Hittite Microwave Corp. has unveiled a direct quadrature modulator for digital modulation applications including cellular/3G, broadband wireless access and ISM circuits. The new HMC497LP4 is a low-noise, high-linearity direct quadrature modulator RFIC that improves RF/LO bandwidth to 100-4000 MHz. Additional major mid-band performance enhancements of the new modulator over the first model include broadband noise floor from -157 to -159 dBm/Hz, output P1dB from +1 to +9 dBm, output IP3 from +13 to +23 dBm and carrier suppression from 36 to >42 dBc. A dynamic range of 168 dB at 1960 MHz and 161 dB at 3500 MHz is the highest reported to date for a direct quadrature modulator, according to Hittite.

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The HMC497LP4 is suited for applications in software-defined radios (SDRs) where the upconverter must dynamically vary its modulation format depending on changing conditions and requirements. The HMC497LP4 RF output port is single-ended and internally matched to 50 Ohms while the LO requires -6 to +6 dBm and can be driven in either differential or single-ended mode.

This device consumes 170 mA at +5.0 V and is housed in a compact 4 mm x 4 mm (LP4) SMT QFN package. Samples and evaluation PC boards are available from stock and can be ordered on line.