IF Sampling ICs Simplify Downconversion Circuits

Simplification of the receiver chains used in wireless base stations can be achieved with the Diversity Receiver Chip Set, which is designed to improve cellular phone base station receiver performance while reducing the size and cost of designs. The chipset is composed of two CLC5526 digital variable gain amplifiers, two CLC5956 12-bit/65-MSPS A/D converters and the CLC5902 digital downconverter with integrated AGC. In combination, the devices support two independent channels, performing analog-to-digital conversion, digital downconversion, and processing of baseband signals in the digital domain. The chipset eliminates the need for multiple stages of analog frequency downconversion hardware, including expensive mixers, filters and amplifiers, by allowing digitization of the signal at the first IF after it has been mixed and filtered only once.