Maxim Integrated Products has released a high-performance, fully integrated, 815 MHz to 1000 MHz SiGe passive mixer. Designed specifically for 2.5G/3G wireless-infrastructure applications, the MAX2029 delivers an unparalleled combination of linearity, noise performance, and component integration. When configured as an upconverter, this single IC provides 39 dBm of IIP3, 71dBc of LO ±2 IF suppression, and a conversion loss of only 6 dB. As a downconverter, the MAX2029 delivers equally impressive performance with 36.5 dBm of IIP3, 27 dBm of IP1dB, 6.5 dB of conversion loss, and a 6.7 dB noise figure. In addition, it exhibits excellent second and third order spurious suppression. It is designed for 815 MHz to 1000 MHz WCDMA, GSM850/GSM900 EDGE, cdma2000(R), and iDEN(R) basestation applications in which high linearity and a low noise figure are critical for enhanced receiver and transmitter performance.

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As a complete SiGe up-/downconverter, the MAX2029 integrates a state-of-the-art, double-balanced mixer core with an LO amplifier, two baluns, an LO switch, plus dozens of discrete components. This integration reduces the total board space used by the mixer by 40%, and reduces the discrete part count by 33%, according to Maxim. The MAX2029's outstanding 2RF-2LO performance of 72 dBc (with a –10 dBm RF tone) also eases the filtering requirements of close-in harmonics, thus enabling simpler and more cost-effective filter designs.

This mixer offers an exceptionally wide, DC to 250 MHz IF frequency range with a 570 MHz to 900 MHz, low-side LO injection range. It supports frequency hopping with an integrated SPDT LO switch that has switching speeds of < 50 ns (typ) and 53 dB of LO1-to-LO2 isolation. The on-board 0 dBm drive, LO buffer provides ±3 dB drive-variance control, thus ensuring stable gain, NF, and IIP3 performance over temperature, supply, and input power. The MAX2029 has excellent gain-variation performance of ±0.2 dB over the -40 C to +85 C industrial temperature range. The IIP3 spread is similarly impressive at +0.4dB/-0.6dB over temperature.

Packaged in a compact 5 mm x 5 mm, 20-pin TQFN, it is pin compatible with the MAX2039/MAX2041/MAX2042*/MAX2044* series of 1700 MHz to 2200 MHz, 1700 MHz to 3000 MHz, 2300 MHz to 2700 MHz, and 3200 MHz to 3900 MHz mixers, making this entire family of passive upconverters and downconverters suitable for applications in which a common PC-board layout is used for multiple wireless-infrastructure frequency bands. Lead-free packaging is also available. Prices start at $6.15, in 1000 and up pieces.

www.maxim-ic.com