Fast-Switching Synth Tunes To 18 GHz

Oct. 22, 2009

One of the frequency synthesizers at the AOC was on display at the Plextek booth, a fast-switching unit intended for electronic-countermeasures (ECM) systems that can take advantage of its 5-microsecond switching speed. The compact unit measures just 19 x 16 x 2 cm and offers an output range of UHF through 18 GHz with intermediate-frequency (IF) range of 2.5 to 4.0 GHz. Based on direct-digital-synthesis (DDS) technology, the source cuts spurious levels to -80 dBc and phase noise to -125 dBc/Hz offset 19 kHz from the carrier. The fast-switching synthesizer consumes just 6 W.

About the Author

Jack Browne

Technical Contributor

Jack Browne, Technical Contributor, has worked in technical publishing for over 30 years. He managed the content and production of three technical journals while at the American Institute of Physics, including Medical Physics and the Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology. He has been a Publisher and Editor for Penton Media, started the firm’s Wireless Symposium & Exhibition trade show in 1993, and currently serves as Technical Contributor for that company's Microwaves & RF magazine. Browne, who holds a BS in Mathematics from City College of New York and BA degrees in English and Philosophy from Fordham University, is a member of the IEEE.