It is now 100 years since Alexander Nicholson at Bell Telephone Laboratories built and patented the first crystal oscillator, and crystals are still the main source of accurate oscillations up to UHF frequencies using quartz instead of Rochelle Salt (see US patent 2212845). Quartz crystal oscillators use the piezoelectric effect. The piezoelectric effect refers to […]
Analog ICs
Super-small 3-to-20-GHz mixer supports dc-to-6-GHz IF
Analog Devices, Inc., which recently acquired Linear Technology Corporation, announces the LTC5552, a double balanced mixer that features best-in-class wideband matching from 3GHz to 20GHz. The mixer can be used as an up- or downconverter. The LTC5552 is especially useful in upconversion applications with its DC capable differential IF port that enables the LO to be […]
Analog switch vs. digital switch ICs
Analog switch integrated chips (ICs), when turned on, will conduct both analog and digital signals from the input pin to the output pin. Digital switches can only accept digital signals and duplicate the logic level on the input pin at the output pin. When the digital switch is turned off, it returns to a default […]
Top analog threads on EDAboard.com – July
(editor’s note: Intrigued by the problem? Have a question or another solution? Then click the “Read more” link and follow the conversation on EDAboard.com or log in to EDAboard and participate in the analog forum threads.) Simulate a simple differential amplifier – My current source is 50 uA but the drain current of M16, M29 […]
Open source hardware development framework for IC designs
efabless corporation, an online design platform and marketplace for community-developed intellectual property (IP) and integrated circuits (ICs), today introduced Chiplicity, an open source framework for community members to create, share, make derivatives of and commercialize mixed-signal ICs. “Chiplicity is a first of its kind and extends the efabless electronics community engineering concept from IP to […]
Analog comparators and hysteresis
A standard system requirement is to use the result of a simple “A vs. B” comparison as a basis for decision-making. For example, if the temperature is above a setpoint, turn the heat source off; and if the temperature is below that setpoint, turn the heat source on. Or perhaps there’s an alarm to sound […]
Quarter-watt balanced amplifier covers 2.3 – 2.7 GHz
The QPA9807 from Qorvo is a balanced amplifier module with embedded hybrid couplers to convert to single ended input and output ports. The module has an enable pin to allow for shutting down of the amplifier. The module requires minimal external components which are VCC choke inductors, decoupling caps and resistors for bias control. The […]
Half-watt balanced amplifier covers 600 to 1,000 MHz
The QPA9805 from Qorvo is a balanced amplifier module with embedded hybrid couplers to convert to single ended input and output ports. The module has an enable pin to allow for shutting down of the amplifier. The module requires minimal external components which are VCC choke inductors, decoupling caps. The QPA9805 provides +27.4 dBm P1dB […]
Straight waveguide sections cover WR-10 to WR-137 sizes
Pasternack, a leading provider of RF, microwave and millimeter wave products, has released a new series of straight waveguide sections in sizes ranging from WR-10 to WR-137. Typical applications include instrumentation, test benches, high-efficiency RF/Microwave transmission, SATCOM, MILCOM, radar and telecom networks. Pasternack’s new line of straight waveguide sections consists of 62 models that operate in the […]
Compensating for DAC Offset and Gain Error
Digital-to-analog converters (DACs) are subject to gain and offset error. Errors can be compensated for with hardware by using external components or by trimming the DACs after they have been manufactured. Trimming is necessary because the error is caused by mismatched resistors; trimming attempts to change resistor values in the DAC. However, some DACs can […]