Mark Stropoli, manager of TI’s cable infrastructure and wireline communications business unit, noted: “When you start thinking about 5G and similar systems, designers are looking for better resolution, lower noise floors, higher sample rates and more integration. This part can simplify the overall architecture by removing IF stages, allowing one design to cover a range of applications.”
Said to be the first in a new data converter family, the ADC32RF45 eliminates up to four IF down conversion stages in multiband receivers, simplifying design and reducing board space by up to 75%.
Previously, said Stropoli, the best 14bit A/D converter would have offered 1Gsample/s. “Higher sampling rates would be available from 12bit devices, but they would be single channel parts.”
The part also enables direct signal conversion into the third Nyquist zone. “We have customers who feel that 4GHz is usable for their apps,” Stropoli continued. “For example, the military uses the S band.”
Also featured is a multiband digital down converter that allows one or two subchannels to be extracted. “This means users can tune into a signal of interest to reduce data rate and system power,” Stropoli noted. “At the maximum decimation rate, the amount of data going to for post processing can be reduced by up to 92%. And, with four numerically controlled oscillators per channel, the device could make phase coherent frequency hopping a possibility.”
An evaluation module (pictured) is available for the converter, along with four reference designs.
