Milpitas, California
A new RF active mixer from Linear Technology provides linearity and signal-to-noise performance that match that of passive mixers. As a result, it allows designers to build 3G cellular base stations that are more compact at a substantially reduced cost. The LT5521 streamlines base-station design by resolving the high local-oscillator (LO) drive level, poor LO suppression, and low-conversion gain issues that are common to passive solutions. In addition to applications in wideband CDMA, UMTS, GSM, and PHS base-station transmitters, the LT5521's low distortion is ideal for cable downlink infrastructure.

The LT5521 incorporates a differential input and output architecture. It supports superior linearity over a wide operating frequency range from 10 MHz to 3.7 GHz. It also provides flexible operation in either an upconverting or downconverting application. As a transmit (upconverting) mixer, the input third-order intercept (IIP3) is +24.2 dBm at 1950 MHz. The noise figure measures 12.5 dB. These two parameters contribute to a high spurious-free dynamic range.

Unlike passive mixers, which require a high LO drive level of as much as +17 dBm, the LT5521 needs only a modest
−5-dBm LO signal. This saves one or two stages of the external LO amplifier, resulting in a more compact solution size and lower cost. Moreover, the LT5521 offers substantially reduced local-oscillator leakage from the LO to other input and output ports. This approach solves a major design headache by removing undesirable LO signals from the transmit path. Unlike passive mixers, which typically have high conversion loss in the range of 6 to 10 dB, the LT5521 has only 0.5 dB loss. This loss contributes to improved signal-to-noise performance. Taken as a whole, these attributes result in a solution that has far fewer external blocks, markedly reduced system costs, and overall improved performance.

The RF active mixer LT5521 operates from either a single 5- or 3.3-V supply. The device comes in a 16-pin, 4-×-4-mm, surface-mount QFP package. The price in 1000-piece quantities is $4.95. The product is now available from stock. Please visit www.linear.com for additional details on this announcement.

Hopkinton, Massachusetts
Valpey-Fisher Corp. added the Bangalore-based SM Electronic Technologies to the Valpey Fisher global distribution and rep network. It will serve as Valpey Fisher's exclusive authorized distributor for all product lines to the Indian market.

Commenting on the new agreement, Michael Ferrantino Jr., Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Valpey Fisher, stated, "We are pleased by the addition of SM Electronic Technologies to our portfolio of distributors. This addition further strengthens our position in the international markets and is a further indication of our growing commitment to our global customer base." Ferrantino then added, "With the Indian market rapidly changing to the adoption of new and upcoming technologies, we are excited for this opportunity to serve this market as their ultimate leader in precision-timing needs."

Valpey Fisher is a leading distributor and manufacturer of frequency-control products specializing in high-performance crystal oscillators, VCXOs, and OCXOs for applications including wireless, SONET, storage, and military. It is one of the few remaining "full-line" crystal and oscillator manufacturers with the capability to meet a complete range of customer frequency-control requirements including standard and custom designs. For further information, point your cursor to www.valpeyfisher.com.

Boise, Idaho
Micron Technology, Inc. is now sampling the first 128-Mb, burst CellularRAM device incorporating the new 1.5-generation feature set. The availability of this device is significant, as it is one of the first 128-Mb, burst pseudo-static RAMs (PSRAMs) currently available in the market. Also, it represents another memory architecture that Micron successfully produced with the company's revolutionary 6F² array architecture technology.

Micron's 128-Mb, burst CellularRAM devices target mobile handsets providing performance-enhancing features. The cell architecture that was used to produce this device minimizes standby and active current levels, resulting in a lower-power, higher-bandwidth solution than competing PSRAM technologies. Other unique performance features include the ability to perform reads and writes in 4-, 8-, 16-, 32-word, or continuous bursts. It also boasts increased compatibility with flash burst protocol, burst clock rates of 104/80/66 MHz, and a variable latency function that minimizes delays and maximizes bandwidth. In addition, the CellularRAM specification co-development members defined a common bond format, which allows multichip-package (MCP) manufacturers to utilize multiple vendors without requiring a redesign of their substrates. To learn more about Micron Technology, Inc. and CellularRAM devices, visit its web site at www.micron.com.

Rockleigh, New Jersey
Elcom Technologies, Inc. released a new ultra-fast, ultra-low-phase-noise, high- performance broadband synthesizer. It is designed specifically for ATE applications. The UFS-4 series is based on direct-analog design techniques combined with DDS capability for fine-frequency resolution. This series is ideally suited for agile radar, EW, and RCS systems where low phase noise and fast switching speeds are of primary importance. Specific characteristics of the synthesizer include a frequency range of 0.3 to 4 GHz, a frequency resolution of 1.0 Hz, a switching speed of 200 ns, and +10-dBm output power.

A modular design approach has been used to allow for several possible frequency ranges and step sizes. In addition, several package options are available including VXI. The UFS series can be customized to meet special applications, such as EW threat and target simulators, radar cross-section instrumentation, fire control and search radar upgrades, semiconductor test, and ATE speed-up.

Elcom has also brought to market the LCDFS-series synthesizers. Designed for high-capacity MW and MMW radios up to 38 GHz, this series offers lower phase noise and a guaranteed zero phase hits—a key feature over the competition. Low phase noise satisfies 16, 32, 128, and 256 QAM requirements, making the synthesizers suitable for high-speed data transmissions.

The LCDFS series has a tuning bandwidth up to 1350 MHz and step sizes ranging from 25 KHz to 10 MHz. The DC power consumption for the synthesizer series is under 4 W. The operating temperature is between −35° to + 70°C.

The series comes packaged in a 3.95-×-3.75-×-1.2-in. housing (other packages are also available). Applications include wireless ATM networks, SATCOM converters, digital radios, and instrumentation. The LCDFS synthesizers can be customized per a customer's specific requirements. They are suitable for high-volume production. For more information, go to www.elcom-tech.com.

San Jose, California
Xilinx, Inc. has received production qualification for its Virtex-II Pro X FPGAs. The production qualification using UMC's 0.13-µm process on 300-mm wafers has been achieved on schedule and ahead of all competing solutions. Virtex-II Pro X devices are the industry's first FPGAs with production-quality transceivers at speeds above 3.7 Gbps.

Utilizing its latest RocketIO technology to achieve up to 10.3125-Gbps serial data rates, Virtex-II Pro X FPGAs are the functionally compatible extension of the highly successful Virtex-II Pro family. With the combination of Virtex-II Pro and Virtex-II Pro X FPGAs, Xilinx provides the industry's first solution supporting any speed between 622 Mbps and 10.3125 Gbps. As the industry continues to turn to high-speed serial solutions for an increasing number of applications, many industry leaders are moving from 2.5- and 3.125-Gbps connections to 5- and 6.25-Gbps connections. With this announcement, Xilinx now offers customers a high-volume, production-released solution for those applications. Production-released device support for applications up to 10.3125 Gbps will follow. More information about high-speed serial solutions from Xilinx is available at www.xilinx.com/serialsolution.

Mountain View, California
Actel Corp.'s low-power eX family of FPGAs is now being used in Eleven Engineering's ETHx wireless-Ethernet bridge platform. ETHx is a complete chip set and product design package for secure driver-free, 802.3-compliant, point-to-point wireless-Ethernet cable replacement. It is suitable for use in low-cost consumer and commercial products at 900 MHz, 2.4 GHz, and 5.8 GHz. Actel's eX FPGAs serve as the high-speed I/O interface between Eleven Engineering's novel XInC wireless processor and an Ethernet PHY in the ETHx platform. With internal clock speeds in excess of 350 MHz and clock-to-out delays as fast as 3.9 ns, Actel's eX FPGAs provide the performance necessary to enable fast I/O throughput for Eleven Engineering's high-speed XInC wireless processor.

That wireless processor is a multithreaded-hardware, 16-b pipelined RISC processor with eight independent hardware threads. Each thread behaves as a separate processor with unrestricted access to the main memory and peripheral bus. XInC's architecture results in outstanding MIPS-per-gate efficiency and slashed time to market. When coupled with an Actel eX FPGA, high-speed I/O throughput between the XInC processor and other devices in the ETHx platform can be achieved.

Offering a low-power sleep mode for extra battery-power savings, the eX family of devices is optimized for portable applications. The devices are competitively priced when compared with the cost of complex programmable-logic devices (CPLDs), low-density gate-array ASICs, or two-chip FPGA alternatives. For further details of this announcement, go to www.actel.com.

Sunnyvale, California
Maxim Integrated Products has introduced the smallest 1-cell/2-cell, input step-up DC-DC converter on the market. Known as MAX1947, its 2-MHz switching, current-mode control reduces component size, achieves over 94% efficiency, and gives fast transient responses. It integrates all switches (power switch, synchronous rectifier, and reverse current blocker), making it ideal for use in size-constrained handheld equipment. It also features true shutdown. This capability allows the load to be discharged and disconnected from the battery during shutdown to maximize battery life.

The MAX1947 is available in a space-saving, 3-x-3-mm, 8-pin, thin-DFN package screened for −40º to +85ºC. Prices start at $1.55 (1000-up, FOB USA). An evaluation kit is available to speed designs. Further information can be found at www.maxim-ic.com.

Heilbronn, Germany
Atmel Corp. has extended its Dresden Design Center by adding 32 new highly skilled engineers to the 12 designers who have been part of the Atmel team for the last three years. Atmel has also drastically increased the size of its location. In addition, it is building up a new laboratory.

"The addition of the new design engineers will enhance Atmel's ability to provide innovative, state-of-the-art integrated circuits at a competitive price. Atmel is very happy with the excellent support from Saxony. The Dresden region offers a strong base of skilled engineers supported by excellent infrastructure and politics that encourage further investment into the region," says Bob McConnell, VP and General Manager of Atmel's RF and Automotive Business Unit. "A number of our customers and suppliers are located in and around the city of Dresden," he continued.

Twenty-five engineers of the 32 recently hired will be used to design RF CMOS devices to enable Atmel to deliver even more cost-effective wireless devices—especially in the areas of ZigBee, GPS, and future wireless programs. The original group of 12 engineers has been augmented by seven. It will continue to design advanced circuits for automotive-body electronics utilizing Atmel's silicon-on-insulator BCDMOS technologies. For more information, go to www.atmel.com.