Analog Devices Expands RF Offering with Quadrature Modulators Spanning 250 MHz to 4 GHz.

NORWOOD, Mass. -- Five pin-compatible devices allow wireless infrastructure systems engineers to standardize board designs across multiple operating bands and cellular standards.

Analog Devices, Inc. (NYSE: ADI), a global leader in high-performance semiconductors for signal-processing applications, today extended its portfolio of radio frequency (RF) integrated circuits (ICs) with a family of five pin-compatible quadrature modulators that together cover the 250 megahertz (MHz) to 4 gigahertz (GHz) frequency range, enabling wireless system engineers to standardize board designs across multiple operating bands and cellular standards. Each of the five quadrature modulators is optimized for a specific frequency band, reducing the performance degradation that occurs when a single modulator is specified to handle the entire frequency bandwidth. Designed to convert complex modulation information--such as voice, digital data, or analog video--from the baseband to the final RF output frequency, ADI's new quadrature modulators generate highly linear modulated RF signals at higher output levels. This eliminates the intermediate frequency stages in the transmit signal chain, improving transmission quality and lowering system cost. To further reduce cost and simplify system design, the devices feature a direct interface to ADI's TxDAC+(R) transmit digital-to-analog converters (DACs).

"The proliferation of new standards, the addition of new frequency bands, and the evolution towards high-speed data services means wireless communications equipment manufacturers have to produce systems capable of effectively handling a wider range of modulation formats over a broader spectrum of frequencies," said Peter Real, product line director, RF and Networking Components, Analog Devices. "The ADL537x family provides the highest linearity and output power over the entire range of cellular and broadband wireless infrastructure frequency bands for direct conversion transmit applications. The ADL537x family is fully specified to support cellular GSM, CDMA, TDS-CDMA, W-CDMA and CDMA2000 base stations, and broadband cable and wireless applications."

Matching Pre-Driver Amplifiers

In addition to the ADL537x family, ADI is introducing two highly linear, fixed-gain RF amplifiers that integrate input and output matching networks on a single 3 mm x 3 mm chip. Integrating both input and output matches eliminates up to six external components typically required by competing devices. The ADL5322 is tuned to support 700 MHz to 1 GHz operation and the ADL5323 is tuned to support 1.7 GHz to 2.4 GHz. The 0.5 watt (28 dBm at P1 dB) output power pre-drivers provide highly linear output of 42 dBm IP3 and excellent gain stability of +/- 0.25 dB. With a fixed gain of 20 dB, both amplifiers are ideally suited for use at the output of the ADL537x modulator family, the output stage of a cellular base station radio card, or as an input pre-driver in a multicarrier base station power amplifier (PA). Combining the ADL537x with the ADL532x produces a fully characterized, highly linear signal chain with exceptional output power stability reducing the need for gain and power temperature correction circuitry.

More About the ADL537x Family

The ADL537x family of quadrature modulators can be used as direct-to-RF modulators in digital communication systems, including GSM, CDMA, TDS-CDMA, WCDMA and CDMA2000 base stations and QPSK or QAM broadband wireless access transmitters. With input bandwidth of 700 MHz, the ADL537x family simplifies the design of broadband digital pre-distortion transmitters used for the correction of multicarrier power amplifier distortion products.

To improve system performance and speed time to market, the ADL537x quadrature modulators are designed to seamlessly interface to ADI's TxDAC+ transmit DACs. The ADL537x family offers high linearity (+ 12-dBm P1dB and +26-dBm IP3 at 2140 MHz) and low noise (-158 dBm/Hz). The family also features a buffered single-ended local oscillator (LO) drive and operates from a singly supply voltage of 4.75 V to 5.5 V. The ADL537x is fully specified over the industrial temperature range of -40 degrees C to +85 degrees C.

Pricing and Availability

The ADL537x quadrature modulators are sampling now, with release scheduled for December 2006. The devices are available in 4 mm x 4 mm lead frame chip scale packages (LFCSP) and are priced at $4.98 per unit in 1,000-piece quantities. Evaluation boards combining the quadrature modulators with the TxDAC+ transmit DACs are available. The ADL5322 and ADL5323 pre-drivers are sampling now, with release scheduled for July 2006, and are priced at $3.48 per unit in 1,000-piece quantities. For more information, please visit www.analog.com/ADL537x and www.analog.com/ADL5322.

Analog Devices Wireless Infrastructure Solutions

From discrete to complete solutions, Analog Devices offers one of the most comprehensive portfolios of wireless infrastructure ICs in the industry. ADI delivers hundreds of products for the wireless infrastructure market in 2G/3G/4G cellular, WiMAX, microwave, and satellite for single or multicarrier, direct conversion, or superheterodyne radio designs. Among its extensive offerings are RF and IF building block components, RF subsystems, data converters, clock distribution, thermal and power management, power detection and digital signal processing systems based on the TigerSHARC(R) processor. ADI views the market from a solutions perspective, applying its technical resources, packaging and module technology, and simulation tools to build a worldwide leadership position in wireless infrastructure. For more information, please visit www.analog.com/WIFR.

About Analog Devices

Innovation, performance, and excellence are the cultural pillars on which Analog Devices has built one of the most long-standing, high-growth companies within the technology sector. Acknowledged industry-wide as the world leader in data conversion and signal conditioning technology, Analog Devices serves over 60,000 customers around the world, representing virtually all types of electronic equipment. Celebrating more than 40 years as a leading global manufacturer of high-performance integrated circuits used in analog and digital signal processing applications, Analog Devices is headquartered in Norwood, Massachusetts, and employs approximately 8,900 people worldwide. The company has 30 product design centers around the world and manufacturing facilities in Massachusetts, California, North Carolina, Ireland and the Philippines. Analog Devices' common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker "ADI" and is included in the S&P 500 Index.

TxDAC+(R) and TigerSHARC(R) are registered trademarks of Analog Devices, Inc. All other trademarks included herein are the property of their respective owners.