Monday, January 30, 2012

High Dynamic Range Microwave Tuner Designed and in Production

We haven't posted in a while. It's because we've been crazy busy. Our newest product, the RCT0017 WB Tuner and Quad Converter, has been under development over the past 2 years, and is now available. We've designed this from the ground up to meet state of the art high input compression point, low phase noise, fast tuning speed, wide dynamic range, and wide instantaneous bandwidth requirements. A quick overview of the specifications:

  • Frequency Coverage: 2-18 GHz
  • First IF’s: 2.2-3.8 GHz, 3.8-5.3 GHz, available simultaneously
  • Second IF’s: 4 outputs at 750 MHz, 375 MHz wide, providing 1.5 GHz instantaneous bandwidth across the First IF’s
  • Input 1 dB Compression Point: >+6 dBm
  • Noise Figure: 21 dB
  • Input Dynamic Range: -60 to +2 dBm
  • Gain: 10 dB average
  • Tuning Speed: <1 uSec
  • Frequency Step Size: 375 MHz
  • Phase Noise: -150 dBc/Hz @ 10-20 MHz Offset
  • Form Factor: VME 6U 2 Slot Design
  • Control and Status: VME A24 D32
  • Designed to follow an Low Noise Front End with Approximately 30 dB ENR
  • Designed to drive 1 GHz Digitizers linearly up to +12 dBm

A brief data sheet can be downloaded from this link

Posted by Bob Wood at 12:44 PM
Edited on: Monday, August 21, 2023 6:05 PM
Categories: 60 Hardware Products-Archive, 80 Consulting Examples-Archive, 95 Other-Archive

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

New Quad Converter Designed and Delivered

We designed and built for production a 4 channel Quad Converter. Our Quad Converter design features:
  • 2 Input IF's from 2.2-5.3 GHz, available simultaneously
  • Output IF's: 4 outputs at 750 MHz, 375 MHz wide, providing 1.5 GHz instantaneous bandwidth across the input IF's
  • Control and Status: VME Interface A24 D32 and UART Serial Interface
  • Designed to drive 4 1 GHz Digitizers linearly up to +12dBm
  • 5 custom surface mount RF assemblies mounted to an aluminum plate
  • Separate multilayer circuit board accommodates power conditioning, FPGA signals and VME interfacing
  • Form Factor: VME 6U 1 Slot Design
  • RF Connector Interface: SMA
This is a very complex design with very high density surface mount assemblies. Surface mount assemblies are built using pick and place machines at a contract manufacturer. Automated RF test rack, fixtures and software has been designed at R. A. Wood Associates.