IF/RF Gain Block State-of-the-Art Performance the Easy Way

with Greg Fung, Senior Design Engineer, Signal Conditioning Products
video.linear.co...
Bandwidth has become more precious than gold. As we push more and more data wirelessly through our smartphones, tablets, GPS, and video players, the spectrum has become more crowded. Increasingly complex and efficient modulation schemes allow us to carry more MBits/mHz through the air. However, the key to these demanding schemes is a high fidelity signal path. Achieving high linearity and low noise while dissipating a minimum of power are keys to achieving these increased data rates within a limited spectrum and power budget. Similarly, components with built-in ease-of-use and guaranteed specifications are keys to quick, painless design cycles.
Linear Technology's LTC®6431-15 (www.linear.com/...) IF/RF amplifier has been specifically designed with all of these attributes in mind. It simultaneously offers both high linearity and low noise while keeping power dissipation in check. At the same time, it offers unmatched ease-of-use and guaranteed minimum linearity specs.
The LTC6431-15 is a 15dB gain amplifier that is internally matched to 50Ω at both the input and output from 20MHz to 1700MHz. All of the common implementation difficulties of IF/RF amplifiers have been taken care of within the device itself. The LTC6431-15 is unconditionally stable, its internal active bias circuit compensates for temperature variations, and an internal voltage regulator minimizes sensitivity to supply voltage variations.
While easy to use, the LTC6431-15 is no slacker in performance. It boasts an OIP3 of 47dBm and a noise figure NF of 3.3dB at 240 MHz, making it a perfect choice for many signal chain applications. Furthermore, it achieves this wide dynamic range while only using 90mA from a single 5V supply.
At Linear, we have gone a step further. All Grade A LTC6431-15 devices are OIP3 tested and guaranteed for OIP3 performance. With its ability to linearly drive 50Ω, the LTC6431-15 is an ideal amplifier to restore IF filter insertion losses or add gain where needed. Its linearity is sufficient to drive many 14-and 16-bit ADCs. And because of its wide bandwidth, this device is an ideal CATV driver, 700MHz-800MHz LTE amplifier or military/satellite communication amplifier.

[@Kybone]

Very impressive.