Synthesizer Slices Noise To 10 GHz

June 6, 2013

This compact frequency synthesizer tunes from 4 to 8 GHz using USB or SPI interface.

Visitors to Phase Matrix at IMS booth No. 430 should certainly ask for a demonstration of the company’s newest QuickSyn® Lite modular frequency synthesizer, model FSL-0010. Measuring just 4.0 x 4.0 x 0.8 in., this robust source provides typical output levels of +18 dBm from 0.65 to 10.0 GHz with 0.001-Hz frequency resolution. It achieves 100-microsecond switching speed under the control of USB and 30-pin SPI interfaces. The frequency synthesizer, which is equipped with SMA female reference and RF output connectors, boasts typical phase noise of -138 dBc/Hz offset 10 kHz from a 0.65-GHz carrier and -117 dBc/Hz offset 10 kHz from a 10-GHz carrier. Harmonic levels are typically -12 dBc while nonharmonic spurious levels are typically -70 dBc. The compact synthesizer can operate in either frequency sweep or list mode, in support of a variety of measurement applications.

Editor's Note: For more show coverage, be sure to visit Microwaves & RF's IMS 2013 page.

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.