRUARY 2010 ■ Microwaves & RF
  
 
 





 





 

 
   
  
 
 
  

 
 

  

   


5  
7    # ')8 9:   

 "
"6  
 & .. 
"    7
7- (( 1.  7 " 
"6
"  "
"-  
& --  "
" 6 6 -
-  "
"- .  
  - "
"   . . " ;
1.-<
1.  . "
" (
   
   
 = "  >
>  .
.-< & 
(
 
 7
7. 
 .
. 7
7 - -  
  ?   
  7 
5  
7    "
" 6666
  1.1. "
"6
     
- 7.
7..  
  66 -
-  
  6 6 .
. &&"

 ( 6
 6 
  "
5 9:  " " 
 "  
  @.
@. - -    " " 7 7 -
-       "
"6
  

  6
 
  
 -
- 
 ""     
 &
& 
 - -  
  . . "
"     - &
&  
 66  
 
 
6 .
6 .  
 .  <   A
A  "" .  77 1.
1.    A 66+(  "
"-
& & 66 
 .
  77   (
 "
"(
 -B
5  
" .& & "
" . . .. 7
7  6 6  * . < .
. 
(
 "

! 
!   
 


 



 
 

 


"#$
%"
% &
'#'#

(

)*+",#,-.  #,
#"
  

/ ( *
*
/ ( 0(1
2&,34  



 

  
  


  

  


 
 


 
  

 
 
 



 
  
 
 
 !
! " ##

 $$ % 
 




#



 % "&
" '"
'"() 
$#
  % 
 *
 
+

 
#



,-. /  0 1.  

   0    0
0   2 3 14 56666
 S A M P L E D P L L S , PA R T 2

DesignFeature

with sampling (closed-loop magnitude versus frequency) with sampling.

while Fig. 12 shows the closed-loop response of the test To continue the analysis, at this point the functions are
PLL. Figure 13 provides a plot of the closed-loop phase redefined as a function of sampling frequency so that the
5 effect of different sampling frequencies may be observed
G'ol ( s ) :=
1
N
⋅ ∑ (
GK s − j ⋅ n ⋅ ω s ) later.
The next part of this analysis will examine the effect of
(38)
n =− 5 sampling on the phase noise of the PLL synthesizer. The
GK( s ) main sources of noise are free-running VCO noise, phase
Tr' ( s ) := detector noise, thermal noise in the loop filter components,
5
(39) and reference oscillator noise. (Divider noise is included
1+
1
N
⋅ ∑ (
GK s − j ⋅ n ⋅ ω s )
n =− 5 Open-loop magnitude versus frequency
60

20log[(|G'ol(jω)|]
10 40
G'ol (s , fs ) :=
N
1
⋅ ∑ (
GK s − j ⋅ n ⋅ 2⋅ π ⋅ fs ) (40)
20
n =− 10
0

GK( s ) –20
Tr' (s , fs ) := 1 x 103 2 x 104 4 x 104 6 x 104 8 x 104 1 x 105
10 ω/2π
( )
(41)
∑
1
1+ ⋅ GK s − j ⋅ n ⋅ 2⋅ π ⋅ fs
N 7. A linear scale was used to plot the values from Eq. 38 for open-loop
n =− 10
magnitude as a function of frequency.

I/O Connectors for Outdoor

FCI and HARTING bring you a new series of
ruggedized, high speed, outdoor I/O connectors.
With two flexible form factors and IP 65 and IP 67
ratings, these cost-effective connectors are easy
to install making them ideal for outdoor applications.
For reliable, outdoor I/O connectors, visit:
www.fci.com/outdoorio or www.HARTING-usa.com

Fiber Optic RJ45 Power

FCI and HARTING’s outdoor

I/O webpages provide
direct links to technical
resources for ruggedized,
cost-effective outdoor
connectors. www.HARTING-usa.com www.fci.com

66 FEBRUARY 2010 ■ Microwaves & RF

 S A M P L E D P L L S , PA R T 2

DesignFeature

with the phase detector noise.) In analyzing the phase noise Then, for a typical oscillator such as the one measured
of the VCO (Fig. 14), the different segments (in distance above, the noise (in dBc/Hz) and offset frequency (in Hz)
from the carrier) should first be defined. Let the SSB phase parameters are L0 = -155, f0 = 3 x 106, L2 = -126, f2 = 100
noise in the far-off region, where it has an f0 profile, be x 103, L3 = -70, and f3 = 1 x 103. The f -3 section of the
called by the term L0 , with the offset f0. Similarly, in the noise due to 1/f noise in the oscillator circuit is modeled by
region where the phase noise has an f-2 profile, let the phase Eq. 42:
L3
noise be called by the term L2 and the offset f2. Finally, in − 3
the region where it has an f-3 profile, let the phase noise be
⋅ f3 ⋅ ⎛⎜
10 3 s ⎞ (42)
L3 ( s ) := 10 ⎟
known as L3 and the offset f3. ⎝ 2⋅ π ⎠

Open-loop magnitude response

60
50
40
20log[(|G'ol(jω)|]

30
20
10
0
–10
–20
100 1 x 103 1 x 104 1 x 105
ω/2π

8. The values of Fig. 7 are plotted here on a logarithmic scale for open-
loop magnitude. 9. This plot shows the measured open-loop gain of the test PLL.

LINEAR VOLTAGE REGULATOR FOR DEMANDING LOW PHASE NOISE APPLICATIONS!

Analog & Mixed-Signal ICs, Modules, Subsystems & Instrumentation

! HMC860LP3E Quad Output

EW
N Low Noise High PSRR Linear Voltage Regulator
 Low Noise Spectral Density:  Four Voltage Outputs:
3nV/√Hz at 10 kHz VR1 at 3V / 75 mA
7nV/√Hz at 1 kHz VR2, VR3 at 3V / 15 mA
 High Power Supply Rejection Ratio VR4 at 4.5V / 100 mA
80 dB at 1 kHz  All Outputs Are Adjustable
60 dB at 1 MHz From 2.5V to 5.2V

HIGH PSRR - QUAD LINEAR VOLTAGE REGULATOR - New Product Line!

Power Supply Rejection Output Noise Spectral
Input Output Output Ratio (PSRR) (dB) Density (nV/√Hz) Regulated Part
Function Package
Voltage (V) Voltage (V) Current (mA) Outputs Number
1 kHz 1 MHz 1 kHz 10 kHz
3.35 - 5.6 Quad High PSRR 2.5 - 5.2 15 - 100 80 60 7 3 4 LP3 HMC860LP3E

Ideal for Powering Hittite’s Broad Line of Frequency Generation Products

Including Our Low Noise PLL with Integrated VCOs!

20 Alpha Road Chelmsford, MA 01824 Order On-Line at: www.hittite.com

#"

 

-

*



-

& &'''#!
)
'
'&'
$%#('
% &&

 
#"
,+
(&%$'#".

Microwaves & RF ■ FEBRUARY 2010 67

 S A M P L E D P L L S , PA R T 2

DesignFeature

The f -2 section due to peaking of noise for the free-running VCO. The
⎛ L0 ⎞
white noise by oscillator is modeled ⎜ ⎟ 0
phase noise at the output of the loop is
L0 ( s ) := 10⎝ ⎠ ⋅f ⋅ ⎛⎜
by Eq. 43: 10 0 s ⎞ made up of the noise when n = 0 and
⎛ L2 ⎞ 0 ⎟ (44)
⎜ ⎟ − 2 ⎝ 2⋅ π ⎠ the sum of the output-noise, divided by
L2 ( s ) := 10⎝ ⎠ ⋅ f2 ⋅ ⎛⎜
10 2 s ⎞ N, which appears as an error signal at
⎟ (43)
Combining these noise contribu- the phase detector and is acted on by
⎝ 2⋅ π ⎠
and the broadband white noise due tions results in an overall noise model the equivalent transfer function.
to thermal noise and the noise figure of the oscillator, Loscn(s), as described The phase noise due to the loop’s
of the active device is modeled by ap- by Eq. 45. action on the n = 0 component of os-
plying Eq. 44. Figure 15 shows a plot of modeled cillator noise can be described by the

Open-loop phase versus frequency Closed-loop magnitude versus frequency

+180 101
91
ang[(|G'ol(jω)|](180/π)

+90 81

20log[(|Tr'(jω)|]
71
61
0 51
41
31
–90 21
11
–180 1
100 1 x 103 1 x 104 1 x 105 100 1 x 103 1 x 104 1 x 105
ω/2π ω/2π

10. This plot shows the open-loop phase with sampling in a plot of 11. This plot shows the closed-loop transfer response with sampling
open-loop phase as a function of frequency. (closed-loop magnitude versus frequency).

1,239 ,580
Filters
Bandpass Filters100Hz to 40GHz
Lowpass Filters 10Hz to 25GHz
Highpass Filters 50Hz to 18GHz
Band Rejection Filters 25Hz to 25GHz
Diplexers and Multiplexers from 10kHz to 30GHz
Active filters 0.1Hz to 1MHz

5 Day shipment standard

Details 310.478.8224 ext 208

TTE ® America’s Filter Specialist since 1956

  




.TTE.com

68 FEBRUARY 2010 ■ Microwaves & RF

 COMPACT SOLUTIONS FOR DEMANDING MICROWAVE TRANSCEIVERS!
Analog & Mixed-Signal ICs, Modules, Subsystems & Instrumentation

HMC869LC5, GaAs MMIC I/Q Downconverter, 12 to 16 GHz

 High Conversion Gain: 14 dB

 Excellent Image Rejection: 32 dB
 High LO to RF Isolation: 45 dB
 Low Noise Figure: 2.8 dB
 Wide IF Bandwidth: DC to 3.5 GHz
 Ideal for Microwave Radio, Military Radar,
EW, ELINT & Satellite Communications

A SELECTION OF OUR I/Q DOWNCONVERTER / RECEIVERS

RF / LO IF Frequency Conversion Image IIP3 Part
Function Package
Frequency (GHz) (GHz) Gain (dB) Rejection (dB) (dBm) Number
NEW! 12 - 16 I/Q Downconverter / Receiver DC - 3.5 14 32 -1 LC5 HMC869LC5
21 - 25 I/Q Downconverter / Receiver DC - 3.5 10 20 5 LC5 HMC571LC5
24 - 28 I/Q Downconverter / Receiver DC - 3.5 8 18 5 LC5 HMC572LC5

HMC819LC5, GaAs MMIC I/Q Upconverter, 17.7 to 23.6 GHz

 High Conversion Gain: 15 dB

 Excellent Sideband Rejection: 35 dB
 Wide IF Bandwidth: DC to 3.75 GHz
 High Output IP3: +29 dBm
 Ideal for Microwave Radio, Military Radar,
EW, ELINT & Satellite Communications

A SELECTION OF OUR I/Q UPCONVERTER / TRANSMITTERS

RF / LO IF Frequency Conversion Sideband OIP3 Part
Function Package
Frequency (GHz) (GHz) Gain (dB) Rejection (dB) (dBm) Number
NEW! 17.7 - 23.6 I/Q Upconverter / Transmitter DC - 3.75 15 35 29 LC5 HMC819LC5
16 - 21 I/Q Upconverter / Transmitter DC - 3.5 12 20 30 LC5 HMC710LC5
NEW! 21 - 27 I/Q Upconverter / Transmitter DC - 3.75 12 20 27 LC5 HMC815LC5

See www.hittite.com for Our Complete

Line of I/Q & Double-Balanced Mixers & Converters

20 Alpha Road Chelmsford, MA 01824 Order On-Line at: www.hittite.com

#"

 

-

*



-

& &'''#!
)
'
'&'
$%#('
% &&

 
#"
,+
(&%$'#".
 S A M P L E D P L L S , PA R T 2

DesignFeature

− 1 5
Loscn ( s ) := L0 ( s ) + L2 ( s ) + L3 ( s ) (45) L'oscn1 (s , fs ) := ∑ (
Loscn s − j ⋅ ω s ⋅ n + ) ∑ (
Loscn s − j ⋅ ω s ⋅ n ) (48)
n =− 5 n =1
⎛ Tr' (s , fs ) ⎞ (s , fs )
2
L'oscn1
Losc2 (s , fs ) := ⎜ ⎟ ⋅ (47)
Losc (s , fs ) := Losc2 (s , fs ) + Losc1 ( s ) (49)
⎝ N ⎠
( 1 + G'ol (s , fs ) )
2

parameter Losc1(s) as defined in Eq. 46: Z(s) = the impedance of the loop filter
Loscn ( s )
Losc1 ( s ) := (46) Equation 50 can be simplified to Eq. 51:
(1 + Gol ( s ) )
2

Re( Z ( s ) )
Lmod ( s ) := ⎛⎝ 2⋅ Kω vco ⋅ k ⋅ T ⎞⎠ ⋅
2
⎯ (51)
In addition, the phase noise due to the loop’s action on s⋅s
the n ≠ 0 component of oscillator noise can be described by
the parameter Losc2(s, fs) as defined in Eq. 47. This noise combines with the VCO phase noise before
The noise of oscillator after sampling Lʹoscn1 is given by being modified by the loop, yielding Eq. 52:
Eq. 48.
The overall noise due to the oscillator in the loop, Losc(s, Losceff ( s ) := Lmod ( s ) + Loscn ( s ) (52)
fs), is the sum of the two components of oscillator noise as
shown in Eq. 49. The combination of the modulation and phase noise is de-
These various components of phase noise for the oscilla- picted in Fig. 17, while the sampled version of the combined
tor are plotted in Fig. 16, where VCO noise and modulation ti noise is depicted in Eq. 53.
Losc is the total contribution to the overall noise after L'osceff (s , fs ) := ∑ Losceff (s − j ⋅ ω ⋅ n)
s (53)
the action of the loop; Loscn is the noise of the free running
oscillator; Losc1 is the noise due to the n = 0 component; n =− 5

and Losc2 is the noise due to n ≠ 0 components. The phase noise due to the loop’s action on the n = 0
Thermal noise, due to the real part of the impedance of
the loop filter, modulates the VCO to give phase noise at Closed-loop phase versus frequency
the output of the VCO. In performing thermal noise calcu- 200
lations, the absolute temperature, T, is 290 K while Boltz-
arg[Tr'(jω)] × 57

100
mann’s constant, k, is 1.38 x 10-23 mKs. From FM theory,
the SSB noise due to modulation by thermal noise is given 0
by Eq. 50: 2
⎛ Kω vco ⎞ Re( Z ( s ) )
Lmod ( s ) := ⎜ ⎟ ⋅ 8⋅ k ⋅ T ⋅ –100
⎝ 2⋅ π ⎠
2
⎯⎛ 1 ⎞ (50)
s ⋅ s ⋅ ⎜ 2⋅ ⎟ –200
⎝ 2⋅ π ⎠ 100 1 x 103 1 x 104 1 x 105
ω/2π
where
13. This plot shows the closed-loop phase with sampling.

–30
–40
–50
–60
–70
–80
–90
–100
–110
–120
–130
–140
–150
–160
–170
10 100 1 x 103 1 x 104 1 x 105 1 x 106
ω/2π

14. The phase noise of a free-running VCO can be broken into different
12. This plot shows the closed-loop response of the test PLL. segments.

70 FEBRUARY 2010 ■ Microwaves & RF

 S A M P L E D P L L S , PA R T 2

DesignFeature

⎛ Tr'(s , fs ) ⎞ (s , fs )
2
component of oscillator noise can be found from Eq. 54 L'osceff1
Losceff ( s ) Losceff2 (s , fs ) := ⎜ ⎟ ⋅ (55)
Losceff1 ( s ) := ⎝ N ⎠
( 1 + G'ol (s , fs ) )
2
(54)
( 1 + Gol ( s ) )
2

where L'osceff1(s,ffs) is given by Eq. 56:

The phase noise due to the loop’s action on the n ≠ 0
− 1
component of oscillator noise can be found from Eq. 55,
L'osceff1 (s , fs ) := ∑ Losceff (s − j ⋅ ω ⋅ n )
s

n =− 5
5 (56)
Oscillator phase-noise model
0 + ∑ Losceff (s − j ⋅ ω ⋅ n)s
–20
n =1
–40
10log[|Loscn(jω)|]

–60 The overall noise, Losctot (s,ffs), due to the oscillator and
–80 the noise due to modulation of the oscillator by thermal
–100 noise in the loop filter components is the sum of the ab-
–120 solute value of the two components of oscillator noise as
–140 shown by Eq. 57:
–160
–180
10 100 1 x 103 1 x 104 1 x 105 1 x 106
Losctot (s , fs ) :=
ω/2π (57)
Losceff2 (s , fs ) + Losceff1 ( s )
15. This plot shows modeled noise for the free-running VCO.

FOR MICROWAVE RADIO, MILITARY/SPACE, TEST INSTRUMENTATION & VSAT

Analog & Mixed-Signal ICs, Modules, Subsystems & Instrumentation

! HMC-C076,
EW
N Low Phase Noise Amplifi er, 7 to 11 GHz

 Ultra Low Phase Noise:  Single Supply Voltage: +7V @ 300mA

-170 dBc/Hz @ 1 kHz  50 Ohm Matched I/Os
 Gain / Noise Figure: 9 / 6 dB  Hermetically Sealed Module
 P1dB / Psat: 22 / 25 dBm

IN-STOCK LOW PHASE NOISE AMPLIFIERS

ncy Gain / NF OIP3 10 kHz Phase P1dB / Psat Bias Package/ Part
Function
(GHz) (dB) (dBm) Noise (dBc/Hz) (dBm) Supply Connector Number

2 - 18 Wideband, Low Phase Noise 14 / 4.5 27 -160 15 / 18 +5V @ 64mA Chip HMC606
2 - 18 Wideband, Low Phase Noise 13.5 / 7 27 -160 15 / 17 +5V @ 64mA LC5 HMC606LC5
NEW! 1.5 - 5.0 Low Phase Noise 14 / 4.5 26.5 -157 17 / 22 +7V @ 170mA C-16 / SMA HMC-C077
2 - 18 Low Phase Noise 13.5 / 5 22.5 -160 15 / 18.5 +5V @ 80mA C-1 / SMA HMC-C050
6 - 12 Low Phase Noise 11 / 4.5 34 -174 20 / 22 +7V @ 170mA C-16 / SMA HMC-C072
NEW! 7 - 11 Low Phase Noise 9/6 33 -180 22 / 25 +7V @ 300mA C-16 / SMA HMC-C076

Hittite Offers over 800 Products Across 24 Product Lines!

20 Alpha Road Chelmsford, MA 01824 Order On-Line at: www.hittite.com

#"

 

-

*



-

& &'''#!
)
'
'&'
$%#('
% &&

 
#"
,+
(&%$'#".

Microwaves & RF ■ FEBRUARY 2010 71

 S A M P L E D P L L S , PA R T 2

DesignFeature

–60 Combined modulation and phase noise

–75 0
–20
10log[|Losc(jω,ffs)|] –90 –40
10log[|Loscn(jω)|] 10log[|Loscn(jω)|] –60
–105
10log[|Losc1(jω)|] 10log[|Lmod(jω)|] –80
–120 –100
10log[|Losc2(jω,ffs)|] 10log[|Losceff(jω)|]
–120
–135
–140
–150 –160
100 1 x 103 1 x 104 1 x 105 10 100 1 x 103 1 x 104 1 x 105 1 x 106
ω/2π ω/2π

16. Various oscillator loop components of phase noise are plotted here. 17. The combination of modulation and phase noise is depicted here.

In performing an analysis on the effect that the phase-detector compo- chip from National Semiconduc-
phase-detector noise, the term “phase- nents have on the loop is essentially tor used in the test PLL, the value is
detector noise” is used to include the same irrespective of the cause or equivalent to approximately -163 dBc/
noise due to the charge pumps, the source of the noise. Hz at a comparison frequency of 25
reference dividers, and the program- The phase-detector noise for any kHz. Often, the measure termed “fig-
mable dividers since it is not possible given chip at a particular comparison ure of merit” (FOM) is used by com-
to isolate the cause of noise within frequency is usually determined by ponent manufacturers where the noise
the individual components or func- means of measurements with a spec- is referenced to a 1-Hz bandwidth.
tion blocks in many single-chip PLLs. trum analyzer or phase-noise test set. From this FOM, the noise can be
For any given sampling frequency, the Typically, for the model LMX1511 extrapolated for any sampling fre-
quency. This relationship usually
holds over a wide range of frequen-
cies but may eventually break down
RF & Microwave at higher frequencies.
Next month, the final installment
Design Software in this three-part article series will
Ap
ppl
p ied Comp
putational Sciences point out some differences in the ef-
fects of phase noise in continuous-
www.appliedmicrowave.com time and sampled PLL sources, using
computer simulations and measured
• Exact Circuit Synthesis data for comparisons. The noise due
to the reference oscillator in a PLL
• Accuratte Simullattion frequency synthesizer will be ana-
• Powerful Optimization
timization lyzed, and then combined with other
noise sources in an overall evalution
• Statistical Yield Analysis of the effects of sampling on a test
• Free Tecchnical support PLL circuit. By using simulations, it
is possible to understand the influence
p l ete es of specific noise sources, such as the
Com gn suit k! phase detector noise, on the overall
i
des nder $1 noise performance of a PLL system,

for u
and how those different contributions
compare in a contant-time PLL versus
a sampled PLL system. In addition,
Check Web for Latest Specials
next month’s final installment of this
article series will detail the merits of
TM
LINC2 From ACS using free PLL simulation programs,
with linear modeling capabilities, to
Powerful • • • Accurate • • • Affordable approximate the performance of time-
To order, contact: www.appliedmicrowave.com sampled, nonlinear PLL frequency
synthesizer systems.

72 FEBRUARY 2010 ■ Microwaves & RF

 DIFFERENTIAL PORTS

DesignFeature

Match The Ports Of

Differential Devices
This straightforward approach shows how to match the
impedances of high-frequency, differential devices both with
discrete components and microstrip circuit elements.

until the performance, i.e., the output power for a trans-

STEPHANE WLOCZYSIAK mitter or the noise figure for a receiver, is met;
Principal RF System Engineer
2. Measuring the Z that must be matched (this is done in
Skyworks Solutions, Inc., 5221 California Ave., Irvine, CA 92617-3073; (949) 231-
3045, FAX: (949) 231-3206, e-mail: stephane.wloczysiak@skyworksinc.com, Internet: the same way that the optimum impedance is measured);
www.skyworksinc.com. and
3. Determining the matching circuit that tunes Z to Zopt.
To perform impedance matching on an example two-

D
ifferential or balanced devices are widely port network (Fig. 1), a VNA was used to measure the RF
used in communications systems for their impedance at the network’s ports, resulting in the single-
high immunity to noise. However, they can mode S-parameter (Ssm) matrix of Eq. 1. The variables a1
be difficult to integrate since the widely used and a2 represent incident waves while b1 and b2 represent
S-parameter matching method cannot simply reflected waves.
be applied. Fortunately, a generic method de- ⎛ b1 ⎞ ⎛a ⎞
rived from the mixed-mode S-parameter concept can be ⎜⎜ ⎟⎟ = S sm × ⎜⎜ 1 ⎟⎟ (1)
b
⎝ 2⎠ ⎝ a2 ⎠
used to match differential devices. It is simple and effective,
as will be borne out by verification via four-port vector where
network analyzer (VNA) and analysis with electronic-de- ⎛ s11 s12 ⎞
S sm = ⎜⎜ ⎟
s 22 ⎟⎠
sign-automation (EDA) software. (A)
⎝ s21
Impedance matching is the practice of tuning a load
impedance (Z) to the optimum impedance (Zopt) of a con- Equation 2 details the relationship between the
nected device. It requires three main steps: S-parameters and impedance:
1. Finding Zopt (the process is not detailed here but is usu- ( 1 + sii )
ally achieved by tuning the load impedance of the circuit Zi = Z0 × ( i ∈ [ 1,2 ]) (2)
( 1 − sii )
a1 i1 while Eq. 3 calculates the voltages and currents at the
1
two nodes:
1 b1
⎛ v1 ⎞ ⎛ v1+ + v1− ⎞ ⎛ Z 1 × i1 ⎞ ⎛ Z1 × ( i1+ − i1− ) ⎞
v1 ⎜⎜ ⎟⎟ = ⎜ ⎟=⎜ ⎟⎟ = ⎜ ⎟ (3)
⎜ + −⎟ ⎜
⎝ v2 ⎠ ⎝ v 2 + v 2 ⎠ ⎝ Z 2 × i2 ⎠ ⎝ Z 2 × ( i2 − i2 ) ⎟⎠
⎜ + −
ad vd
bd Z Z
where vi+ and ii+ represent the forward voltage and current,
a2 i2 respectively, and vi– and ii– represent the reverse voltage
2 and current, respectively.
2 b2
v2 For differential circuits, S-parameter theory has been ex-
tended to introduce the concept of mixed modes.1,2 There-
fore, Fig. 1 could represent either a two-port single-ended
1. These diagrams represent single-ended and differential mode circuit or a single-port mixed-mode circuit. The model has
power wave and voltage/current circuits. two modes of propagation: common mode and differen-

74 visit www.mwrf.com FEBRUARY 2010 ■ Microwaves & RF

 NI LabVIEW
Limited Only by Your Imagination

High-quality RF
measurem ments on
signals fro
om -165 to
+30 dBm

Parallel RF
signal processing
Up to 8 by 8 MIMO with
on multtiple cores
less th
han 0.5 degrees of
phase error

Signal simulation and

meaasurement from
One platform to prototype
DC up to 26 GHz
and test multiple protocols

RF From satellite communications to PRODUCT PLATFORM

cellular base stations, LabVIEW
NI LabVIEW graphical
Medical graphical programming and NI PXI and textual programming
hardware are helping engineers stay NI LabVIEW Modulation Toolkit
Robotics ahead of the changing wireless NI Spectral
industry with a flexible, low-cost Measurements Toolkit

Multicore prototyping and testing platform. NI PXI instrumentation platform

>> Find out what else LabVIEW can do at ni.com/imagine/rf 866 337 5041

©2009 National Instruments. All rights reserved. LabVIEW, National Instruments, NI, and ni.com are trademarks of National Instruments.
Other product and company names listed are trademarks or trade names of their respective companies. 0169
 DIFFERENTIAL PORTS

HIGH RELIABILITY FILTERS DesignFeature

Delivered on-time
to your specifications
tial mode, which are also 1 1
referred to as even and ac = (a1 + a2 ) and bc = (b1 + b2 ) (4)
2 2
odd mode when consid-
ering each port separate- 1 1
ly. For both modes, in-
ad = (a1 − a2 ) and bd = (b1 − b2 ) (5)
2 2
cident waves ac, ad, and
reflected waves bc, bd, as ⎛ bd ⎞ ⎛b ⎞ ⎛a ⎞ ⎛a ⎞
⎜⎜ ⎟⎟ = M × ⎜⎜ 1 ⎟⎟ and ⎜⎜ d ⎟⎟ = M × ⎜⎜ 1 ⎟⎟ (7)
well as voltages and cur- ⎝ bc ⎠ ⎝ b2 ⎠ ⎝ ac ⎠ ⎝ a2 ⎠
rents vc, vd, ic, and id are
Bandpas
pass Filter
defined using Equations
SMA
SM
MAA Connectors
4 through 10.
Eqn: Sdd =0.5*(S(3,3)+S(4,4)-S(3,4)-S(4,3))
1 ⎛ 1 − 1⎞
If: M = ⎜⎜ ⎟⎟ (6) S11calc S11sim
freq = 2.450 GHz freq = 2.450 GHz
2 ⎝1 1 ⎠ Sdd = -0.361 +j0.374 S(1,1) = -0.351 +j0.361
impedance = 36.68 + j37.5 impedance = 38.15 + j36.9
then, as shown in Eq. 7, and
Bandppass Filter 1
SMT
MT Tab CConnections vc = (v1 + v2 ) and ic = (i1 + i2 ) (8)
2 SS11c
1 alc
1
vd = (v1 − v2 ) and id = (i1 − i2 ) (9)
S 1si
S11si
1simm

2
⎛ vd ⎞ ⎛ Z d × id ⎞
⎜⎜ ⎟⎟ = ⎜⎜ ⎟⎟

S(1,1)
Notch
otch Filter (10)

Sdd
SMAA Connectors ⎝ vc ⎠ ⎝ Z c × ic ⎠
For the mixed-mode analysis, when
referencing the signal to ground, the
even and odd impedances (Ze and Zo)
Lowpass Filter of each port are also defined. If the
BNC CConnectors
t device structure is symmetrical, Ze freq (2.400 to 2.500 GHz)
= 2Zc and Zo = Zd /2. Mixed mode
S-parameters are defined by: 2. The Smith Chart compares simulated ver-
sus measured differential input impedances
⎛ bd ⎞ ⎛a ⎞ using the SKY65336-11 FEM.
⎜⎜ ⎟⎟ = S mm × ⎜⎜ d ⎟⎟ (11)
⎝ bc ⎠ ⎝ ac ⎠
Each of the cross-mode parameters
where Smm is represent the amount of transfer from
⎛ sdd scd ⎞ common to differential mode, and vice
Diplexerr S mm = ⎜⎜ ⎟ (12)
SMA
MAA Conn
nnectors ⎝ sdc scc ⎟⎠ versa, that propagates through the
3-polele Ceramic Filte
3- Filter circuit. For an ideal balanced circuit,
SMT Connectiton
ons and Sdd refers to the differential mode mixed terms Sdc and Scd are zero.
Equalizer Filter S-parameter needed to determine the As part of achieving impedance
SMAA Connecto
ctor
ctorrs differential impedance; Scc is the com- matching, a goal is to determine the
mon-mode parameter; and Sdc, Scd are differential-mode circuit impedance
cross-mode parameters. Zd. For this purpose, only the dif-
ferential mode propagation must be
evaluated (the common-mode propa-
gation can be omitted). There is no
1' 1 RF common source (ac = 0) even if
Zopt C
Z
L the DC supply can be present on each
side of the balanced port.
Bockelman et al.2 demonstrates
2' 2 that mixed-mode parameters can be
derived from-single mode parameters:
800-642-2587 www.diplexers.com 3. This is a typical inductive-capacitive (LC)
MADE IN USA impedance matching network. (S mm )= M × S sm × M −1 (13)

76 FEBRUARY 2010 ■ Microwaves & RF

 DIFFERENTIAL PORTS

DesignFeature

1' 1 1' 1
Zopt C Zopt 2C
Therefore, Smm can be redefined as: Z Z
L L
(See Equation 14) 2C
Assuming the circuit shown in Fig. 1
is perfectly balanced, parameters S11 and 2' 2 2' 2
S22 are equal as are S12 and S21. Therefore, (a) (b)
from Eq. 14, Sdc and Scd are zero. Using
Eq. 2, the differential impedance can be L L/2
1' 1 1' 1
expressed as: Zopt Z Zopt Z
C C
( 1 + sdd )
Z d = Z0d × (15) L/2
( 1 − sdd )
2' 2 2' 2
where Z0d is the differential reference im- (c) (d)
pedance and is defined by
Z0 d = 2 × Z0 4. These four diagrams represent single-ended and differential LC equivalent-circuit matching
(16)
networks.
From Eqs. 14 and 16, Zd can be defined
as Eq. 17. arrangement. The normalized (50-Ohm reference) 2450-
The SKY65336-11 front-end module (FEM) from Sky- MHz single-mode S-parameters of the differential trans-
works Solutions (www.skyworksinc.com) served as an ex- mit input were measured and plugged into Eq. 1 to yield
ample of a device that might be matched in a differential Eq. B.
Solving Eq. 12 for Sdd where the differential reference
⎛ s11 − s12 − s21 + s22 s11 + s12 − s21 − s 22 ⎞
(S mm ) = 1 × ⎜⎜ ⎟ (14) impedance, Z0d, is 100 Ohms yields Sdd = -0.361 + j0.374.
2 ⎝ s11 − s12 + s 21 − s22 s11 + s12 + s21 + s 22 ⎟⎠ Solving Eq. 17 for Zd yields Zd = 36.6 + j37.5 Ohms.

High Performance 18-40 GHz SDLVA !

Best in Class Log Accuracy and Linearity
NEW! into
o the Milllim
meter Wave Range
Frrom Mic cro
ose
semi
m ’s
s RF Inte tegr
g at
a ed Solo ut
u ioons
n tea eam
co
ome
mes thhiss new ful
u l-
l fe
eat
a ur
ured
ed Suc
ucce
cess
ssivive
e De
Detetect
c io
i n
Lo
og Vi
Vide
deoo Am
Ampl
plifi
ifier fo
forr ap
appl
p ic
cat
atio
ions
ns rreq
equiuiri
ring
ng a
ann
ex
xteend
nded
ed dyny am
amic range ge inn a hi
h gh
ghly
y rug
uggeg did ze
zed
ho
ous
usin
ing.
g
Prrov
o ides
es sig
gna al se ens
n it
i ivitty ap
ppr
p oa
o chchin
ng thhe
theerma
mal no
nois
se floo oor, whiilee mai a nt
n ai
a ni
n ng eexccel
e le
ent
theermaal st
stab
ab
billitityy fo
forr ea
earl
rly
y wa
warn
rninng ra
rada
darr re
rece
ceiv
iver
ers,
s
threeat
a det
e ec
e titon
o equ quippme
mentt, ele ec
ectrron
onic
c cou
o ntn er
er-
meeas
asur
u es aand
n mis
nd issi
s le gui
u dadanc
nce sy
syst
stem
ems.s.
M cr
Mic os
osememii RF
RFIS S iss AS
AS-9910
100
0 an
andd IS
SO-
O-90
001
MSDA
MSDA 818
1840
0
C rtifi
Ce fied, dele iverringg co
c mpponennts and
n
• Hi
H gh
g Dyn ynam
amic ic Ran
ange
g su
uba
bass
sssem
emblbllie
i s fr
f om 100 M MHz
Hz to
o 11
1100 GH
GHz.
z.
• Exxcelllen nt Loog Ac
A cu
c racy
c
• Fa
F stt Vidideo Res espo
pons
nse
• Mi
M liitaaryy Tem
empep ra
r tu
t re
r Ran
angege
• He
Herm
rmet eticcal
ally
l Seaeale
l d
le RF Integrated Solutions
• Re
R vers r e VoV lt
l ag
a e Pr
P ot
o ec
ecti
t on
o www.mi
ww m cr
c os
semi-rfi
r s.c
com
o
Amplifi
Amplifier
ers
s / Fr
Frequ
equenc
ency
y Mult
Multipl
iplier
iers
s / LO Distr
Distribu
ibutio
tion
n Asse
Assembl
mblies
ies / Con
Conver
verter
terss / Bu
Build
ild-to
-to-Pr
-Print
int Hybri
Hybridd Chip
Chip an
and
d Wire
Wire Mo
Modul
dules
es
©2
2010
0 Micro
osemi
m Cor
Corp
poration
o

Microwaves & RF ■ FEBRUARY 2010 77

 DIFFERENTIAL PORTS

DesignFeature

Z0, L0 TLIN
1' 1 + TL2 +
TLIN
Zopt C TTerm TL6
Z=100 TTerm
Z1 Z T
Term12 E=20 T
Term11
Z=200
L1 L Num=9
Z=100
E=52
F=2.450 GHz Num=10
Z = 38+j37
C – F=2.450 GHz
–
Z0, L0
2' 2
TLIN
TL3
Z=100
5. These diagrams show differential and half E=20
F=2.450 GHz
single-ended equivalent matching networks.

TLIN
The differential-mode S-parame- + TL4 +
TLIN TTerm
ter, Sdd, was also simulated using the TTerm
T
Term10
TL5
Z=100
E=20 T
Term9
Z=200
Advanced Design System (ADS) suite Num=7
E=26
F=2.450 GHz Num=6
Z=19 +j18.5
Z=50
F=2.450 GHz
of simulation software programs from – –
Agilent Technologies (www.agilent.
com). Results were plotted on a Smith
Chart (Fig. 2). The single-mode, S- 6. These examples show differential and half
parameters derived from the software single-ended matching networks.
simulation agreed with measurements
using a four-port VNA. 50-Ohm Smith Chart 100-Ohm Smith Chart
The process of impedance matching m1 = SHALF m2 = SDIFFERENTIAL
freq = 2.450 GHz freq = 2.450 GHz
involves tuning a device’s port imped- S(7,7) = 0.784/10.949 S(9,9) = 0.784/104/949
impedance = 9.6 + j37.5 impedance = 19 +j75
ance to a required impedance. The use
of discrete inductors and capacitors m11
m2
is an easy way to achieve impedance
matching. If area is not a constraint,
using transmission lines and stub tun-
er elements is a cost-competitive alter-
nate solution. This method provides a
S(7,7)
S(9,9)

lower loss but is not as flexible as us-

ing discrete elements since new match-
ing means a new printed-circuit-board
(PCB) design.
Using a shunt element, a balanced
circuit keeps its symmetry because
the element is placed between two
ports. When a series component is
introduced, the circuit is no longer
symmetrical. When lumped elements
L and C are added to the balanced
load, Z (S11 and S22 are equal), S1’1’
and S2’2’ of the matched load, Zopt, are
now different (Fig. 3). Based on Eqs.
12 and 14, mixed terms Sdc and Scd of
the matched circuit are no longer null.
Circuit symmetry can be easily real-
ized by evaluating the impedance of
the matched port, Zopt, of circuit A in
Fig. 4, which is given by:
(See Equation 18)
1
Z opt = X C + ( X L || Z ) = + ( jLω || Z ) (18)
jCω
freq (2.400 to 2.500 GHz)
7. This is a comparison of differential and half
single-ended matching networks.
where XC and XL represent the imped-
ance (purely imaginary) of the ideal
capacitor and inductor, respectively.
Equation 18 can be rewritten as:
1 1
Z opt = + + ( jLω || Z ) (C)
j 2Cω j 2Cω
This equation provides the imped-
ance of circuit B in Fig. 4 and, there-
fore, demonstrates that circuits A
and B are equivalent. However, only
circuit B maintains the symmetry
(S1’1’ = S2’2’).
The impedance of the
circuit C in Fig. 4 can be

78 FEBRUARY 2010 ■ Microwaves & RF

 TINY RF
R & MICROWAVE

TRANSS
TR
TCM
+
TC+

TC-G
2+

TCN+

¢ OCK
IN ST
0.15-620
200 MH
MHz a lo
as l w as
a each ( qty. 100)
0
Everything you want in a microwave or RF transformer: Your choice
ce of package styles includes:
rugged, all-welded construction; wide frequency coverage TC+ and
a d TCM+ models have compact open case design,
( from 150 KHz to 6.2 GHz ); excellent VSWR with impedan
impedance all-welded construction and offer high-strength plastic
ratios ranging from 1:1 to 16:1 and a choice of package base for low cost commercial applications.
styles to meet your size,
si performance, and environmental TCN+ and NCS+ mini-packaged Low Temperature
requirements.
equirem Plus, we offer the world’s largest selection of Co-fired Ceramic transformers deliver both outstanding
standard models (more than 300 ) deliverable within a week thermal stability and high reliability.
from your order, and we even have designer kits available to TC-G2+ models include a ceramic base with gold plated
help support your selection. terminations for military and high reliability requirements.
Don’t see what you need? No problem. Our engineers can
RoHS compliant. customize a model at no extra charge. It’s all part of our
.12” x .06” .15”
15” x .15”
15
5”
commitment to you and your design solution success.
Visit us online at www.minicircuits.com and view actual performance data, environmental specifications,
and pricing/availability. Off-the-shelf or customized, the exact transformer you need is only a click away.
Mini-Circuits...Your partners for success since 1969

ISO 9001 ISO 14001 AS 9100 CERTIFIED

TM P.O. Box 350166, Brooklyn, New York 11235-0003 (718) 934-4500 Fax (718) 332-4661
The Design Engineers Search
r Engine
g finds the model you need, Instantly • For detailed performance specs & shopping online see
IF/RF MICROWAVE COMPONENTS 377 rev S
 DIFFERENTIAL PORTS

DesignFeature

( 2 + s11 − s12 − s21 + s22 )

Z d = 2 Z0 × (17)
( 2 − s11 + s12 + s21 − s22 )

⎛ − 0.083 + j × 0.478 − 0.372 + j × 0.199 ⎞

S sm = ⎜⎜ ⎟⎟ (B)
⎝ − 0.361 + j × 0.207 − 0.0714 + j × 0.675 ⎠

calculated by:
1
Z opt = X L + ( X C || Z ) = jLω + ( || Z ) (D)
Cω
jC
which can be rewritten as:
jLω jLω 1
Z opt = + +( || Z ) ((E)
2 2 jCω
In this case, circuit D in Fig. 4 is equivalent to circuit C
in Fig. 4.
When working with transmission-line impedance
matching, the simple transformation of the series element
described above will not work. However, there is another
simple technique available.
As shown in Fig. 5 (where Zi and Li denote the trans-
mission line impedance and length, respectively), the bal-
anced differential circuit is divided into two identical half
single-ended structures. The dividing line is at the ground
potential because of the circuit symmetry. The result is that
the series elements of both single-ended and differential cir-
cuits are identical, although the shunt element is cut in half

50-Ohm Smith Chart 100-Ohm Smith Chart

SKY65336
K Optimum load
freq = 2.450 GHz freq = 2.450 GHz
S(1,1) = 0.406/85.090 S(5,5) = 0.792/64.950
impedance = 38.146 +j36.904 impedance = 19.500 +j75.000

Serriees L Optimum
Series mum load
Optim looad

SKY65336
SKY65336
SShunt
hunnt L
S(5,5)
S(1,1)

freq (2.400 to 2.500 GHz)

8. This example matches the SKY65336-11 transmit RF differential

input to the Ember EM250 transceiver by means of a 6.8-nH shunt
inductor and series 2.8-nH series inductor.

80 FEBRUARY 2010 ■ Microwaves & RF

%#$")#
 #$
 !"#&




#

$#$
!" %$#

)&
&$.)") '
&+*+("& *-'(#
&)*$$*"'&

&
"&*&&
" &$
(*"'& " &$
&$.)") 
&+*+("&

 

 




 



 




 
 



 












  













 


















!
(')*
&
+$$",&
 

'''$ *
$

%
) %"

 '
'$
%"
"")




"# %"#+ %$ "
)

(!"$#
'''$   $#$

""
) %"
 !)

$#
 

 
'''$ '   

/
 "$&*
!&'$' ")
&
 +)
 

&



 DIFFERENTIAL PORTS

DesignFeature
1 1
19.5 1' 19.5
2.8 nH + 1' 1.4 nH
+ 38
(including the loads, Z and Zopt). j75 Ohms 38 j75 Ohms
6.8 nH + 6.8 nH +
Rather than matching Z to Zopt, the j37 Ohms j37 Ohms
1.4 nH
new exercise becomes matching the
half circuits, or matching Z/2 to Zoptt/2. 2' 2 2' 2
Eventually, a fully differential matched
circuit is derived by bringing half struc- 9. A circuit transformation helps realize the symmetry needed for differential transmission lines.
tures back together. Note that this tech-
nique can be also used with lumped elements (Fig. 5). that the coupling between the two lines is negligible, the
For example, a differential Z circuit and a single-ended differential and common modes propagate uncoupled, and
Z/2 circuit are shown in Fig. 6 (with Z = 38 + j × 37 Ohms the characteristic impedance of the differential mode is giv-
and Z/2 =19 + j × 18.5 Ohms). Parameter E in the transmis- en in ref. 5: Z0d_microstrip = 2Z0_microstrip, where Z0_microstrip is
sion-line model refers to the electric length or phase shift the characteristic impedance of the single microstrip line.
(in deg.), or E = 360(L/λ
/ ). The transmission impedance needed to connect the dif-
The simulation results shown in Fig. 7 demonstrate that ferent devices still must be determined. Usually, a 50-Ohm
the single-ended circuit is matched to Zoptt/2 and, using the trace impedance is used as a standard to interconnect sin-
transformation described above, the differential is actually gle-ended devices. For differential devices, several standard
matched to Zopt. The Smith Chart reference impedance of impedances (e.g., 50, 75, and 100 Ohms) are widely used.
the single-ended circuit is 50 Ohms, with an impedance of PCB stack-up constraints include minimum reliable trace
100 Ohms for the differential circuit. width and PCB cost; both contribute to the final design.
Differential impedance matching can be shown by an Assume a PCB stack up with H = 8 mil, dielectric rela-
example: matching the SKY65336-11 ZigBee FEM to the tive permittivity (εr) of 4.3, conductance of 59.6e+6 S/m,
model EM250 transceiver from Ember (www.ember.com). and thickness (t) of 1.4 mil, and loss tangent of 0.02. A
The transmit and receive differential-port S-parameters 75-Ohm reference impedance transmission line design has
for the SKY65336-11 and the SKY65337-11 FEMs were narrower traces compared to a 50-Ohm line. That allows
measured; their corresponding differential impedances are such a design to be spaced out more to minimize the cou-
listed in the table. Various ZigBee-compliant transceivers pling, which is always difficult to estimate. The match-
are available with different RF port impedances. They also ing circuit shown in Fig. 10 is composed of two identical
specify Zopt, which represents the impedance that the trans- 75-Ohm transmission lines, TL1 and TL2, and one shunt
ceiver should see for best performance. Ember4 suggests an inductor, L1, that tune the load impedance Z/2 to Zopt/2.
optimum reflection coefficient of 0.79/65 deg. (expressed Since a 75-Ohm trace impedance is used for matching in
in magnitude and phase) for maximum transmit power and this example, the Smith Chart reference impedance should
best sensitivity. The reference impedance is 50 Ohms. This also be 75 Ohms so that when a transmission line is add-
corresponds to a load impedance (Zopt) of 19.5 + j75 Ohms ed to the load, Z, the impedance navigates on a constant
or 308 Ohms in parallel with an inductance of 5.2 nH. VSWR circle (Fig. 11).
The SKY65336-11’s transmit impedance of Z = 38 + To create a microstrip line with an impedance of 75
j37 Ω is matched to the Ember transceiver’s Zopt = 19.5 + Ohms and an electrical length of 10 deg., Eqs. 19 and 20
j75 Ohms, with both impedances represented on a Smith
Chart (Fig. 8). The two traces (shown with arrows) show ( ε r + 1.41 )
the course of impedance Z by adding a shunt inductor −( Z 0 ⋅ )
( 5 . 98 × He 87 −t )
(6.8 nH) and a series inductor (2.8 nH). The differential W= (19)
structure of Fig. 9 results from applying the impedance 0.8
transformation approach.
Even the most compact, practical board design includes
transmission lines to connect the different components.4
TLIN TLIN
Traces from the source and load devices to the lumped + +
TL2 TL1
matching elements contribute to impedance matching and Term Z=75 Z=75 T
Term
must be taken into account especially at high frequencies. T
Term`0 E=10 E=10 Z
Num=7 F=2.450 GHz L Num=8
For a differential circuit, the two traces must be identical to F-2.450 GHz
Z=75 L1 Z=19+j18.5
maintain symmetry, which means the same length, width, – L=3.75 nH
–
and distance to ground. For such differential transmission
lines, coupled microstrip lines are often used. The character-
istic impedance of the differential mode in these transmis-
sion lines can be analyzed using the mixed-mode concept. 10. This schematic diagram shows an ideal single-ended matching net-
Assuming the structure is symmetric, the differential, and work using distributed and lumped circuit elements.

82 FEBRUARY 2010 ■ Microwaves & RF

 DIFFERENTIAL PORTS

DesignFeature

are used to compute the width (W = a Smith Chart (Fig. 14, web only),
75-Ohm Smith Chart 6 mils) and the length (L = 80 mils) of which confirms that the differential
Single ideal SKY65336
K the microstrip line: matched load – S(5,5) on the plot –
freq = 2.450 GHz freq = 2.450 GHz
S(7,7) = 0.815/126.043 S(1,1) = 0.616/150.585 (See Equation 19) is Zopt (19.5 + j75 Ω). This point on
impedance = 9.589 +j37.682 impedance = 19.000 + j18.500 ( the chart is slightly different because
E of the approximation of the trans-
L= (20) mission line (negligible coupling
T × f 0 × 360
Sinngle
glle id
Single ide
ideal
deeal between the two microstrip lines).
TL2
Constant
L1 where H is the dielectric thickness (8 However, because the matched load
conductance mils), εr is the dielectric relative per- close, the approximation has no ef-
circle
SKY65336
SKY65336 mittivity, t is the conductor thickness, fect on performance.
TL1
f0 is the frequency (2.45 GHz), E is
S(7,7)
S(1,1)

the electrical length (10 deg.), and T
is the propagation delay. The actual
single-ended structure is shown in
Fig. 12 (web only, www.mwrf.com).
Constant Assuming there is no coupling be-
VSWR
circles tween the two single-ended transmis-
freq (2.400 to 2.500 GHz) sion lines, the differential structure
as described in the previous section is
11. This example matches the SKY65336- derived by combining the two single-
11 transmit differential input to the Ember ended structures as shown in Fig. 13
EM250 transceiver using distributed and (web only, www.mwrf.com).
lumped circuit elements. The results were compared on
REFERENCES
1. David E. Bockelman and William R. Eisenstadt, “Com-
bined Differential and Common-Mode Scattering Param-
eters: Theory and Simulation,” IEEE Transactions on Micro-
wave Theory and Techniques, Vol. 43, No. 7, July 1995.
2. David E. Bockelman and William R. Eisenstadt, “Pure-
Mode Network Analyzer for On-Wafer Measurements of
Mixed-Mode S-Parameters of Differential Circuits,” IEEE
Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, Vol.
45, No. 7, July 1997.
3. PCB Design with an EM250. Ember Application Note
5059, 27 March 2009.
4. Front-End Module reference design files located at
http://ember.com/zip/REF_DES_SKY65336_SKY65337.
zip.
5. A.G. Chiariello, A. Maffucci, G. Miano, F. Villone, and
W. Zamboni, “A Transmission-Line Model for Full-Wave
Analysis of Mixed-Mode Propagation,” IEEE Transactions
on Advanced Packaging, Vol. 31, No. 2, May 2008.

Microwaves & RF ■ FEBRUARY 2010 83

 CLASS E POWER AMPS

DesignFeature

Optimize Class E
Power Amplifiers
By tuning load impedances, it is possible to achieve
60-percent efficiency from 1.9 to 2.2 GHz with a Class E
amplifier based on a 10-W GaAs pHEMT device.

sible, although in practice component

GAYLE COLLINS tolerances and finite on-resistance Vdd
RFIC PA Designer Idc
of the switching transistor limit ef-
JOHN WOOD ficiency. To explore the limits of the
Senior Member of the Technical Staff Class E topology, an amplifier using i(t) Ls Cs
SARMUD MUSA lumped-element matching compo- isw(t)
RF Design Engineer nents was designed based on a 10-W ic(t) vc(t)
Freescale Semiconductor, RF Division, Tempe, AZ; GaAs pHEMT model MRFG35010 irf sin(ωt) RL
e-mail: gayle.collins@freescale.com, Internet: www. Cp
freescale.com/RFpower
packaged transistor from Freescale
Semiconductor (www.freescale.com).
It achieves its high performance in

A
mplifier efficiency is es- part by presenting the correct har- 1. This schematic shows an idealized Class E
sential not only for mobile monic terminations2 transformed to circuit used for the time-domain analysis.
devices, but increasingly the device package plane.
to conserve power con- The amplifier’s drain efficiency quency. The approach was then ex-
sumption in wireless com- was greater than 74 percent when tended to achieve greater bandwidth
munications base stations fabricated on a standard printed-cir- and produced average efficiency of
and cell sites. The Class E amplifier cuit board (PCB) at 2.55 GHz—one 56.8 percent from 1.8 to 2.7 GHz
in this article produced efficiency of of the highest efficiencies reported us-
and 60 percent from 1.9 to 2.2 GHz.
60 percent from 1.9 to 2.2 GHz using ing a packaged transistor at this fre- Classical analysis of the Class E
a standard packaged tran- switching amplifier mode
sistor.1 The techniques used 
was performed in the time
to design and build this am- domain3,4 using a simplified
plifier can be employed to 
  version of the time-domain
design Class E amplifiers at analysis5 to obtain the initial
any frequency of interest. Class E design parameters.
  
The Class E amplifier  The analysis was extended
has been extensively stud- to include the package im-

ied and is relatively easy to    pedances of the transistor,
implement.2-5 By allowing 
  and the harmonic termina-

 
the drain shunt capacitance tions were then determined
 
to be discharged when the at 2.5 GHz and realized us-
instantaneous RF voltage ing discrete components. The
crosses zero switching losses broadband design was real-
can potentially be eliminat- 2. This Class E schematic shows equivalent admittance yeq and trans- ized using distributed circuit
ed. This makes 100-percent mission matrix caused by the package equivalent circuit components matching networks with the
efficiency theoretically pos- and transistor output capacitance. matching circuit designed to

84 visit www.mwrf.com FEBRUARY 2010 ■ Microwaves & RF

 CLASS E POWER AMPS

DesignFeature

provide optimal harmonic impedanc- 20 4

Capacitor current—A
es from 1.8 to 2.7 GHz.

Drain voltage—V
15 3
The simple circuit for this analy- 10 2
sis (Fig. 1) was modeled as an ideal 5 1
switch in parallel with a capacitance 0 0
(Cp) consisting of the transistor’s –5 –1
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500 550 600 650 700 750 800
output capacitance (Cds) in parallel Time—ps
with capacitance that must be added
to obtain the correct switching times 3. These curves show simulated current and voltage waveforms for the nonlinear model.
for the circuit (that is, to yield zero-
voltage switching to reduce switching over a range of switching frequencies yields optimum efficiency and power
losses). The output circuit contains a and switch conduction angles (α) for output.5 The analysis also showed
series resonator so that only funda- a given drain bias on the transistor. A that by careful choice of operating
mental current flows in load resistor conduction angle of 110 to 120 deg. frequency, conduction angle, and cir-
RL. The optimal load for RL cuit parameters, all parallel
was transformed from 50 Load angles and simulated efficiencies for capacitance can be delivered
Ohms in the design. fundamental, second, and third harmonics by the output capacitance of
The analysis assumes that LOAD IDEAL, IDEAL WITH RESONATOR: RESONATOR: the device, eliminating the
the switch is either “on” IMPEDANCE: NO MATCH REAL MATCH, REAL MATCH, need for an additional ca-
MAGNITUDE MATCH IDEAL CHOKE REAL CHOKE
(shorting the output capaci- AND ANGLE pacitor at its output.
tance so all current flows in The transistor package
7.08. 6.88/36.95 5.284/34.42 6.70/38.05
the switch element) or “off” 3627 deg. deg. deg. was modeled as a T-network
(an open circuit), and the deg. equivalent circuit between
output capacitance is part Second 11.07/- 9.86/89.90 10.16/86.02 9.08/-84.67 the device output plane and
of the resonator circuit. As harmonic 85.13 deg. deg. deg. the circuit. The series induc-
deg.
a result, the circuit is char- tors represent the bond wires
acterized by two resonant Third 3.73/- 2.89/- 10.45/-89.0 0.524/18.64 and the package tab, and the
harmonic 85.73 89.99 deg. deg. deg.
circuits with different load- deg. shunt capacitor is a parasitic
ing or quality factors. Time- capacitance to ground of
Efficiency 81.5 81.0 78.48 76.87
domain analysis is performed the connecting components

Wireless OEM Solutions

MASTERLESS

ROBUST DESIGN | EXCELLENT SENSITIVITY | MAXIMUM POWER

Nano Series
Miniature Wireless Serial Modem
Serial
 AD-HOC 

 Data Rates up to 1.2 Mbps*

 Adjustable Output Power (1W)*
 Miniature Size (1.25” x 2” x 0.25”)
 Extremely Light (Starting at 12 grams!) Nano IP Series - Miniature Wireless
o h
 Fully Tested From -40 to +85 C Ethernet/Serial/USB Gateway
RADIUS  HTTPS

 Enhanced Sensitivity
 Extremely Strong Interference Rejection
ction All the features of the Nano Series Plus:
 Separate Serial and Diagnostic Interfaces
rfaces  Miniature Size (1.25” x 2” x 0.5”)
 Extremely Light (Only 24 grams!)
No additional standoffs or
daughter cards required!
 Two Serial Interfaces
Ethernet  Ready to Wire Ethernet Interface
 USB Interface
VLAN 

*Higher Data Rates Available/Higher Output Power Available on Select Models

300 MHz  400 MHz  900 MHz  1.3 GHz  2.4 GHz  3.4 GHz www.microhardcorp.com

86 FEBRUARY 2010 ■ Microwaves & RF

 CLASS E POWER AMPS

DesignFeature

through the plastic pack- Second harmonic

age. With these package
Third harmonic
components in place,
only Cds is shorted when
the switch is closed. This
difficulty was overcome
in the analysis by includ-
ing the package imped-
ances in the resonant
circuit when the switch is
closed. When the switch Fundamental
is open, the package
components are accom-
modated as part of drain
shunt capacitance Cp.
The transistor output
Frequency: 2 to 8 GHz
capacitance can be com-
bined with the package 4. Target (circles) and tuned measured (squares) half-board
equivalent circuit compo- impedances at fundamental, second, and third harmonic
nents to produce a trans- frequencies.
mission matrix between
the switch and the Class E amplifier the MRFG35010 is +12 VDC, it was
circuit. This transmission matrix is derated to +8 VDC. With this bias, a
then factored into an effective capaci- conduction angle of 128 deg. yields
tance (Ceq), and a reduced transmis- optimum efficiency and power output
sion matrix (Fig. 2)6. Equation 1 is ul- and the total parallel capacitance is
timately obtained, which shows that 7 pF at 2.5 GHz. This operating fre-
the package parasitics increase the quency was chosen so that Cp = Ceq
capacitance at the transistor drain: and no additional external capacitor
is required. Other parameters for this
yeq = jωCds{1 + [Lpkgg/(Lbond + Lpkg + fundamental frequency are:
LpkgLbond/Cpkg)]} (1) r
MPBE
SFTJTUBODF
3-
PG

0INT
r
MPBE
BOHMF


EFH
The equivalent ca-
pacitance will always be 
greater than Cds, and by &$%
#
"
a suitable choice of op-
 &$%
#
"
erating frequency, drain &$%
#
"
bias, and conduction  &$%
#
"


 

angle, the required paral- &$%
#
"

lel capacitance for Class  &$%
#
"
E operation can be met &$%
#
"
by the equivalent shunt 
capacitance Ceq. The
equivalent shunt capaci- 
tance presented to the
transistor can be tuned 
with the bond wire.1
In Class E, the in-

stantaneous drain volt- ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !


 
age can be more than
three times the DC drain 5. This plot shows the measured drain efficiency of the Class E
bias (Vdd). As the recom- power amplifier at a drain bias of +8 VDC for various gate bias
mended drain bias for voltages.

Microwaves & RF ■ FEBRUARY 2010 87

 CLASS E POWER AMPS

DesignFeature

Drain connection 50-Ohm load

r
SFTPOBUPS
GPSNFE
PG
-T


O)
BOE XBWFGPSN
BU
UIF
ESBJO
JT
DSFBUFE
GSPN
CT


Q'
BOE UIF
JOUFSBDUJPO
PG
UIF
DVSSFOU
DPNQP
r

UVOJOH
JOEVDUBODF
E-

O) OFOUT
XJUI
UIF
GSFRVFODZEFQFOEFOU
5IF
BTTVNQUJPO
GPS
$MBTT
&
EFTJHO
JNQFEBODF
QSFTFOUFE
BU
UIF
ESBJO2
"U

JT
UIBU
UIF
DVSSFOU
XBWFGPSN
BU
UIF
NJDSPXBWF
GSFRVFODJFT
UIF
OVNCFS
PG

ESBJO
PG
UIF
EFWJDF
JT
DSFBUFE
CZ
UIF BWBJMBCMF
IBSNPOJD
JNQFEBODFT
JT
MJN
BQQMJFE
ESJWF
BOE
CJBT
BOE
UIF
WPMUBHF
JUFE
BOE
UIF
TFMGSFTPOBOU
GSFRVFODJFT
50-Ohm line
~λ/4 line

Narda’s High Power 6. This broadband lumped-element output

Directional Couplers matching network maintains the harmonic
impedance across the design bandwidth. It
For tough environments was realized with Genesys converted to dis-
tributed form for the circuit board design.
■ Available as directional, dual
directional, calibrated, broad PG
DPNQPOFOUT
IBWF
BO
FGGFDU
PO
QFS
band and high directivity GPSNBODF
5IF
MJNJUFE
OVNCFS
PG
IBS
NPOJDT
DPOTUSBJOT
UIF
PCUBJOBCMF
FGGJ
models
DJFODZ
CFDBVTF
UIF
PWFSMBQ
PG
WPMUBHF

■ Operates up to 85º C w/o BOE
DVSSFOU
XBWFGPSNT
JODSFBTFT
BT

UIF
OVNCFS
PG
IBSNPOJDT
EFDSFBTFT
degradation 5IF
JNQFEBODF
BOHMF
BU
UIF
IBS
NPOJDT
NVTU
CF

EFH
UP
QSFWFOU

■ TNC or type N connectors
HFOFSBUJPO
PG
TJHOJGJDBOU
QPXFS
JO
UIF

IBSNPOJDT
BOE
UIJT
EFTJHO
BTTVNFT

UIF
QSFTFODF
PG
GVOEBNFOUBM
TFDPOE

BOE
UIJSE
IBSNPOJDT
5IF
JNQFE
Shown here is the BODF
UP
UIF
ESBJO
PG
UIF
EFWJDF
BU
UIF

27001A High Power
Directional Coupler
GVOEBNFOUBM
TFDPOE
BOE
UIJSE
IBS
NPOJDT
CFDPNFT
; 
3
K9
;2 

K92
BOE
;

K9
'SPN
SFG

;


K
3-
;2 
K3-

BOE
; 
K3-
8JUI
UIFTF
UFS
NJOBUJPOT
BOE
VTJOH
POMZ
UISFF
IBS
NPOJDT
UIF
NBYJNVN
UIFPSFUJDBM
FG
GJDJFODZ
JT

QFSDFOU2
6TJOH
UIF
BCPWF
WBMVFT
BOE
JEFBM

QBTTJWF
DPNQPOFOUT
GPS
UIF
NBUDIJOH

OFUXPSL
B
TJNVMBUJPO
XBT
QFSGPSNFE

XJUI
UIF
OPOMJOFBS
NPEFM
GPS
UIF

.3'(
XIJDI
ZJFMEFE
ESBJO

435 Moreland Road
Hauppauge, NY 11788 FGGJDJFODZ
PG

QFSDFOU
BOE
QPXFS
4ELs&AX BEEFE
FGGJDJFODZ
PG

QFSDFOU
BU
BO

e-mail: nardaeast@L-3com.com
www.nardamicrowave.com/east PVUQVU
QPXFS
PG

E#N

8


(BJO
XBT
NPSF
UIBO

E#
The
he Mo
Most
s Tru
Truste
st d Link to RF & Mic
crow
rowave
ave So
Soluttio
ions.
s.
5IF
OFYU
TUFQ
XBT
UP
SFQMBDF
JEFBM

DPNQPOFOUT
XJUI
SFBM
DPNQPOFOU

NPEFMT
UIBU
JODMVEF
MPTTFT
BOE
SFTP
OBODFT
5IF
IBSNPOJD
MPBE
BOHMFT
BOE

TJNVMBUFE
FGGJDJFODZ
GPS
B
E#N

88 FEBRUARY 2010 ■ Microwaves & RF

 CLASS E POWER AMPS
DesignFeature
input is shown in the table as the load
network is converted from ideal to
real model components. Load angles
of about -90 deg. can be maintained
with real components, at least at the
second (most significant) harmonic.
High drain efficiencies can be achieved
90
from the device without modifying the
in-package network. The power-add-
ed efficiency with this load network is
more than 72.5 percent.
The drain voltage and current
waveforms of Fig. 3 are obtained at
the drain contact of the nonlinear FET
Frequency (1.8 to 5.4 GHz)
7. This plot shows the frequency response of
the output matching network for synthesized
lumped-element circuit (red, solid), optimized
distributed circuit (blue, dash), and PCB mea-
surements (green, dotted). Markers indicate
frequencies of 1.8, 2.7, 3.6, and 5.4 GHz.
model and include the effects of the
drain capacitance, which cannot be de-
embedded. The waveforms show that
the voltage and current generally do
not overlap, which indicates a high-ef-
ficiency mode. Optimum input match
was found from source-pull simulation
at +25-dBm drive. Only the fundamen-
tal input match was considered.
The amplifier was built on a
30-mil-thick RF printed circuit board
(PCB) with dielectric constant of 3.55.
Lumped components were initially
chosen for highest self-resonant fre-
quency (SRF) for best performance.
However, when tuning the second
and third harmonics, careful choice
of the component resonant frequency
can optimize their harmonic imped-
ances. A comparison between the
target impedances and the final tuned
impedances for the fundamental, sec-
ond, and third harmonic frequencies
(Fig. 4) shows close agreement with
the simulated values.
The tuned half-board was then
transferred to the complete amplifier,
and drive-up measurements were con-
ducted. The measured drain efficiency
is shown in Fig. 5 for a range of gate
biases and a drain bias of +8 VDC.
The highest efficiency is more than
70 percent for all biases and maxi-
mum power of +35 dBm. Efficiency
of more than 74 percent was achieved
FEBRUARY 2010 ■ Microwaves & RF
 CLASS E POWER AMPS

DesignFeature

Symposium,
y p Orlando, FL, 2008. 5. S. C. Cripps,
pp RF Power Amplifiers
p for Wireless
  2. F. H. Raab, “Class E, Class C, and Class F Power Communications, Artech House, Norwood,

  Amplifiers
p Based upon p a Finite Number of MA, 1999.
Harmonics,” IEEE Trans. Microwave Theory & 6. G. Collins, J. Wood, M. Bokatius, and M. Miller,

  
!%
  Techn., Vol. 49, No. 8, 2001, pp.
pp 1462-1468. “A Practical Hybrid
y Class E Amplifier
p Design,”
g
$"%

(*
$" 3. N. O. Sokal and A. D. Sokal, “Class E – A new IEEE Topical

p Symposium
y p on Power Amplifiers,
  class of high
g efficiencyy tuned single-ended
g Orlando, FL, Januaryy 2008.
)'
 )!
   switching gppower amplifiers,”
p IEEE J. Solid-State 7. J. K. A. Everard and A. J. King,
g “Broadband
Circuits, Vol. 10, No. 3, 1975, pppp. 168-176. power efficient Class E amplifiers
p p with a
 
4. F. H. Raab, “Idealized Operation
p of the Class non-linear CAD model of the active MOS
E Tuned Power Amplifier,”
p IEEE Transactions device,” Journal of Institute of Electrical &
  on Circuits & Systems, Vol. 24, No. 12, 1977, Radio Engineering, Vol. 57, No. 2, 1987, pp.
pp. 725-735. 52-58.
 
& & & & & & & & &
&
 "%#

8. Efficiency and output power are shown.

at drain bias of +6 VDC when output

power was reduced to +32 dBm. A
bandwidth of about 100 MHz was
observed (2.45 to 2.55 GHz).
Extending the amplifier to a broad-
band design was based on a distrib-
uted output load network.7 If loading
up to the third harmonic is consid-
ered, the maximum bandwidth is de-
termined when the third harmonic of
the low frequency (ffL) is coincident
with the second harmonic of the high
frequency (ffH):
Bandwidth = fH – fL
3ffL = 2ffH (2)
Ideal Class E harmonic load imped-
ances at the internal device drain were
calculated for the amplifier’s intended
range based on the simplified time-
domain analysis method. These ideal
fundamental and harmonic imped-
ances were then transformed to the
external package drain lead through
Cds and the package parasitics.
Genesys PCB design software was
used to synthesize an initial broadband
output matching network topology
based on ideal lumped elements (Fig.
6). An equivalent matching network
was then implemented in microstrip
as a distributed circuit and the line
lengths and widths were optimized
using an EM simulator to achieve the
desired impedances. The frequency re-
sponses of the synthesized circuit, op-
timized distributed circuit, and mea-
sured PCB are shown in Fig. 7, and are
in good agreement.

REFERENCES
1. J. Wood, “Overview of Class D, Class E, and
Class F p
power amplifiers
p based on a finite
number of harmonics,” p presented at the
Workshop p on Transmitter Design g for High g
Power Efficiency, IEEE Radio & Wireless

Microwaves & RF ■ FEBRUARY 2010 91

 applicationnotes
Leverage COTS SOFTWARE-DEFINED-RADIO (SDR) technology has
emerged as a way to help the communications
Approach For industry easily modify radio devices to support
SDR Designs new and emerging technologies. Compared to
traditional radios, SDRs offer an efficient and
less expensive way to enable multimode, mul-
tiband, and/or multifunctional wireless devices
that can be configured via software upgrades.
Despite these obvious benefits, many obstacles
must be overcome in the design and test of SDRs.
In “Addressing SDR Design and Measurement
Challenges,” Agilent Technologies describes how
commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) technology
and an integrated design-to-test flow can aid
the rapid development of SDRs.
To develop an SDR while maximizing
reso
resour
urce
cess an
and
d mi
mini
nimi
mizi
zing
ng rris
isk
k an
and
d ti
time
me to
to ma
marr-
ket, the five-page document advocates the use
Wireless M-Bus specifies three modes of operation—all of which use subbands G1 and G2 in
the ETSI 868.0-to-870.0-MHz general usage band.
ADVANCED-METERING-INFRASTRUCTURE (AMI)
Transceiver systems have enabled utility companies to more
System Meets efficiently collect energy, gas, and water-con-
Unique Needs sumption data. Eventually, these systems will
allow consumers to monitor and control their
Of AMI Standard own energy consumption in real time. Yet such
capabilities will require interoperability between
different manufacturers’ systems. In Europe, the
Wireless M-Bus protocol, which is now detailed
in the European normative (EN) standard vari-
ant EN 13757-4, is increasingly preferred as the
standard for communication between meters. In
an eight-page application note titled, “Designing
a Wi
Wirelless T
Transceiiver SSystem to M
Meet the
h Wi
Wire-
less M-Bus Standard,” Analog Devices’ Austin
Harney discusses the EN 13757-4 standard and
the system requirements when using the firm’s
ADF7020 transceiver integrated circuit (IC) to
design an M-Bus-compatible device.
Wireless M-Bus specifies three modes of oper-r
ation—all of which use subbands G1 and G2 in
the ETSI 868.0-to-870.0-MHz general usage
band. Stationary mode (Mode S) is intended for
communications between stationary or mobile
devices, where the data is transmitted only sev-
eral times a day. In contrast, frequent transmit
mode (Mode T) sends out data in chirps every
few seconds. Frequent receive mode (Mode R)
wakes up frequently to listen for messages from
a mobile transceiver. Compared to Mode T, for
example, this is typically a higher-power mode
because the receiver must be on for a longer
92
visit www.mwrf.com
of a solution that incorporates COTS physical-
layer (PHY) orthogonal-frequency-division-
multiple-access (OFDMA) algorithm modeling
with an integrated design-to-test flow. That flow
should be able to support both baseband and RF
methodologies. Using the commercial algorithm
models as a baseline starting point, engineers
can customize algorithms to create proprietary
SDR implementations. Although this application
note serves to educate readers about the firm’s
SystemVue system-design software solution, it
offers good basic information on SDR design
with a WiMAX in-phase/quadrature (I/Q)
modulator design example.
Agilent Technologies,
T Inc., 5301 Stevens Creek
Blvd
Bl vd., S
San
anta
ta C
Cla
lara
ra, CA 950
95051
51;; (4
(408
08)) 34
345-
5-88
8886
86, FA
FAX:
X:
(408) 345-8474, Internet: www.agilent.com.
time to detect sufficient preamble bits. Although
this aspect might make it difficult to design a
multiyear battery-powered system, Mode R
also is more narrowband. It allows as many as
10 channels for frequency division multiplex-
ing (FDM), which allows the readout of several
meters simultaneously.
The discussion of technical considerations for
meeting the Wireless M-Bus standard centers on the
ADF7020 or ADF7021 sub-gigahertz, low-power
radio devices. The ADF7020 is suitable for opera-
tion in S, T, and R modes. Despite its relatively
narrow bandwidth in R mode, the ADF7021 is
a better chhoiice for optiimiizing
i adj
djacent-channel
h l-
rejection (ACR) performance.
Beyond the radio devices, the appropriate
external crystal must be chosen to meet the S-
and T-mode data rates of 32.768 and 100 kb/s,
respectively. The ETSI emissions mask also must
be considered, as M-Bus specifies frequency-shift-
keying (FSK) modulation instead of Gaussian FSK
or raised cosine FSK. In doing so, it makes the
ETSI modulation-bandwidth requirement more
difficult to meet. That modulation bandwidth can
be simulated, however, using the free ADI SDR
Design Studio tool. The note also delves into fre-
quency and chip-rate tolerance, receiver sensitivity
requirements, and deviation tolerance.
Analog Devices, Inc., 3 Technology
T W Norwood,
Way,
MA 02062; (781) 329-4700, FAX: (781) 461-3113,
Internet: www.analog.com.
FEBRUARY 2010 ■ Microwaves & RF
 $ 95
9
5 MHz to7.2 GHz from
At Mini-Circuits, we understand that two-way 90° power splitters (hybrids)
3 ea. qty.
y 5-49

are critical building blocks in a wide array of RF design solutionss.

That’s why we offer them in extra-tight phase and amplitude
balance to ensure your expected high-performance design results s.
Plus, our robust, rugged units deliver repeatable performance
and are available in over 91 different models, in the widest
range of frequencies in the industry (from 5 MHz to 7.2 GHz),
and in package sizes as small as 0.08” x 0.05”.
For full performance details and product availability, visit our RoHS compliant
web site www.minicircuits.com. You can order online and have
units in-hand as soon as next-day.
Mini-Circuits...Your partners for success since 1969

ISO 9001 ISO 14001 AS 9100 CERTIFIED

TM P.O. Box 350166, Brooklyn, New York 11235-0003 (718) 934-4500 Fax (718) 332-4661
The Design Engineers Search
r Engine
g finds the model you need, Instantly • For detailed performance specs & shopping online see
IF/RF MICROWAVE COMPONENTS 463 rev C
 CoverStory
USB TESTING

USB Devices Simplify

y
RF/Microwave Testing
A growing number of RF test functions, including signal generation and
control, power measurements, and signal switching, are now available
by plugging a USB device into a personal computer.
JACK BROWNE / Technical Director

C
omputer-controlled test equip- switches. In the simplest configuration,
ment once evoked images of
racks of instruments con-
nected to a “technical” com-
puter via the general-purpose
interface bus (GPIB). While
GPIB-controlled gear is still a staple
of many automatic-test-equipment
(ATE) applications, newer test inter-
faces, such as the Universal Serial Bus
(USB), are quickly gaining ground for
their ease of use and flexibility. In fact,
the availability of a growing number
of measurement functions under USB
computer control is making the true
desktop AE system under laptop control
a reality. Telemakus (www.telemakus.
com) is one of several companies now
offering high-frequency measurement
functions through 6 GHz that
take advantage of a laptop
or personal computer (PC)
for its processing and display
capabilities.
The company is typical
of the relatively small firms
involved in USB test equip-
ment development. It cur-
rently offers several flavors of
microwave power meters with
sensors, synthesized signal gen-
erators, digital attenuators,
and two RF/microwave single- 1. This array of USB RF/microwave test instruments includes power
pole, double-throw (SPDT) meters, signal generators, a digital attenuator, and two SPDT switches.
several signal sources can be controlled
by a computer running a simple graphi-
cal user interface (GUI) program to
perform multitone testing. In more
elaborate setups, digital attenuators
can be combined with frequency syn-
thesizers, a switch, and a power meter
to provide high-speed pulsed testing
with precise automatic-level-control
(ALC) capability.
All of the firm’s instruments fit the
familiar form of a USB “dongle,” and
all are compatible with the USB 2.0
standard (Fig. 1). USB was originally
introduced in 1996 as version 1.0,
with a data transfer rate of 12 MB/s,
as a single solution to the multitude
of connectors then in use at the back
of personal computers. The standard
was developed by leading computing
companies, including Compaq, Digi-
tal Equipment Corp., IBM, Intel, and
Microsoft. The USB 2.0 standard was
reached toward the end of 2001 with a
data rate of 480 MB/s, with additional
companies, such as Hewlett-Packard
and NEC, lending support to the new
standard. The USB 3.0 standard, which
is being implemented in some early
products with estimated transfer rates
of about 1000 MB/s, will be backward
compatible with USB 2.0. In a USB
system, multiple devices are connected
through hubs, with one hub serving as
the main or root hub. As many as 127
USB devices, including hub devices, can
be connected to a single controller.
Telemakus offers several
building blocks for a rudi-
mentary USB ATE system. For
example, the company’s model
TEA4000-7 digital attenuator
provides a total attenuation
range of 0 to 31.75 dB, con-
trollable with 7-b, 0.25-dB
resolution over a frequency
range of 50 MHz to 4 GHz.
In addition to the selected
attenuation, the device does
suffer some signal attenuation,
with maximum rated insertion
loss of 2.4 dB. The digital step

94
visit www.mwrf.com FEBRUARY 2010 ■ Microwaves & RF

 US AR
MY p h o to

W CERAMIC
R HERMETICALLY-SEALED
NE

$ 95
HIGH IS
HI I OLA
LATIO
T ON. . . 0.3 MHz to 6 GH
GHz from ea.( Qty.10-49)
9

On land, sea, and in the air, demanding critical applications call for a switch CSWA2-63DR+ In Stock
that is a cut abovve the rest. Mini-Circuits rugged CSWA2-63DR+ ceramic UÊVery High Isolation: 63 dB @ 1 GHz
RF/microwave SPDT switch is that switch. From 0.5 to 6 GHz this switch
operates in the absorptive
b ti mode
d ( good d output
t t VSWR in i off
ff state
t t )). F
From to 44 dB @ 6 GHz
0.3 MHz to 500 MHz in the non absorptive mode ( Output ports reflective in U Low Insertion Loss: 1.2 dB
off state ). The CSWA2-63DR+ at only 4 x 4 x 1.2 mm handles tight spaces; UÊHigh IP3: +45 dBm
provide protection against high moisture environments, and offers outstanding
performance. For tough RF/microwave switch requirements in commercial, UÊIntegral CMOS Driver
industrial, or military applications, think Mini-Circuits’ new ceramic switch. Visit U Supply current of only 18 micro amps
our website to view comprehensive performance data, performance curves, UÊ23 ns typical rise/fall time
data sheets, pcb layout, and environmental specifications. And, you can even
order direct from our web store and have it in your hands as early as tomorrow! U Operating temperature -55° to +125°C
Mini-Circuits...Your partners for success since 1969 4 mm Square
q Package

RoHs
H
compliant

ISO 9001 ISO 14001 AS 9100 CERTIFIED

TM P.O. Box 350166, Brooklyn, New York 11235-0003 (718) 934-4500 Fax (718) 332-4661
The Design Engineers Search
r Engine
g finds the model you need, Instantly • For detailed performance specs & shopping online see
IF/RF MICROWAVE COMPONENTS 434 rev E

2. The model TED6000-50 power meter/
sensor operates from 50 MHz to 6 GHz.
attenuator can handle average input
power levels to +23 dBm and peak input
power levels to +30 dBm, and delivers a
third-order intercept point of +59 dBm.
It draws 150 mA at +5 VDC (from a USB
port) and is equipped with SMA male
and female connectors. The USB 2.0
interface is by means of a Mini A USB
connector. When combined with one
of the company’s power meter/sensor
units, it can form a simple USB-con-
trolled ALC or automatic-gain-control
(AGC) loop. The attenuator is supplied
with simple-to-use GUI software as
well as software drivers for integration
into ATE programs, such as LabView.
The USB attenuator contains 0.5 GB
Flash memory for documentation or
test data.
As for power measurement equip-
ment compatible with the frequency
range of the digital attenuator, the
company’s model TED6000-50 power
meter/sensor is a true root-mean-square
(RMS) power meter in the size of a
USB memory device (Fig. 2). It covers a
frequency range of 50 MHz to 6 GHz
with a 50-dB dynamic power measure-
ment range, from -40 to +10 dBm. It
promises ±0.5 dB power measurement
accuracy and, like the digital attenua-
tor, draws 150 mA at +5 VDC from a
USB port. For power measurements at
higher frequencies, the firm also sup-
4. The easy-to-use GUI software allows
operation by means of numeric data entry or
manipulation of on-screen slider controls.
96
Cover Story
USB TESTING
3. This laptop screen shows how GUIs can be
combined to link measurement functions.
plies the model TED10200-45 with
frequency range of 9.3 to 10.2 GHz
and the model TED14500-45, which
operates from 14.0 to 14.5 GHz. Both
of these higher-frequency power meter/
sensor devices are rated for input power
levels to +15 dBm with ±0.5 dB power
measurement accuracy.
All three of the USB power meters are
calibrated versus frequency and power
at the factory, with calibration factors
loaded into each device’s 0.5-GB of Flash
memory; no zeroing or further calibra-
tion is required. When a higher level of
accuracy (than standard) is required,
the devices can be loaded at the factory
with custom calibration tables. Tem-
perature correction is achieved by using
an internal temperature sensor. As with
the digital attenuator, the power meter/
sensor units can be controlled by means
of built-in drivers or with a free utility
software program running on any laptop
or PC with Windows XP or Windows
Vista operating system (Fig. 3).
For generating test signals, the firm
currently offers two options: models
TEG1000-10 (700 to 1000 MHz) and
TES6000-30
RF1 RF2
T
Termination Pulse output
RFC
RF source
5. The TES6000-30 offers a pulse function
for switching at a constant pulse width of 10
microseconds and repetition rate of 1 kHz.
TEG2700-4 (1800 to 2700 MHz). Each
is stabilized by its own internal 10-MHz
crystal reference oscillator and can tune
with 1-kHz resolution, although the tun-
ing step size can be programmed with
standard steps of 1 MHz, 100 kHz, 10
kHz, and 1 kHz, or custom steps from
1 kHz to full range. The GUI (Fig. 4)
supports the control of multiple signal
generators for multitone testing.
The lower-frequency synthesizer
delivers +10-dBm minimum output
power while the higher-frequency source
generates at least +6 dBm output power
and typically +10 dBm output power.
The spurious levels for both sources are
typically -80 dBc, with second harmonics
of typically -20 dBc, and third harmonics
of typically -15 dBc. The single-sideband
(SSB) phase noise is typically -105 dBc/
Hz offset 100 kHz from the carrier.
The company offers two USB-con-
trolled SPDT switches, model TES6000-
30 and TES3000-60, for applications
from 100 MHz to 6 GHz. The reflec-
tive TES6000-30 switch features 30
dB isolation at 4 GHz and less than 2
dB insertion loss. The return loss is 20
dB at 4 GHz. It hits 1-dB compression
with +33 dBm input power (it is rated
for maximum input power of +29 dBm
when switching), and has a third-order
intercept point of +49 dBm at 6 GHz. It
achieves a 10-to-90-percent RF switch-
ing time of 33 ns and draws 150 mA
at +5 VDC. Fully terminated model
TES3000-60 provides 60-dB isolation
at 1 GHz with less than 1 dB loss.
The TES6000-30 is supplied with an
SMA male RF common connector and
SMA female connectors on the RF1 and
RF 2 ports. It has a menu-selectable pulse
function that switches it at a constant
pulse width of 10 microseconds and
repetition rate of 1 kHz (Fig. 5). Together,
the USB instruments form a starting
point for a complete USB measurement
setup. Telemakus LLC, 13405 Folsom
Blvd., Suite 502, Folsom, CA 95630;
(916) 458-6346, FAX: (916) 983-8713,
e-mail: mail@telemakus.com, Internet:
www.telemakus.com. For sales inquiries,
contact the distributor RFMW Ltd., at
(877) 367-7369, Internet: www.rfmw.
com.telemakus.
FEBRUARY 2010 ■ Microwaves & RF
 I E E E M T T - S M AY 2 3 - 2 8 , 2 0 1 0 A N A H E I M , C A L I F O R N I A

Keynote Speaker
at IMS2010
Come visit C a l i f ornia
im,
Anahe for IMS2010
2010 IEEE International Microwave Symposium is proud to announce this
year’s keynote speaker, The Honorable Zachary J. Lemnios. Mr. Lemnios currently
serves as the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) for the Department of Defense. Prior
to acceptance of his current role, Mr. Lemnios has held many key and influential
positions which have helped advance technology. His remarkable career
includes positions, within MIT Lincoln Laboratory, eventually serving as CTO.
His responsibilities in this role called for strategically coordinating technology
and growth to support current and future laboratory missions. Mr. Lemnios was
. Lemnios
Zachary J also the Director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)
Honorable
Microsystems Technology Office (MTO) as well as the Deputy Director of
Information Processing Technology Office (IPTO).
Mr. Lemnios has served on numerous DoD, industry and academic committees.
Mr. Lemnios has authored over 40 papers, holds 4 patents in advanced GaAs
device and MMIC technology and is a Senior Member of the IEEE.
We encourage your participation in joining us during this exciting Plenary
Session to be held May 25th, 2010. Due to Mr. Lemnios’ busy work schedule, this
is a rare opportunity you will not want to miss! To learn more about Mr. Lemnios
and his upcoming discussion, please visit our website at www.ims2010.org.
We l
ook fo
r w a rd
to yo u r v
i s i t . To s e e w
hat is new at IMS2010,
v i s i t w w w. I M S 2 0 1 0 . o r g .

Official Media Source

Media Partners: of the MTT Society: May 23-28, 2010
IMS2010 I Anaheim Convention Center
 S E M I C O N D U C TO R PAC K AG I N G
ProductTechnology
Properly Packaging
RF Semiconductors
Although often overlooked, the package is an inseparable
part of an RF/microwave semiconductor device, contributing
to electrical performance and long-term reliability.
Technical Director
E
lectronic packaging usually
serves to protect what lies
within. For RF and micro-
wave devices, however, an
ideal package must provide
a physical barrier while
appearing electrically invisible. And
with the trend for increasing levels
of integration at higher frequencies
(see p. 33), packages must often take
on the electrical characteristics of the
circuits they safeguard, even through
millimeter-wave frequencies.
Depending upon their circuits, high-
frequency designers have a wide choice
of package options, from simple SOT
housings to elaborate chip-scale packag-
es (CSPs). As with many design options,
a choice in packaging must fulfill a set
of requirements that includes electrical
performance, cost, size, level of herme-
ticity, and shielding. Low-cost plastic or
epoxy packages may provide a solution
for some circuits, such as small-signal
passive components, but more robust
ceramic packages might be needed for
a power transistor expected to deliver
high output-power levels. In addition to
routing signals to and from an integrated
circuit (IC), packages must also provide
compatibility with other components in
a system and support testing.
The lowest-cost housings are based
98
Industry Insight
on thermoset epoxy. For RF and
microwave devices, packages
based on metal and ceramic
materials are more common,
especially where hermetic-
ity is important. For less critical
applications, plastic drop-in (leaded)
or surface-mount (leadless) packages are
increasingly used through microwave
frequencies.
Single-function devices can often
be supplied in small-outline-transistor
(SOT) or small-out-line-IC (SOIC) plas-
tic packages or surface-mount quad-
flat-no-lead (QFN) plastic packages
with dimensions of just a few millime-
ters. Last year, Peregrine Semiconductor
(www.peregrine-semi.com) introduced
a 2-b, 3-GHz digital step attenuator
based on an advanced silicon CMOS
process that fit into a 12-lead 3 x 3 mm
QFN package (see figure).
In some cases, ceramic materi-
als, such as low-temperature cofired
ceramic (LTCC), can support compact
designs due to the integration of passive
circuit elements. By forming circuits
and packages from multiple layers of
LTCC, passive circuits such as filters
can be built into the package.
For higher levels of packaging inte-
gration, multiple functions must be
either fabricated on a single IC die
and housed in a multipin package, or
several die with multiple functions must
be connected within a common hous-
ing. These approaches are known as
visit www.mwrf.com
This digital attenuator is typical of a single-
function component housed in a sur-
face-mount QFN package measur-
ing just 3 x 3 mm. [Photo courtesy
of Peregrine Semiconductor (www.
peregrine-semi.com)].
system-on-a-chip (SoC) packaging and
system-in-a-package (SiP) approaches.
The SoC approach supports high levels
of integration by combining RF, analog,
and digital functions onto a single IC
substrate and mounting the die into a
multipin package. The SiP approach
employs different IC die with bond-wire
interconnections within the package.
Each functional portion of a circuit,
such as baseband and RF, can be opti-
mized by means of a different process.
Of course, it adds the expense of fab-
ricating different die and of handling
multiple die and providing additional
bond-wire connections.
Flip-chip mounting is used in cases
where even the small amount of induc-
tance from bond wire interconnections
cannot be tolerated. Ideal for ball-grid-
array (BGA) housings, the approach
typically costs more than methods using
automated bond-wire assembly.
At high power levels, the thermal
conductivity of the packaging material
is critical. The thermal conductivi-
ties of package materials range from
about 25 W/mK for alumina (alumi-
num oxide, Al2O3) to 1800 W/mK for
diamond.
FEBRUARY 2010 ■ Microwaves & RF
 infocenter
Advertiser Website, E-Mail Address  Page Advertiser Website, E-Mail Address  Page
A Microsemi Corp - Power Products Group.www.microsemi.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Advanced Switch Technology . . . . . . . www.astswitch.com, email: info@astswitch.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . 102 Microtool. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.microtoolinc.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Aeroflex / Inmet, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.aeroflex.com/inmet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 Mini Circuits/Sci Components . . . . . . . www.minicircuits.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Aeroflex /Metelics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.aeroflex.com/metelicsMWRF. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Mini Circuits/Sci Components . . . . . . . www.minicircuits.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Agilent Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.agilent.com/fi nd/fastCXA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Mini Circuits/Sci Components . . . . . . . www.minicircuits.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Agilent Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.agilent.com/find/LTEtesting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 Mini Circuits/Sci Components . . . . . . . www.minicircuits.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
AMTI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.diplexers.com, email: filters@diplexers.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Mini Circuits/Sci Components . . . . . . . www.minicircuits.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Anatech Electronics Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . www.anatechelectronics.com, Mini Circuits/Sci Components . . . . . . . www.minicircuits.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
email: sales@anatechelectronics.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 Mini Circuits/Sci Components . . . . . . . www.minicircuits.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Anritsu Company. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.anritsu-newmasters.com/826. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . COV 2 Mini Circuits/Sci Components . . . . . . . www.minicircuits.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Applied Computational Sciences. . . . . www.appliedmicrowave.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Mini Circuits/Sci Components . . . . . . . www.minicircuits.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Applied Interconnect. . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.onlinecables.com , email: sales@onlinecables.com . . . . . . 104 Mini Circuits/Sci Components . . . . . . . www.minicircuits.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Applied Radar, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.appliedradar.com, Mini Circuits/Sci Components . . . . . . . www.minicircuits.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
email: antennameasurement@appliedradar.com. . . . . . . . . . . . 102 Mini Circuits/Sci Components . . . . . . . www.minicircuits.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
AR Worldwide-Modular RF. . . . . . . . . . www.ar-worldwide.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Mini Circuits/Sci Components . . . . . . . www.minicircuits.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
ARRA, INC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.arra.com, email: sales@arra.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . COV 3 Mini Circuits/Sci Components . . . . . . . www.minicircuits.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Avtech Electrosystems Inc. . . . . . . . . . www.avtechpulse.com, email: info@avtechpulse.com. . . . . . . . . 102 Mini Circuits/Sci Components . . . . . . . www.minicircuits.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-15
AWR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.awrcorp.com/mwo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Mini Circuits/Sci Components . . . . . . . www.minicircuits.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30-31
B MITEQ. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.miteq.com, email: components@miteq.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Bowei Integrated Circuits, Inc. . . . . . . www.cn-bowei.com, email: cjian@cn-bowei.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 MITEQ. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.miteq.com, email: components@miteq.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
C MITEQ. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.miteq.com, email: components@miteq.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Channel Microwave Corporation. . . . . www.channelmicrowave.com, Modco. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.modcoinc.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
email: sales@channelmicrowave.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 MP Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.ims2010.org. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
CIAO Wireless, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.ciaowireless.com, email: sales@ciaowireless.com . . . . . . . . . 8 N
Coilcraft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.coilcraft.com, email: info@coilcraft.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Narda An L-3 Communications . . . . . . www.nardamicrowave.com, email: nardaeast@L-3com.com . . . . . 3
Communication Concepts, Inc. . . . . . . www.communication-concepts.com, Narda An L-3 Communications . . . . . . www.nardamicrowave.com, email: nardaeast@L-3com.com . . . . 88
email: cci.dayton@pobox.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 National Instruments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.ni.com/streaming/rf. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
D Noisecom. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.noisecom.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . COV 4
Daico Industries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.daico.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Nuhertz Technologies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.filter-solutions.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
dBm, LLC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.dbmcorp.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 P
Digi-Key. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.digikey.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Phase Matrix. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.phasematrix.com, email: sales@phasematrix.com. . . . . . . . 45
E Phonon Corporation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.phonon.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
EM Research. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.emresearch.com, email: sales@emresearch.com . . . . . . . . . 40 Photofabrication Engineering Inc.. . . www.photofabrication.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
EMI Filter Company. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.emifiltercompany.com, Polyfet RF Devices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.polyfet.com, email: jerome@polyfet.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
email: miker@emifiltercompany.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 Pulsar Microwave Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . www.pulsarmicrowave.com,
ET Industries Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.etiworld.com, email: sales@etiworld.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 email: sales@pulsarmicrowave.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
H R
Harting North America. . . . . . . . . . . . . www.harting-usa.com, www.fci.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 RF Bay. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.rfbayinc.com, email: sales@rfbayinc.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Herotek Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.herotek.com, email: sales@herotek.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 RF Depot. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.rfdepot.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Hittite Microwave Corporation. . . . . . www.hittite.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 RFMD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.rfmd.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Hittite Microwave Corporation. . . . . . www.hittite.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 RFMW Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.rfmw.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Hittite Microwave Corporation. . . . . . www.hittite.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 RLC Electronics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.rlcelectronics.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
I S
Intercept Technology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.intercept.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Sector Microwaves Inc Inc . . . . . . . . . . www.sectormicrowave.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
K Skyworks Solutions, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . www.skyworksinc.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
KR Electronics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.krfilters.com, email: sales@krfilters.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102 Spectrum Electrotechnik. . . . . . . . . . . www.spectrum-et.com, email: sales@spectrum-et.com. . . . . . . . 51
Krytar, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.krytar.com, email: sales@krytar.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Synergy Microwave. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.synergymwave.com, email: sales@synergymwave.com . . . 73
KS Electronics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.kselectronics.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103 Synergy Microwave. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.synergymwave.com, email: sales@synergymwave.com . . . 85
Synergy Microwave. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.synergymwave.com, email: sales@synergymwave.com . . . 89
L
Lansdale Semiconductor, Inc. . . . . . . . www.lansdale.com, email: sales@lansdale.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 T
Linear Technology Corporation. . . . . . www.linear.com/5538. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 TTE Incorporated. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.tte.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Linx Technologies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.linxtechnologies.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 V
Linx Technologies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.linxtechnologies.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103 VMR Electronics LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.vmrelectronics.com, email: sales@vmrelectronics.com. . . . . 2
M W
M/A-COM Technology Solutions, Inc.. www.macomtech.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Waveline Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.wavelineinc.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Maury Microwave, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.maurymw.com, email: maury@maurymw.com. . . . . . . . . . 20 Wenteq Microwave Corporation. . . . . www.wenteq.com, email: sales@wenteq.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Meca Electronics, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.e-meca.com, email: sales@e-meca.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Wilmanco. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.wilmanco.com, email: williams@wilmanco.com. . . . . . . . . 103
Micro Lambda Wireless, Inc. . . . . . . . . www.microlambdawireless.com,
email: sales@microlamdawireless.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 *Domestic Edition only **International Edition only This index is provided as an additional service by the publisher,
Microhard Systems, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . www.microhardcorp.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 who assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions.

Subscription Assistance and Information: Back issues of MicroWaves and Micro-

MARKETING & advertising staff Microwaves & RF (ISSN 0745-2993) is waves & RF are available on microfilm and
published monthly, except semi-monthly in can be purchased from National Archive
GROUP PUBLISHER SOUTH EUROPE December. Microwaves & RF is sent free to in- Publishing Company (NAPC). For more
Bill Baumann Bill Yarborough Alastair Swift
T: (201) 845-2403 T: (713) 636-3809 dividuals actively engaged in high-frequency information, call NAPC at 734-302-6500 or
T: +44(0)1727 765542
F: (201)845-2484 T: (713) 523-8384 F: +44(0)1727 752408 electronics engineering. In addition, paid sub- 800-420-NAPC (6272) x 6578. Copying: Per-
E: bill.baumann@penton.com E: bill.yarborough@penton.com E: alastair@asa-media.com scriptions are available. Subscription rates for mission is granted to users registered with
Group Sales Manager CENTRAL TAIWAN, R.O.C. U.S. are $95 for 1 year ($120 in Canada, $150 the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc. (CCC)
Paul Milnamow Tracy Smith Charles C.Y. Liu for International). Published by Penton Me- to photocopy any article, with the excep-
T: (312)-840-8462 T: (913) 967.1324 T: (886)-2-2727-7799 dia, Inc., 9800 Metcalfe Ave., Overland Park, tion of those for which separate copyright
F: (312)-514-3957 F: (913) 514.6881 F: (886)-2-2728-3686 KS 66212-2216. Periodicals Postage Paid at ownership is indicated on the first page
E: paul.milnamow@penton.com E: tracy.smith@penton.com JAPAN Shawnee Mission, KS and at additional mailing of the article, provided that a base fee of
WEST DIRECT CONNECTION ADS Hiro Morita offices. $1.25 per copy of the article plus 60 cents
Gene Roberts CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING T: 81-3-3261-4591
Joanne Reppas POSTMASTER: Send change of address to per page is paid directly to the CCC, 222
T: (408) 268-5414 F: 81-3-3261-6126
F: (408) 268-8045 T: (201) 666-6698 Microwaves & RF, Penton Media Inc., P.O. Rosewood Dr., Danvers, MA 01923. (Code
E: jrepfrangides@msn.com KOREA Box 2095, Skokie, IL 60076-7995. For paid 0745–2993/02 $1.25 +.60) Copying done
E: gene.roberts@penton.com Jo Young Sang subscription requests, please contact: for other than personal or internal refer-
EAST T: 011-82-2-739-7840
Paul Barkman F: 011-82-732-3662 Penton Media Inc., P.O. Box 2100, Skokie, ence use without the expressed permis-
T: (908) 391-8735 CIRCULATION CUSTOMER SERVICE (LIVE)
IL 60076-7800. Canadian Post Publications sion of Penton Media, Inc., is prohibited.
F: (908) 325-1900 Toll free in U.S. (866)505-7173 Mail agreement No. 40612608. Canadian Requests for special permission or bulk
E: paul.barkman@penton.com Outside U.S. (847)-763-9504 GST# R126431964. Canada return address: orders should be addressed in writing to
Fax: (913) 981-6604 Bleuchip International, P.O Box 25542, the publisher.
e-mail: brenda.roode@penton.com London, ON N6C6B2. Copyright © 2010 by Penton Media, Inc. All
rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.

february 2010 n Microwaves & RF  99

002MRF_Info Center.indd 99 2/9/10 4:37:25 PM

 RFIC AMPLIFIERS
ProductTechnology
RFIC Amps Add
Gain Where Needed
A range of narrowband and broadband gain blocks, low-noise
amplifiers, and power amplifier is available in chip and package
forms from RF through millimeter-wave bands.
Technical Director
A
mplifiers, whether as RF
gain blocks, as low-noise
amplifiers (LNAs), or
power amplifiers (PAs), are
essential building blocks in
microwave systems. Over
the last decade, a growing number of RF
integrated circuit (RFIC) amplifiers have
become available in place of larger and
more expensive discrete designs. While
these RFIC products can’t always match
the pure performance of a discrete-
device amplifier, RFICs provide the
convenience of small size and, often,
ease of installation in a system.
Many RFIC amplifiers are available
in chip form or supplied in drop-in or
surface-mount packages, providing
users with several mounting options.
For example, the model TGA1342-SCC
from TriQuint Semiconductor (www.
triquint.com) is an automatic-gain-
control (AGC) amplifier based on GaAs
MESFET technology. It operates from
2 to 20 GHz and consists of nine field-
effect transistors with typical midband
noise figure of 3.5 dB and nominal gain
of 9 dB on a chip measuring 3.4 x 2.0 x
0.1 mm. The IC amplifier draws 60 mA
current from a +5 to +8 VDC supply
and delivers +17.5 dBm output power
at 1-dB compression.
100
Product Trends
In comparison, the same company
offers the model TGA2507-SM three-
stage driver amplifier for 11 to 17 GHz,
housed in a surface-mount package
measuring 4.0 x 4.0 x 0.9 mm. Based
on GaAs pseudomorphic high electron
mobility transistor (HEMT) technology,
the Ku-band RFIC amplifier delivers
25-dB small-signal gain with +17-dBm
output power at 1-dB compression.
In terms of bandwidth, the model
SDA-6000 from RF Micro Devices
(www.rfmd.com) is a GaAs PHEMT
amplifier with DC to 50 GHz band-
width. It provides 8.5 dB typical gain
with 4.3 dB typical noise figure with
+14-dBm output power at 1-dB com-
pression at mid-band frequencies. The
midband noise figure is 4.3 dB.
At lower frequencies, the model
ABA-31563 from Avago Technologies
(www.avagotech.com) is a silicon bipo-
lar RFIC gain block amplifier supplied
in a plastic SOT-363 surface-mount
package for use from DC to 3.5 GHz.
It provides nominal gain of 21.9 dB at
2 GHz with output power of +2 dBm.
Another InGaP HBT RFIC amplifier,
the model AP3013 from RFIC Tech-
nology Corp. (www.rfintc.com), with
a frequency range of 1.9 to 2.7 GHz,
is ideal for WiMAX and other wire-
less communications applications. It is
designed for use with a single +3.3-VDC
supply and provides 34 dB power gain
with +24 dBm output power at less
visit www.mwrf.com
than 3-percent error-vector-magnitude
(EVM) performance.
The SKY65038-70LF is an LNA
from Skyworks Solutions (www.sky-
worksinc.com) suitable for use from 0.5
to 6.0 GHz. Based on GaAs PHEMT
technology, it offers15 dB gain and 2 dB
noise figure at 1 GHz from a +5-VDC
supply. It is supplied in a 4-pin SOT-89
plastic package.
The ERA-1+ RFIC amplifier from
Mini-Circuits (www.minicircuits.com)
is a DC-to-8-GHz amplifier supplied
in a drop-in, plastic micro-X package.
Based on InGaP HBT technology, it is
unconditionally stable and internally
matched to 50 Ohms. It yields 11.8 dB
typical gain at 2 GHz with 4.3 dB typical
noise figure and +12 dBm typical output
power at 1-dB compression.
The CMM1100-QF LNA from
Mimix Broadband (www.mimixbroad-
band.com) operates from 2 to 18 GHz
in a 4 x 4 mm QFN surface-mount
package. It delivers 15 dB small signal
gain and 3.8 dB noise figure across most
of its operating band, with +15 dBm
output power at 1-dB compression. It
is designed for 100 mA at +5 VDC.
This is just a sampling of narrow-
band and broadband RFIC amplifiers
available in both chip and packaged
forms based on a variety of different
high-frequency transistor technologies.
For more on the technologies, see the
“RF Primer” on p. 38.
FEBRUARY 2010 ■ Microwaves & RF
 as low as ea.(qty.
e ( 30)

ERA-SM
DC-8 GHz

PHA
Gali/GVA
DC-8 GHz

LEE
DC-10 GHz

Gain up
p to 26 dB,, Output
p power up
p to 22 dBm,, High
g IP3 up
p to 42 dBm
MMIC amplifiers with just the right performance and
size to fit your design, Mini-Circuits skinny Sigma LEE,
Gali, ERA-SM and our new fixed voltage GVA and PHA.
All MMIC’s are transient protected against DC
current surges and are available in a variety of
over 50 models.These affordable compact amplifiers
have low thermal resistance for high reliability.
All models protected under U.S. patent # 6,943,629. RoHS compliant.
Available in three packages;
Leadless 3x3 mm Low Profile package
SOT-89 for superior grounding and heat dissipation
Plastic Micro-XX with surface mount leads, for easy
configuration and assembly.
Complete performance specs, data and a wide
selection of Amplifier Designer’s Kits geared for you
ur
development needs are available on our web site.
Mini-Circuits...Your partners for success since 1969

ISO 9001 ISO 14001 AS 9100 CERTIFIED

TM P.O. Box 350166, Brooklyn, New York 11235-0003 (718) 934-4500 Fax (718) 332-4661
The Design Engineers Search
r Engine
g finds the model you need, Instantly • For detailed performance specs & shopping online see
IF/RF MICROWAVE COMPONENTS 376 rev K
 MICROWAVES
MICROWAVES&&RF
RFDIRECT
DIRECTCONNECTION
CONNECTIONADS
ADS
TTO
O AD
DVV E R TI SSE
E I N THI S S ECTI ON, C ALL JOANNE REPPAS (201) 666-6698
RF Amplifiers, Isolators and
Circulators from 20MHz to 26.5GHz

 Super Low Noise RF

Amplifiers
 Broadband low noise
amplifiers
 Input PIN diode
Protected low noise
amplifiers
 General Purpose
Gain Block Amplifiers
 High power RF amplifiers and broadband power
amplifiers

 RF isolators and
circulators
 High power coaxial
and waveguide
terminations
 High power coaxial
attenuators

Wenteq Microwave Corporation

735 West Duarte Road, Suite 401, Arcadia, CA 91007
Phone: (626) 821-9118, Fax: (626) 602-3101
Email: sales@wenteq.com, Website: www.wenteq.com

Wenteq Microwave Corp. Advanced Switch Technology

RF Bay, Inc.

10GHz Divide-by 13 Prescaler 850-950MHz 10W Power Amplifier 100KHz - 10GHz RF Amplifier
s,OW.OISE!MPLIlER s6OLTAGE#ONTROL/SCILLATOR
s0OWER!MPLIlER s0HASE,OCKED/SCILLATOR
s&REQUENCY$IVIDER s5P$OWN#ONVERTER
s&REQUENCY$OUBLER s2&0OWER$ETECTOR
s&REQUENCY-IXER s2&3WITCHES
RF Bay,
y, Inc.
15825 Shady Grove Road, Suite 190, Rockville, MD 20850
Tel: (301) 880-0921, Fax: (301) 560-8007, Mobile: (240) 645-8591
Email: sales@rfbayinc.com, Website: www.rfbayinc.com
KR Elecontronics, Inc. RF Bay, Inc.

Polyfet RF Devices  

  
New Product Release          
               
        

50Vdc LDMOS Devices

Fast Pulse Test Solutions
Avtech offers over 500 standard models of high-speed pulse generators, function generators, and ampli-
LK141: 60W, 1GHz, 10dB fiers ideal for both R&D and automated factory-floor testing. Some of our standard models include:
60W, 500MHz, 16dB AVR-EB4-B: +2A / -4A pulser for diode reverse-recovery timee tests
LK142: 120W, 500MHz, 16dB AV-156F-B: +10 Amp constant current pulser for airbag initiatorr tests.
AVO-9A-B: 200 mA, 200 ps rise time driver for pulsed laser diodee tests.
LR941: 200W, 500MHz, 13dB AV-151J-B: ±400 V, 50 kHz function generator for piezoelectricc tests.
400W, 230MHz, 15dB AVOZ-D2-B: 700 V, 70 A pulser for production testing of attenuators.
AVR-DV1-B: 1000 V, variable rise-time pulser for phototriac dV/dtt tests.
LY942: 600W, 88MHz, 19dB
Suitable for broad band and narrow Typical Output Waveform
T
band applications. Usable operating 2 A/div, 40 ns/div

across 24-50Vdc. Sample units now

available. Please contact us for
AVR-DC1-B Reverse Recovery Test System
additional details.
jerome@polyfet.com PO Box 265 Tel: 888-670-8729 info@avtechpulse.com
Ogdensburg, NY 13669 Fax: 800-561-1970 www.avtechpulse.com
805-484-4210
Polyfet RF Avtech Electrosystems Ltd.

102 FEBRUARY 2010 ■ Microwaves & RF

 MICROWAVES & RF DIRECT CONNECTION ADS
TO A D V E R TI S E I N THI S S ECTI ON, C ALL JOANNE REPPAS (201) 666-6698

Wil
Wilmanco Sector Microwave Industries, Inc.

Photofabrication

Applied Radar, Inc.

www.appliedradar.com

Antenna Testing

Quick Turnaround
For more info email
antennameasurement@appliedradar.com

Linx Technologies Applied Radar, Inc. KS Electronics

Microwaves & RF ■ FEBRUARY 2010 103

MICROWAVES & RF CLASSIFIED ADS
TO ADVERTISE, CALL JOANNE REPPAS
(201) 666-6698
Applied Interconnect
New Modco MCR
Series Ceramic
Resonator VCO
These Voltage Controlled Os-
cillators offer exceptionally low
Phase Noise in the industry
Standard one half inch square
package. Model MCR1270-
1290MC with an Input Voltage
of +5.0V, Tuning Voltage of
0.5V to 4.5V and a Frequency
Range of 1270-1290MHz is
rated -122dBc @ 10khz offset.
Many other catalog models are
available and custom designs
can be supplied with no NRE.
www.modcoinc.com
Modco, Inc.
104
editor’s choice
Handheld VNA Lowers Drift Errors
With 0.01 dB/°C Stability
FIELD ENGINEERS who characterize or trouble-
shoot RF components for mission-critical com-
munication systems have a new option in the
N9923A FieldFox RF vector network analyzer
(VNA). At 6.2 lbs., this full two-port VNA pro-
vides measurement stability of 0.01 dB/°C. It
spans 2 to 4 or 6 GHz. The N9923A offers more
than 42 dB directivity with a typical dynamic
range of 100 dB. The VNA provides 0.01 dBm
RMS trace noise. It allows operators to simulta-
neously measure and display all four S-param-
eters in multiple formats including Smith chart,
polar, and group delay. The instrument performs
both cable and antenna test (distance to fault, return loss, and VSWR)
and can serve as a vector voltmeter (1 and 2 channel). With a USB power
sensor, the FieldFox analyzer can make power-meter measurements to 24
GHz. Its integrated QuickCal calibration capability enables consistent
measurement results while eliminating the need to carry a calibration kit
into the field. The FieldFox RF VNA, which includes no fans or vents,
meets and exceeds MIL PRF 28800F Class 2 compliance. P&A: available
for order now; starting at $12,000.
Agilent Technologies, Inc., 5301 Stevens Creek Blvd., Santa Clara, CA 95051; (408) 345-8886,
FAX: (408) 345-8474, Internet: www.agilent.com.
13.5-GHz SPDT Switch Boosts Test Performance
THE PE42556 SINGLE-POLE DOUBLE-THROW (SPDT) RF switch
vows to augment test-equipment performance while
enabling the reliable testing of next-generation RF
ICs. The absorptive switch, which is
designed on the proprietary Ultra-
CMOS silicon-on-sapphire process
technology, spans 9 kHz to 13.5 GHz
with low 1.7-dB insertion loss at 13.5
GHz and typical return loss of 13 dB
at that frequency. It also guarantees
fast switch-settling time of typically
3.3 microseconds from a 50-percent
control signal to 10 or 90 percent of a
final RF value. The PE42556 terminates
the unused port to 50 Ω. It delivers 26
dB isolation at 13.5 GHz and +56 dBm input third-order-intercept-point
performance. The switch, which is supplied in a flip-chip package, boasts
4.0 kV HBM electro-static-discharge (ESD) tolerance on all ports. It inte-
grates CMOS control logic, which is driven by a single-pin, low-voltage
CMOS control input with a user-defined logic table. In addition, a
logic-select pin allows polarity to be inverted for back-to-back switching
applications. P&A: $15.00 each in 5000-unit volumes; shipping to lead
customers now.
Peregrine Semiconductor Corp., 9380 Carroll Park Dr., San Diego, CA 92121; (858) 731-9400,
Internet: www.psemi.com.
visit www.mwrf.com FEBRUARY 2010 ■ Microwaves & RF











!
&
#%&
*"'$
"#&"!%
($
'%!
"!
"$
&("&"!
&%&

*"'
%'$
)&$ 
%!%
(&
%!%
&"
%'$
 #,$
!$&*
"*

""!&"!

Œ+LJKSHDNWRDYHUDJHUDWLR
"(%
*"'
&"
'%
*"'$
%!
&"
$&$+
*"'$

"

Œ8OWUDORZGXW\F\FOH
"$
)&$#"&!
$#%
"$
'%%!
*
" #$%%"!

Œ1RLVHOLNHFRPPXQLFDWLRQVLJQDOV
#"!&%
'$
 *
"
#
#"($
&$%
"$%
#"($'

%&&%&
!*%%
&""%
!
%
"!
*
&
%&%&
!
%RRQWRQGHOLYHUVWKHIDVWHVWDQGPRVW

(%&
*! 
$!
%!%"$%
!
&
!'%&$* FRPSUHKHQVLYHUHVXOWVLQWKHLQGXVWU\

)RUPRUHLQIRUPDWLRQYLVLWXVDWERRQWRQFRPRUFDOO


 



 PASS IT ON!
By now you’ve come to rely
on our editorial excellence.
Why not share your secret
and pass this subscription
application on to a
colleague TODAY?

For 47 years Microwaves & RF has been delivering high-quality

editorial content to design engineers and engineering managers
working with high-frequency and high-speed technologies and
systems. Focusing on the key relevant information for design
engineers as opposed to theoretical coverage more appropriate to
academics, Microwaves & RF continues to be the most useful, most
read publication in the industry.
To apply for a FREE subscription, simply click on the button
below and fill out our online subscription form.

CLICK HERE TO APPLY

If you are unable to click on the button above, type the following URL into your browser window:
http://www.submag.com/sub/rf?pk=DI01

DI01 A Penton Media Publication