Dual MOSMICs Rev Up Performance Of UHF/VHF Tuners

Two automatic gain controlled (AGC) amplifiers have been combined in the X series dual MOS monolithic integrated circuits (MOSMICs) to help the devices achieve, according to the manufacturer, superior automatic gain control, cross-modulation behavior, and dynamic performance when used as low-noise input stages in UHF and VHF tuners for TV sets and set-top boxes. The two on-chip AGCs eliminate the need for separate ICs to handle both VHF and UHF bandwidths. Rated for 5V operation, the new ICs can serve as drop-in- and function-compatible upgrades to the company’s previous generation MOSMICs, allowing designers to upgrade system performance at no additional cost. The dual MOSMICs offer transadmittance specs of 24, 30, or 40 ms (typ.), as well as a noise figure of just 1 dB at 200 MHz, typical cross modulation of 105 dBµV at a 40-dB AGC, and an input capacitance as low as 1.7 pF. In addition, integrated gate protection diodes and resistors and an on-chip biasing network significantly decrease the number of external passive components required by the tuners. Price of the X series dual MOSMICs is $15 each/100. VISHAY INTERTECHNOLOGY INC., Malvern, PA. (610) 644-1300.