Date: 09/07/2010

Dual, monolithic RF VVA from Maxim with a linear dynamic range of 44dB

Maxim has unveiled the MAX19790, a dual, monolithic voltage-variable attenuator (VVA) spanning the 250MHz to 4000MHz frequency band. It is designed as a general-purpose block and is suggested for high-performance wireless infrastructure applications. It is therefore suitable for broadband infrastructure applications like cellular base stations, microwave point-to-point systems, and SatCom equipment.

The main features of the MAX19790 are:
1. Includes 2 VVAs integrated into one monolithic IC.
2. Designed using a monolithic SiGe BiCMOS process.
3. Each attenuator incorporates a control circuit that provides 22dB of attenuation range with a linear control slope of 10dB/V with both attenuators sharing a common analog control circuit, which can be cascaded together thus yielding a dynamic range of 44dB with a combined linear control slope of 20dB/V.
4. Offers S21 flatness performance over frequency and all attenuation settings.
5. Provides a wide-ranging linear control that eliminates the need for complex linearization circuits and algorithms, thus reducing solution cost and complexity.
6. Operates over any 125MHz contiguous band between 950MHz to 2150MHz and delivers typical and maximum flatness levels of merely 0.13dB and 0.89dB peak-to-peak, respectively, through 30dB to total attenuation.

Package: (6mm x 6mm), lead-free 36-pin TQFN

Price: starts at US$5.24.

For more information visit: www.maxim-ic.com