Silicon digital TV IF amplifier IC

Developed specifically for IF amplification in VSB and QAM tuners, the new 3.3 V ISG510067 from ISG Broadband combines two linear input AGC amplifiers with two IF video amplifiers in one ultra-miniature package. Ideal for use in VSB tuners, VSB/QAM tuner NIM, integrated HDTV sets, and set-tops with multiple QAM tuners; the ISG510067 reduces component count and design complexity. The IC operates at 20 to 100 MHz and offers 37 and 55 dB differential gain blocks. It has >55 dB total gain control range. The IC is two-tone IM3 -60 dBC at 1 V peak-to-peak.

Housed in a miniature 5 mm × 5 mm 28-pin MLP (Miniature Leaded Package), the ISG510067 is priced at $0.99 in 100K quantities.
ISG Broadband
(408) 957-8000
www.isgbroadband.com

40 GHz divider IC

Centellax Inc. has released a multimodulus divider IC for applications including 10 and 40 Gbps telecom circuit test, point-to-point and point-to-multipoint digital radios, electronicwarfare (EW), avionics and satellite communications (SATCOM).

The new model UXC40C, operating at up to 40 GHz and based on Silicon Germanium (SiGe) process technology, provides simultaneous divide-by-two, divide-by-four, and divide-by-eight outputs.

The IC boasts DC coupling on all inputs and outputs via CML logic levels, and operates off of a single -3.3 V power supply. It can operate with either single-ended or differential inputs.
Centellax
(623) 330-3060
www.centellax.com

Single-band receiver front end

RF Micro Devices Inc.'s RF2861 single-band receiver front end has an integrated TX LO buffer amplifier designed for CDMA cellular, JCDMA and CDMA450 applications. The RF2861 features a small, 3 mm × 3 mm footprint, which is designed to optimize board space and minimize cost for handset manufacturers.

The front end amplifies and downconverts RF signals featuring a three-gain state LNA (17 dB of gain control) with an integrated single gain state high IIP3 mixer (8.5 dBm). The device also includes an optional TX LO buffer amplifier and both LNA gain and power down modes are digitally controlled. An off-chip current setting resistor allows adjustable LNA and mixer IIP3 to minimize current consumption. In high gain mode, using a typical RF SAW filter, 25 dB of cascaded gain can be achieved with 2.1 dB noise figure.

Manufactured in a silicon germanium (SiGe) process, the front end is offered in a QFN package with full ESD protection on all pins. It is priced at $1.88 in quantities of 10,000 units.
RF Micro Devices
(336) 664-1233
www.rfmd.com

Gallium nitride transistors

Nitronex Corporation has announced new levels of performance for its gallium nitride (GaN)-based RF power transistors. Until now, the superior characteristics of gallium nitride over silicon have remained largely untapped. Such GaN properties, including high linearity and high operating voltage, are two characteristics of power transistors that are demanded by designers of power amplifiers for the 3G market.

Based on Nitronex's patented SIGANTIC technology, devices for 3G applications with an operating voltage of 34 V are available for sampling. These devices will be available in 10 W and 20 W versions (WCDMA Power).
Nitronex Corporation
(919) 807-9100
www.nitronex.com

RF power detector

RTG Inc. has announced an RF power detector with on-chip programmable threshold detection and a four-output sequencer. With an input frequency range of 0.1 to 2.5 GHz and a dynamic range of 45 dB, the RTG9001 adds three bits of threshold programmability in a 14-pin TSSOP. Once RF power exceeds the threshold, four digital outputs sequentially go true with 0, 5, 10 and 35 milliseconds delay, respectively. Applications include WLAN, BlueTooth and ZigBee repeaters and remote access points. The part operates on as low as 2.0 V and has a sleep mode with only 10 microamps current. Price is $1.90 at 1K pieces.
RTG Inc.
(310) 534 3016
www.rtg.com

7 GHz RF power detector

Linear Technology Corporation's LTC553 is an RF power detector designed for monitoring and control applications in wireless communication transceivers. The detector is an integrated device that is factory trimmed to accurately measure RF signals from 300 MHz to 7 GHz, suitable for equipment including the 802.11a, b, and g WiFi systems, 5.8GHz WAN and WLAN radios and other licensed band transceivers. Its RF input signal range extends from -32dBm to +8dBm.

The detector has an on-chip temperature-compensated Schottky diode for RF detection. It employs peak-detection architecture, providing a stable DC output voltage as a function of the RF input power.

Unique to the detector are adjustable offset and gain. The starting output voltage can be user-adjusted, while the gain slope can be set by using two external resistors to match any analog-to-digital converter for improved measurement accuracy and resolution. The two adjustments are mutually independent. Additionally, the gain-adjustable amplifier can be configured as a threshold comparator for applications such as RF presence detectors and RF power alarms.

The detector is offered in a tiny 6-lead Thin SOT-23 package, consuming a small PC board space. Pricing starts at $2.00 each in 1,000-piece quantities.
Linear Technology
(408) 432-1900
www.linear.com

Metering ICs

Analog Devices Inc. has introduced energy metering ICs that allow utilities to obtain more accurate energy usage information. Reactive energy, caused by non-linear loads, requires energy suppliers to supply more volt-amps to customers than they can measure with a conventional watt-hour (active energy) meter. The ability to measure reactive energy enables utilities to prevent revenue loss and improve power-generation capacity management.

The ADE7753 and ADE7758 are based on high-resolution analog-to-digital converter (ADC) technologies combined with a fixed-function digital signal processor (DSP). The DSP performs all the necessary energy measurement calculations, allowing a low-cost microprocessor to be used for data management and supervisory functions. This architecture simplifies meter designs that previously relied on microprocessors to perform complex computations. The ADE7753 is available in a 20-lead SSOP package and is priced at $2.52 per unit in 1,000-piece quantities. Available in a 24-lead SOIC package, the ADE7758 is priced at $6.88 per unit in l,000-piece quantities.
Analog Devices
(800) 262-5643
www.analog.com

Integrated circuit for VoIP

Clare Inc., subsidiary of IXYS Corporation, has developed an optimized single-chip phone line interface DAA (Digital Access Arrangement) solution for VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) equipment using the CPC5621A Litelink III device. The device is used to ensure proper connection between host equipment (e.g., computers and other data communications systems) and the telephone network.

The CPC5621A offers 3000 V (rms) internal optical isolation, ultralow distortion performance, high transmit gain output and low quiescent line current in VoIP consumer and enterprise premises equipment. The device is being designed into VoIP gateway infrastructure equipment used in business enterprise applications as well as telephony gateways, Internet access devices, and analog terminal adapters (ATA) for CPE.

Litelink offers an industry-standard interface to popular high-performance DSPs and codecs from manufacturers including IDT, Infineon, Legerity and Voicepump. When applied with Litelink III, many dual, quad and octal codecs can achieve greater levels of board integration, and VoIP OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) can realize savings without sacrifice to performance when producing densely populated all-silicon surface-mount designs.

The IC offers a broad feature set including high-voltage isolation, proper AC and DC phone line terminations, 2-to-4 wire hybrid function, on-hook and off-hook detection, caller ID and ring detect circuitry. Key characteristics of the CPC5621A includes adjustable transmit power, selectable single-supply 3.3 V or 5 V operation, full network telephone compatibility and compliance with major international telephone standards. Second-harmonic distortion is typically 80 dB below a -3 dBm, 600 Hz signal. In OEM quantities of 10,000 units, the CPC5620A and CPC5621A are each priced at $2.41.
Clare Inc.
(978) 524-6700
www.clare.com

New chip for telecom networks

Parama Networks' ADM-on-a-Chip is a companion SONET/SDH overhead processor, a data transport processor, a hardware reference design, and an advanced software development kit. The system on a chip (SoC) offers all of the functions necessary to build an ADM and other next-generation network equipment, including cross-connect, line and tributary framers, and overhead processing. The device allows network equipment vendors to upgrade existing systems and build entirely new systems that cost less and consume less power than currently available systems. The ADM-on-a-Chip is manufactured in 0.13u CMOS process and packaged in a 1521 pin flip chip BGA package. Model number PNI8040, priced at $1250 in 1000+ quantities, features eight software-programmable OC-3 to OC-48 rate SONET and SDH-equivalent rate ports, two OC-192 rate SONET/SDH ports and 40G of digital cross connect capacity. PNI8160, priced at $2500 in 1000+ quantities, integrates eight software programmable OC-3 to OC-192 rate SONET/SDH ports, two OC-768 rate SONET/SDH ports and 160G of digital cross connect.
Parama Networks
(408) 247-7180
www.paramanetworks.com

GaAs pHEMT foundry process

TriQuint Semiconductor Inc. has introduced the high-volume TQPED pHEMT process fabricated in its 150mm Oregon wafer manufacturing facility. This process will enable designers of RF front-end components to increase integration levels due to the inclusion of enhancement- and depletion-mode pHEMT transistors, on-chip passives, three-level interconnects and substrate vias. The TQPED process is an extension of TriQuint's current pHEMT process. The two pHEMT transistor types are targeted at functions such as low-noise amplifiers, high-isolation switches, converters, power amplifiers, and combinations of these blocks. The ability to integrate all of these circuit functions, including passive components, leads to smaller physical devices and ultimately lower cost, due to both the reduction in the number of components and printed circuit board area.
TriQuint Semiconductor Inc.
(408) 370-6125
www.triquint.com

Integrated chip for VoIP apps

Atmel Corporation has released a chip designed for Voice over IP (VoIP) applications. The AT76C901 can run VoIP software, firmware enabling 802.11b (Wi-Fi) and voice compression and decompression all on a single chip. The VoIP chip requires only an SDRAM, flash, LCD, keypad, battery, 802.11b baseband and RF front-end to comprise an entire wireless VoIP phone. The chip consists of an ARM7TDMI RISC processor for running VoIP protocol stacks and two subsystems. One subsystem consists also of an ARM7 and 802.11b Media Access Controller (MAC) and implements the 802.11b capability. The second subsystem consists of an OakDSPCore and integrated voice codec. The OAK performs voice compression and decompression to the ITU standards such as G.711, G.723.1 and G.729ab. This architecture allows simultaneous operations without disrupting any time-critical operations that need to happen within the different subsystems. Because of the level of integration, the AT76C901-based system consumes little power, and allows talk and stand-by times that are required for a VoIP phone. The AT76C901, packaged in a 217-pin uBGA, is now released to production. Pricing for the product starts around ~$22 at 50K units.
Atmel Corporation
(408) 441-0311
www.atmel.com