Abstract: Many industrial/scientific/medical (ISM) band radio frequency (rf) products use crystal oscillators to generate areference for the phase-locked loop (PLL)-based local oscillator (LO). This tutorial provides a basic description of theISM-rf Crystal Calculator, which can be used to calculate various impacts on crystal frequency accuracy and startupmargin for such an LO.
Abstract: The MAX9930–MAX9933 family of rf controllers and detector can be used in a wide variety of applications. Anideal application is cable television (CATV) over fiber, where either a rf controller or a rf detector controls the gain of atransimpedance amplifier (TIA). This application note shows how the MAX9930 (rf controller) can be used as either therf controller or detector.
Linear Technology’s High Frequency Product lineupincludes a variety of rf I/Q modulators. The purpose ofthis application note is to illustrate the circuits requiredto interface these modulators with several popular D/Aconverters. Such circuits typically are required to maximizethe voltage transfer from the DAC to the baseband inputsof the modulator, as well as provide some reconstructionfi ltering.
Radio Frequency Integrated Circuit Design
I enjoyed reading this book for a number of reasons. One reason is that itaddresses high-speed analog design in the context of microwave issues. This isan advanced-level book, which should follow courses in basic circuits andtransmission lines. Most analog integrated circuit designers in the past workedon applications at low enough frequency that microwave issues did not arise.As a consequence, they were adept at lumped parameter circuits and often notcomfortable with circuits where waves travel in space. However, in order todesign radio frequency (rf) communications integrated circuits (IC) in thegigahertz range, one must deal with transmission lines at chip interfaces andwhere interconnections on chip are far apart. Also, impedance matching isaddressed, which is a topic that arises most often in microwave circuits. In mycareer, there has been a gap in comprehension between analog low-frequencydesigners and microwave designers. Often, similar issues were dealt with in twodifferent languages. Although this book is more firmly based in lumped-elementanalog circuit design, it is nice to see that microwave knowledge is brought inwhere necessary.Too many analog circuit books in the past have concentrated first on thecircuit side rather than on basic theory behind their application in communications.The circuits usually used have evolved through experience, without asatisfying intellectual theme in describing them. Why a given circuit works bestcan be subtle, and often these circuits are chosen only through experience. Forthis reason, I am happy that the book begins first with topics that require anintellectual approach—noise, linearity and filtering, and technology issues. Iam particularly happy with how linearity is introduced (power series). In therest of the book it is then shown, with specific circuits and numerical examples,how linearity and noise issues arise.
