ADL5356:  1200 MHz TO 2500 MHz, Dual-Balanced Mixer, LO Buffer, IF Amplifier, and RF Balun

The ADL5356 uses a highly linear, doubly balanced, passive mixer core along with integrated RF and local oscillator (LO) balancing circuitry to allow single-ended operation. The ADL5356 incorporates the RF baluns, allowing for optimal performance over a 1200 MHz to 2500 MHz RF input frequency range. Performance is optimized for RF frequencies from 1700 MHz to 2500 MHz using a low-side LO and RF frequencies from 1200 MHz to 1700 MHz using a high-side LO. The balanced passive mixer arrangement provides good LO-to-RF leakage, typically better than −35 dBm, and excellent intermodulation performance. The balanced mixer core also provides extremely high input linearity, allowing the device to be used in demanding cellular applications where in-band blocking signals may otherwise result in the degradation of dynamic performance. A high linearity IF buffer amplifier follows the passive mixer core to yield a typical power conversion gain of 8.2 dB and can be used with a wide range of output impedances.

The ADL5356 provides two switched LO paths that can be used in TDD applications where it is desirable to ping-pong between two local oscillators. LO current can be externally set using a resistor to minimize dc current commensurate with the desired level of performance. For low voltage applications, the ADL5356 is capable of operation at voltages down to 3.3 V with substantially reduced current. Under low voltage operation, an additional logic pin is provided to power down (<300 μA) the circuit when desired.

The ADL5356 is fabricated using a BiCMOS high performance IC process. The device is available in a 6 mm × 6 mm, 36-lead LFCSP and operates over a −40°C to +85°C temperature range. An evaluation board is also available.

Applications