Products
This fundamental mixer is comprised of
two double-balanced mixer cells and a
90 degree hybrid. An external IF hybrid is
needed to complete the image rejection
of 30 dB, but this combination is a much
smaller alternative to higher cost hybrid
image reject mixers and single-sideband
upconverter assemblies. The CMD252C4
also features a wide IF bandwidth of DC to
2.4 GHz with a low IRM conversion loss of
only 6.5 dB.
The CMD180 is a general purpose,
fundamental double-balanced MMIC
mixer available in a small die size. This
GaAs MMIC can be used for wideband
up- and down-converting applications
between 20 and 32 GHz (X-band,
K-band, Ka-band). It features very high
isolation to both the RF and IF ports of
36 dB, also due to optimized balun structures,
and can operate with an LO drive
level as low as +9 dBm. The CMD180
provides a wide IF bandwidth between
DC and 10 GHz, and presents a low conversion
loss of only 7 dB.
www.custommmic.com/mixers
26-GHz SMT module
addresses European 5G ‘Pioneer
Band’
Plextek RFI, in collaboration with Filtronic
Broadband, has developed a front-end,
multi-chip module (MCM) to cover the
recently-designated European ‘Pioneer
Band’ for millimetre-wave (mmWave) 5G
around 26-GHz.
The band 24.25 to 27.5GHz was
designated at the end of last year by the
EU Radio Spectrum Policy Group (RSPG)
as the preferred band, or ‘Pioneer Band’,
for mmWave 5G,” said Liam Devlin, CEO
of Plextek RFI. “We welcome the opening
up of this spectrum band for 5G, but we
identified early on that there was a lack of
components available at this frequency,
and that led us to define this joint FEM
development project.”
The front-end module (FEM) comprises
a GaAs low-noise amplifier (LNA), power
amplifier (PA) and transmit/receive switch
housed in a custom laminate surfacemount
(SMT) package measuring 10mm
x 10mm. The receive path gain is 20 dB
across the full band, with a noise figure of
3.5 dB. Transmit path gain is 19 dB, and
the output referred third order intermodulation
(IP3) is +36 dBm. Low-loss RF filtering
has been integrated into the package
structure, with a band-pass filter after the
LNA and a harmonic rejection filter after
the PA. Insertion loss figures are 0.7 dB
for the band-pass filter and 0.2 dB for the
harmonic rejection filter.
www.plextekrfi.com
www.filtronic.com
Full Bluetooth 5 wireless
MCU module
Swiss company, u‑blox has launched a full
Bluetooth 5 compliant NINA-B3 wireless
MCU (microcontroller unit) module that
features Bluetooth low energy long range
connectivity, high data transfer rates and
support for Bluetooth mesh and 802.15.4.
NINA‑B3 caters to applications in smart
buildings, smart cities, and the Industry
4.0, including smart lighting, industrial
sensor networks, asset tracking, and
building automation systems.
“Based on Nordic Semiconductor’s
nRF52840 chip, the u‑blox NINA‑B3 Bluetooth
low energy module stands out for
the attention given to streamlining product
development,” says Pelle Svensson,
Market Development Manager, Product
Center Short Range Radio at u‑blox
The full Bluetooth 5 NINA‑B3 module
is available in two flavors. The first variant,
NINA‑B31, comes pre-flashed with
the company’s feature-rich, easy-to-use
Connectivity Software. For product developers,
eliminating the need for embedded
programming means smoother, hasslefree
integration and accelerated time-tomarket.
Furtrher, proprietary secure boot
ensures that security needs are met, even
for the most critical industrial and medical
applications.
The second variant, NINA‑B30, gives
customers a broader scope of application
thanks to Bluetooth mesh and Thread
support as well as access to a whole
host of wired and wireless interfaces. Its
powerful Cortex M4F microcontroller can
run advanced applications right on the
module, reducing external hardware needs
and, ultimately, shrinking end device size
and cutting costs.
NINA‑B3 is available with a highly
sensitive internal antenna specifically
designed for the module’s small form
factor, achieving optimal radio range
performance even in small end product
designs. Pin compatibility with the other
u‑blox NINA short-range communication
modules limits design effort for product
developers developing multiple device
variants, e.g., featuring only Wi‑Fi or
Bluetooth connectivity. First samples are
expected by Q1 2018.
www.u-blox.com
Ka-band GaN-HEMT
MMIC
targets satellites earth stations
Mitsubishi Electric has developed a Kaband
(26- to 40-GHz) 8W gallium nitride
(GaN) high-electron mobility transistor
(HEMT) monolithic microwave integrated
circuit (MMIC) amplifier for satellite earth
stations.
The compact MGFG5H3001 which will
start sampling in November integrates
amplifier transistors circuits, matching
circuits and a built-in distortion-reducing
linearizer. The built-in linearizer achieves
low distortion for power transmitters and
the high signal integrity reduces the need
for an external linearizer for further miniaturization
of satellite earth-station transmitters.
The device operates over the
27.5- to 31.0-GHz frequency range, with
a saturated power output of 39.0 dBm
(8-W) and a linear gain of 15.0 dB. It runs
from a 24-V supply.
www.mitsubishielectric.com
26 MW November - December 2017 www.mwee.com
