Among the low-noise oscillators and frequency synthesizers on display at Synergy Microwave Corp.’sEDI 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.
