Dual-Band RF Synthesizer IC Leads Integration Parade

All the components of an RF phase-locked loop synthesizer come in the single low-profile package that contains the Si4132 dual-band RF frequency synthesizer. Much of the costly external circuitry required by high-fidelity frequency synthesis applications is designed into the IC, resulting in a claimed 75% reduction in board space and 30% reduction in system cost.The 24-pin TSSOP includes three VCOs, resonators, loop filters, reference and VCO dividers, varactors, and phase detectors. It's able to perform not only dual-band RF frequency synthesis from 600 MHz to 1.3 GHz and 1.3 GHz to 1.8 GHz, but also provides IF frequency synthesis from 50 MHz to 600 MHz. In addition to a reduction in board space, the chip also draws less power than other implementations, it's claimed. Samples of the synthesizer chip are available now and production is set to begin in the first quarter of 1999. An evaluation board is also available.