Hittite Launches IF/Baseband Processing Product Line

Hittite Microwave has launched a new IF/Baseband Processing integrated circuit product line, introducing two new baseband compatible products that combine excellent performance with flexibility at a low cost. Both the HMC960LP4E dual digital variable gain amplifier and the HMC900LP5E dual programmable low pass filter meet the demand for a universal, multi-standard and wideband/multi-carrier transceiver, which is compact and capable of processing complex high density constellation signals.

The HMC960LP4E is a dual-channel, digitally programmable, differential variable gain amplifier. It supports discrete gain levels from 0 to 40 dB, in 0.5 dB steps that are smooth and precise. The dual differential HMC900LP5E filter features 0 or 10 dB input gain settings and supports arbitrary bandwidths from 3.5 to 50 MHz. Once calibrated, the accuracy is within ±2.5 percent of the desired bandwidth. The 6^th order Butterworth transfer function delivers superior stop band rejection while maintaining both a flat pass-band and minimal group delay variation.

The HMC960LP4E can be combined with the HMC-900LP5E to provide a complete direct down conversion baseband line-up that drives Hittite I/Q channel Analog-to-Digital Converters such as the HMCAD1520 12-bit ADC with its dual channel, 320 MSPS sampling rate. The HMC960LP4E has an externally controlled common mode output voltage feature that greatly simplifies the ADC interface. Both devices offer high linearity, high precision, very low noise and superior RF isolation between channels. These features enable the receiver designer to overcome the challenge of rejecting out-of-channel interferers while maintaining a perfect noise versus linearity trade-off. Matched I and Q paths provide excellent quadrature balance, which is an important feature in direct conversion architectures.