Analog Devices Launches New RF/IF Amplifiers

(Product News, 5 Jun 2007)

Analog Devices Inc. has expanded its RF solutions with the introduction today of an RF amplifier portfolio of 12 new devices covering the complete RF signal chain. Combined with ADI's industry-leading power detectors, modulators, demodulators, mixers, and synthesizer products, this offering allows designers to implement complete signal chain solutions using Analog Devices' high-performance ICs, thereby simplifying the design process, streamlining supply chain logistics, and shortening time to market. The new RF amplifiers are fully characterized and specified for both broad-band and narrow-band applications. When coupled with ADI's other RFICs, they enable the design and implementation of advanced RF radio architectures for a wide range of performance-driven applications, such as communications infrastructure equipment, marine radar and RFID readers.

With unprecedented levels of performance, the four RF amplifier product families include LNAs (low-noise amplifiers), IFAs (intermediate frequency amplifiers), driver amplifiers, and RF gain blocks, all of which are fully specified for operation over temperature, supply voltage and operating frequency, thereby easing the selection and design-in process.

Within each RF amplifier family, Analog Devices optimized the performance to cover both broadband and narrowband applications with the minimum number of external passive components, providing considerable savings in board area and design complexity.

Low noise amplifiers (LNAs)
As the first amplifier in the receive path, LNAs are a critical component for defining overall system performance and must be able to successfully amplify very low-level signals without adding a significant amount of noise. ADI's ADL552x family sets an industry performance benchmark by operating from 400MHz to 4GHz while achieving a low noise figure with the optimum amount of gain and current consumption. The ADL5521 provides 0.8dB NF with a gain of 15dB while the ADL5523 provides 1.1dB NF with a gain 17.5dB. The new LNA family includes on-chip bias circuitry and requires minimal external matching components, thereby reducing cost and board space compared to discrete low-noise amplifiers.

Intermediate frequency amplifiers (IFAs)
Designed to operate in the IF frequency range typically below 500MHz, ADI's ADL553x family (ADL5530, ADL5531, ADL5532, ADL5533 and ADL5534) of single- and dual-channel IFAs are fully specified and characterized to support applications across the most commonly used IF frequencies of 70, 140, 190, 240, and 380MHz. The new IFAs provide industry's highest linearity of 41dBm while maintaining a noise figure as low as 2.5dB for optimal signal dynamic range. Compared to competing products, the new IFA family provides the highest linearity specifications and is offered within space saving surface mount LFCSP packages. Furthermore, Analog Devices' IFAs integrate on-chip bias circuitry, require minimal external matching components and support 1KV Class 1C ESD.

Driver amplifiers
Analog Devices' ADL532x driver amplifier family offers the highest linearity for a given output power to enable low distortion, high-output drive directly to the power amplifier stages. The ADL5320 driver provides broadband operation from 400MHz to 2.7GHz and requires minimal external matching for a chosen band of operation. The ADL5320 provides an output linearity of 42dBm and 26dBm output compression point while consuming just 104mA of supply current. The ADL5322 and ADL5323 drivers are optimized to work over frequency bands of 700MHz to 1GHz and 1.7GHz to 2.4GHz, respectively and provide the highest linearity with an output IP3 of 45dBm and output compression point of 28dBm. The ADL5322 and ADL5323 are internally matched and can eliminate the need for up to 10 external components required. Both devices provide exceptional adjacent channel power ratio for CDMA and W-CDMA applications. For example the ADL5323 provides better than 70dBc ACPR while delivering greater than +10dBm output power. Compared to competing devices, Analog Devices' driver amplifiers integrate on-chip bias circuitry, minimize the need for external matching components, and support the highest linear output drive levels for the transmitter output power stages.

Gain Blocks
The ADL5541 and ADL5542 are broadband gain blocks that operate from low frequencies up to 6GHz. Both devices are 50¦¸ internally matched with integrated internal bias circuitry minimizing the need for external components. The ADL5541 provides 15dB gain with output linearity of 40dBm and the ADL5542 provides 20dB of gain with an output linearity of 40dBm. Both devices are fully ESD protected and available in small footprint LFCSP packages. Compared to competing devices, the ADL5541 and ADL5542 offer the highest linearity and lowest noise figures across a broader operating frequency range, while saving board area and cost due to the smaller footprint surface mount packaging.

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