According to the company, the mixer can be used as an up or down converter and is especially useful in upconversion applications with its DC capable differential IF port that enables the LO to be close in frequency to the RF. Its low LO to RF leakage of less than –25dBm is said to ease the burden on the external filter.
The mixer is also said to deliver linearity of 20.1dBm IIP3 at 14GHz, and 18.3dBm at 17GHz. By integrating a broadband LO buffer which requires only 0dBm drive, the device eliminates an external high power LO amplifier circuit. The LTC5552 also integrates a wideband balun transformer in its RF port, allowing single-ended 50Ω matched operation over its specified frequency range.
Applications include 5G broadband wireless access, microwave backhaul, satellite broadband radios, radar systems, active antenna arrays, X, Ku and Ka band transceivers, RF test equipment, spectrum analysis and satellite communications.
The LTC5552 is offered in a 12lead, 3 x 2mm plastic QFN package and operates in temperatures ranging from -40 to 105°C. The mixer is powered from a single 3.3V supply and typically consumes 132mA supply current.
According to the company, the LTC5552 can be shut down via an enable pin and when deactivated, draws only 100μA maximum standby current. The enable pin can also be driven directly to turn the device on and off rapidly in less than 0.2μs, supporting time-division duplex or burst mode type transmitters and receivers.
