Many radio designs start with a low-noise tunable oscillator, such as a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO), and there may be no better place to find fixed-frequency and tunable RF/microwave signal sources than the 2018 IMS exhibition. One of the leading suppliers of high-frequency oscillators and frequency synthesizers, Synergy Microwave Corp. (booth 409), will be showing its extensive lines of extremely low-phase-noise VCOs based on the company’s patented REL-PRO technology. Whether for narrow or wide tuning bandwidths, these oscillators feature minimal noise levels, even for spurious and harmonic noise.
As an example of the more narrowband VCOs, model DXO10701095-5 tunes from 10500 to 11000 MHz by means of tuning voltages from 0.5 to 15.0 V dc. It draws only 25 mA at +5 V dc, but provides at least +2 dBm output power across its microwave-frequency tuning range. It exhibits typical phase noise of −82 dBc/Hz offset 10 kHz from the carrier with only −22-dBc harmonics.
The DXO and DCO series VCOs from Synergy Microwave Corp. are housed in compact packages measuring only 0.3 × 0.3 in.
As with the company’s other DXO and DCO series VCOs, it’s supplied in an extremely compact package (see figure) measuring only 0.3 × 0.3 in. and designed for operating temperatures from −40 to +85ºC. For those in need of a greater bandwidth, ask about the model DCO5001000-5, which uses tuning voltages to +18 V dc to achieve a wide tuning range of 5 to 10 GHz with typical phase noise of −70 dBc/Hz offset 10 kHz from the carrier.
Regarding another important part of an RF/microwave radio, Synergy will also show samples of its “Spur Tamer” triple-balanced mixers, also with low noise levels. With an LO, REF, and IF frequency range of 1 to 3500 MHz, the model STM-3500 mixer maintains conversion loss to 10.5 dB or less across that wide frequency range, with typical LO/RF and LO/IF port isolation of 42 dB and typical RF/IF port isolation of 27 dB. The mixer is designed to work with LO power levels from +15 to +23 dBm. Housed in a compact flat package measuring just 0.375 × 0.500 in., the mixer has a typical 1-dB compression point of +14 dBm and typical input intercept point (IP) of +22 dBm. And if that frequency range isn’t wide enough, the model STM-6000 triple-balanced mixer features a frequency range of 1 to 6000 MHz. These, of course, represent just a few of the oscillators and mixers that can be found at Synergy Microwave Corp.’s booth.
