Maxim launches MAX19996A down-converting mixer

A Maxim Integrated Products product story

Edited by the Electronicstalk editorial team Jun 18, 2009

Maxim Integrated Products has introduced the MAX19996A: a fully integrated, 2,000MHz to 3,900MHz down-converting mixer with an on-chip LO buffer.

Designed using Maxim's proprietary, monolithic Sige Bicmos process, this device delivers a combination of linearity, noise performance and component integration over a wide band of operation.

The MAX19996A provides a fully integrated down-conversion channel, with +24.5dBm (typical) IIP3, 8.7dB (typical) conversion gain and 9.8dB (typical) noise figure.

Additionally, it features a 2LO-2RF spurious rejection of 67dBc for an RF level of -10dBm and 62dBc for a level of -5dBm.

The MAX19996A is designed specifically for 3G/4G wireless-infrastructure applications in which high linearity and a low-noise figure are critical for enhanced receiver sensitivity and blocker immunity.

This device supports high- and low-side LO injection architectures for 2.3GHz to 2.9GHz WCS, LTE, Wimax and MMDS base stations; in addition, the MAX19996A can also be configured for 3.1GHz to 3.9GHz Wimax and LTE low-side injection architectures.

As a complete Sige down-converter, the MAX19996A integrates a mixer core, two amplifiers, two baluns and numerous discrete components.

This device's 8.7dB conversion gain enables the elimination of a complete IF amplifier stage within the receiver line-up.

The MAX19996A's 2LO-2RF performance can also ease the filtering requirements of close-in harmonics, thus leading to simpler, more cost-effective filter designs, according to the company.

Through this combination of integration and performance, this device reduces down-converter solution size by a factor of 2x and the discrete part count by 34 per cent.

The MAX19996A is packaged in a compact, 5mm x 5mm, 20-pin TQFN that is pin compatible with the MAX19996 (a 2,000MHz to 3,000MHz single mixer).

It is also pin-similar to the MAX9993, MAX9994 and MAX9996 (1,700MHz to 2,200MHz mixers) and the MAX9984 and MAX9986 (400MHz to 1,000MHz mixers).

This family of down-converters is suitable for applications in which a common PCB layout is used for multiple frequency bands.

Prices start at USD6.90 (GBP4.22) for quantities of 1,000-plus.