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SiGe BiCMOS Fuels Downconverting Mixer

June 17, 2009

Model MAX19996A from Maxim is a downconverting mixer for applications from 2.0 to 3.9 GHz based on monolithic SiGe BiCMOS technology. Ideal for LTE and WiMAX base stations, it contains two mixer cores, two baluns, and a pair of amplifiers, including a local oscillator (LO) buffer amplifier. The integrated circuit offers 8.7 dB conversion gain and typical noise figure of 9.8 dB, allowing elimination of a complete intermediate-frequency (IF) receiver stage. The high level of integration also allows a drastic reduction in size, by a factor of 2. The MAX19996A is supplied in a 20-pin TQFN package measuring just 5 x 5 mm.

About the Author

Jack Browne | Technical Contributor

Jack Browne, Technical Contributor, has worked in technical publishing for over 30 years. He managed the content and production of three technical journals while at the American Institute of Physics, including Medical Physics and the Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology. He has been a Publisher and Editor for Penton Media, started the firm’s Wireless Symposium & Exhibition trade show in 1993, and currently serves as Technical Contributor for that company's Microwaves & RF magazine. Browne, who holds a BS in Mathematics from City College of New York and BA degrees in English and Philosophy from Fordham University, is a member of the IEEE.