Monolithic RF VGA Controls Gain to 3 GHz

Jan. 4, 2005

Analog Devices (Wilmington, MA) has developed a single-chip RF variable-gain amplifier/attenuator (VGA) that is well suited for wireless infrastructure transmitter applications. The chip provides a 60-dB linear-in-dB gain-control range from 1 MHz to 3 GHz with minimal external components required compared to discrete VGA solutions. Each ADL5330 integrates broadband amplifiers and attenuators, offering considerable savings in board area, component count, and solution cost compared to discrete VGA approaches. The VGA features about +20 dB gain and -40 dB attenuation with a 1-dB compression point of +22 dBm. It achieves an output third-order intercept point of +31 dBm at 1 GHz with a noise figure of 8 dB. The VGA is currently sampling in 24-lead (4 by 4 mm) chip-scale packaging (CSP) and is priced at $4.98 per unit in 1000-piece quantities. Full production will begin in February 2005. Analog Devices --> http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eA0JtlqC0Gth05Tq0AV ADL5330 VGA --> http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eA0JtlqC0Gth0BN2r0AT

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.