Voltage-Controlled Oscillator ICs Seek To Replace VCO Modules

Claimed as the industry's first 2.4-GHz fully self-contained VCO ICs, the MAX2750/MAX2751/MAX2752 are designed for use in 2.4-GHz ISM applications, such as 802.11 WLAN, HomeRF, Bluetooth, and proprietary radios. The MAX2752 is particularly well-suited for 802.11B, 11 Mbps WLAN applications.
The ICs are claimed to afford guaranteed performance at a reported 30% reduction in cost and 60% reduction in board space when compared with a VCO module. In addition, the internal regulation of the oscillator supply voltage eliminates the need for a dedicated external low-dropout regulator.
Each IC consists of an oscillator, voltage regulator, output buffer, and the inductor and varactor tuning elements. Applications require only two external bypass capacitors. Each oscillator has a tuning voltage input range of 0.4V to 2.4V. Pricing starts at $1.78 each/1,000.