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RF Micro Devices of Greensboro, NC, USA is sampling the first in a new line of integrated configurable components delivering what it claims are unmatched levels of flexibility and functional integration to designers of radio systems.

The new RF205x category of components integrate common RF functions while retaining the flexibility required to develop radio systems that operate over a wide dynamic range and across a broad range of frequencies and channel bandwidths. RFMD says that the new line is broadly applicable to multiple radio markets, including wireless repeaters, software-defined radios (SDR), professional mobile radios and instrumentation and test equipment.

Housed in compact 5mm x5mm QFN packages, the first products in the RF205x include the RF2051, RF2052 and RF2053:

The RF2051 combines a wideband monolithic voltage controlled oscillator (VCO), local oscillator (LO) drivers, a fractional-N phase locked loop (PLL) synthesizer and two RF mixers. It can be configured as a monolithic upconverter and downconverter, suiting uplink and downlink chains in applications such as wireless repeaters and as self-contained frequency band-shifters.

The RF2052 leverages the configurable core of the RF2051 (integrated VCO, PLL and LO drivers) and combines a wideband monolithic VCO, LO drivers, a fractional-N PLL synthesizer and one RF mixer. It can be configured as either an upconverter or a downconverter for applications requiring separate up- and down-conversion stages.

The RF2053 leverages the configurable core of the RF2051 (PLL and LO drivers) and combines LO drivers, a fractional-N PLL synthesizer and one RF mixer, and uses an external VCO source.

Each product in the RF205x line can generate a broad LO signal range (300MHz to 2.4GHz) and operate over a broad RF/IF range (100MHz to 2.5GHz). The LO (which consists of the VCO and PLL) has an adjustable loop bandwidth that is set by a passive or active loop filter, allowing designers to optimize performance in wideband and narrowband applications. Finally, each product offers an operational amplifier on-chip to eliminate the need for an external amplifier in active loop configurations.

The mixer linearity is programmable up to +18dBm, at which the mixer, PLL and VCO consume just 72mA from a 3V supply. For applications with lower linearity requirements, current consumption can be reduced, allowing trade-off of performance and current (particularly important in applications requiring lower current consumption, including portable battery-powered devices).

“The unique system partitioning and functional integration of the RF205x line of integrated configurable components helps radio designers across multiple industries improve competitiveness by shrinking circuit board area, reducing risk and shortening product development time, thereby lowering the cost of implementation,” says Alastair Upton, general manager of RFMD’s Broadband and Consumer Business Unit.

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Visit: www.rfmd.com/RF205x