Analog Devices Doubles 16-Bit Converter Speed to One Billion Samples Per Second.

NORWOOD, Mass. -- Industry's fastest 16-bit dual digital-to-analog converter combines speed, signal processing performance and low power consumption for advanced wireless communications equipment.

Analog Devices, Inc., the world leader in data converter technology, today introduced the industry's first 16-bit digital-to-analog converter (DAC) to achieve a sample rate of 1 GSPS (giga-samples-per-second), making it twice as fast as competing solutions. Importantly, at these industry-leading speeds, the AD9779 maintains ADI's trademark signal processing performance offering best-in-class dynamic range, noise and distortion, while consuming up to 36% less power than competing solutions. The highly integrated interpolating dual AD9779 is designed to enable high quality conversion of the most demanding wireless standards, such as W-CDMA, CDMA2000, TD-SCDMA and WiMAX.

"The requirements of multi-channel wireless communications applications and digital predistortion architectures are driving the need for more optimized data converters that can synthesize high-quality signals at much higher frequencies," said Dave Robertson, product line director, High-Speed Converters, at Analog Devices. "With the AD9779, Analog Devices is delivering a dual 16-bit DAC that offers wireless systems designers the best combination of signal processing performance, low-noise and low-power consumption for wideband signal synthesis. This combination allows communications infrastructure manufacturers to design one transceiver platform for the global deployment of multiple wireless standards.

Pin-Compatible Family of Transmit Signal Path Converters

In addition to the AD9779, Analog Devices is introducing the AD9778 and AD9776 dual interpolating DACs, forming a family of 16-/14-/12-bit pin-compatible devices that allow designers to easily trade off performance for system cost. These devices are the newest members of Analog Devices' industry-leading TxDAC+(R) portfolio of digital to analog converters specifically optimized for the transmit signal path of communication systems.

About the AD9779

In comparison to competing products, the 16-bit AD9779 dual DAC offers 4 dB lower noise, 15 dB better intermodulation distortion (IMD) and 20 dB higher spurious free dynamic range (SFDR) at a 70 MHz output frequency while consuming 600 mW of power at 500 MSPS and 1 W at 1 GSPS. The device contains on-chip digital interpolation filters, a complex digital modulator and a digital mixer. These features simplify the digital interface and allow some digital signal processing functions to be moved out of the FPGA or ASIC. Another benefit of the on-chip filtering is relaxation of the analog reconstruction filters, which eases performance requirements to reduce board space and total system cost while improving manufacturability.

As a dual DAC, gain and offset matching in the AD9779 is guaranteed, making the device appropriate for direct conversion or image reject architectures using an analog quadrature modulator. Integrated gain and offset calibration DACs enable communications equipment designers to optimize sideband rejection and local oscillator (LO) feedthrough in these architectures. A multi-DAC synchronization scheme simplifies clocking requirements in systems with multiple converters, allowing easier control of phase coherency. Device configuration is achieved through an easy-to-use serial peripheral interface (SPI) with an interface common to other TxDAC+ devices.

Building a Complete Signal Chain

For optimized transmit signal chain performance, the analog output of the AD9779 TxDAC+ converter seamlessly interfaces to Analog Devices' analog quadrature modulators, such as the AD8349. A standard parallel interface enables straightforward connection to the AD6633 multi-channel wideband up converter with the VersaCREST(TM) crest reduction engine. The AD9779 can be driven by ADI's AD9510 high-performance clock distribution IC as part of a complete clock distribution system. ADI's latest 14-bit, 80 MSPS analog-to-digital converter (ADC), the AD9444, is designed to interface to the AD6636 4-/6-channel digital downconverter to form the core of a wideband communications receiver. Together, these devices form the basis for a high-performance digital radio transceiver.

Pricing and Availability

The AD9779, AD9778 and AD9776 TxDAC+ converters are sampling now and will be available in production quantities in May 2005 in a Pb-free 100-lead TQFP_EP (Thin Quad Flat Pack_Exposed Paddle) package. The AD9779 is priced at $27.95 in 1,000-unit quantities, while the AD9778 and AD9776 are priced at $24.95 and $19.95, respectively, also in 1,000-unit quantities. For more information, please visit www.analog.com/AD9779.

Data Conversion Technology: Critical Bridge Between Analog and Digital

Analog Devices is the world leader in data conversion technology. ADI's longstanding leadership in data conversion technology stems from an engineering culture that emphasizes deep understanding of the customer's system challenge, aggressive research and development investing and unmatched mixed-signal design expertise. From application-specific solutions designed to lower system cost to the broadest selection of speed, accuracy size and power consumption in DACs and ADCs, Analog Devices provides the products, technology and support customers need to successfully bridge between real-world analog signals and the digital world of electronic equipment. ADI's data converters are used widely in consumer electronics, broadband and wireless communications, automotive systems, industrial equipment and medical electronics, as well as a host of other emerging market applications.

About Analog Devices

Analog Devices, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of high-performance integrated circuits used in analog and digital signal processing applications. ADI is headquartered in Norwood, Massachusetts, and employs approximately 8,900 people worldwide. It has manufacturing facilities in Massachusetts, California, North Carolina, Ireland, and the Philippines. Analog Devices' common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and ADI is included in the S&P 500 Index.

TxDAC+(R) is a registered trademark, and VersaCREST(TM) is a trademark of Analog Devices, Inc.