SiGe Mixers Suit Base Stations From 700 To 4000 MHz

March 19, 2009

DESIGNED USING A PROPRIETARY silicon-germanium (SiGe) process, a new line of mixers provides input thirdorder intercept point performance to +24.8 dBm. With 2RF-2LO spurious rejection to -79 dBc, these monolithic devices can ease the filtering ...

Nancy Friedrich

DESIGNED USING A PROPRIETARY silicon-germanium (SiGe) process, a new line of mixers provides input thirdorder intercept point performance to +24.8 dBm. With 2RF-2LO spurious rejection to -79 dBc, these monolithic devices can ease the filtering requirements of close-in harmonics. In addition, conversion gain to 9 dB enables the elimination of a complete intermediate-frequency (IF) amplifier stage within the receiver lineup. Noise-figure values range down to 9 dB. The MAX19995/MAX19995A/ MAX19997A/MAX19999 integrate two mixer cores, four amplifiers, three baluns, a local-oscillator (LO) splitter, and discrete components. The product family also supports two "green" power modes in which linearity performance can be traded for reduced power consumption. In 5-V mode, for example, the bias currents that drive the on-chip LO buffer and IF amplifier stages can be reduced by as much as 33 percent. Using this mode of operation, a 20-percent reduction in power results in only a 3-dB reduction in linearity. P&A: starting at $9.96; qty. 1000.

Maxim Integrated Products, Inc., 120 San Gabriel Dr., Sunnyvale, CA 94086; (408) 737-7600, FAX: (408) 737-7194, Internet: www.maxim-ic.com.

About the Author

Nancy Friedrich | Editor-in-Chief

Nancy Friedrich began her career in technical publishing in 1998. After a stint with sister publication Electronic Design as Chief Copy Editor, Nancy worked as Managing Editor of Embedded Systems Development. She then became a Technology Editor at Wireless Systems Design, an offshoot of Microwaves & RF. Nancy has called the microwave space “home” since 2005.