Date: 31/01/2011

RF envelop detector options for 3G/4G/LTE/ WiMAX

There are two new RF detectors released for the 3G/4G/LTE/ WiMAX systems. They are ADL5511 from Analog Devices and HMC1020LP4E and HMC1021LP4E from Hittite Corp.

ADI's new ADL5511 TruPwr rms (root mean square) and envelope detector (an electronic circuit that takes a RF signal as input and provides an output that represents the envelope of the signal) combines two RF functions in single chip.

ADL5511 operates within the frequency range of 1 MHz to 4 GHz. The ADL5511 features ±0.25 dB rms detection accuracy versus temperature; ±0.25 dB envelope detection accuracy versus temperature and a ± 1 dB dynamic range of 40 dB. The ADL5511 operates in the temperature range of -40°C to +125°C, making it ideal for high-temperature environments found in remote radio heads and power amplifiers.


Hittite Microwave's two new RMS power detectors suggested for broadband, high-dynamic-range applications requiring repeatable measurement of average signal power; especially where detection of RF and intermediate-frequency (IF) wave shape and/or crest factor change is crucial. HMC1020LP4E and HMC1021LP4E feature RMS detection cores that operate from DC to 3.9 GHz and achieve input sensing ranges to 72 dB and 70 dB, respectively (with measurement accuracy of ±1 dB), while using a simple single-ended input interface. Both RMS detectors achieve less than 0.1 dB detection deviations with respect to CW response under all modulation schemes including LTE, HSDPA, CDMA, W-CDMA, TD-SCDMA, and WiMAX/WiBRO.

Both the HMC1020LP4E and HMC1021LP4E operate from a +5V single supply, are housed in 4 x 4 mm plastic leadless surface mount packages and operate in temp range of -40 °C to +85 °C.