Miniature VCO Cuts Noise to 6,450 MHz

A low-phase-noise VCO tunes from 5,350 to 6,450 MHz.

Sept. 21, 2016

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Among the low-noise oscillators and frequency synthesizers on display at Synergy Microwave Corp.’s EDI CON 2016 booth (306), model DCO535645-5 is a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) that tunes from 5,350 to 6,450 MHz while drawing less than 30 mA current from a +5-V dc supply. It is one example of the firm’s many high-frequency sources with outstanding phase-noise performance. The surface-mount-technology (SMT) VCO exhibits single-sideband (SSB) phase noise of -72 dBc/Hz offset 10 kHz from the carrier, -98 dBc/Hz offset 100 kHz from the carrier, and -120 dBc/Hz offset 1 MHz from the carrier.

The VCO provides output levels of at least -3 dBm. It tunes via voltages from 0 to 15 V with tuning sensitivities from 120 to 220 MHz/V. Harmonic suppression is typically 20 dB. The tiny SMT oscillator, which is designed for operating temperatures from -40 to +85°C, measures just 0.3 × 0.3 × 0.1 in.

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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.