Inphi Corporation Introduces High-Frequency DC to 25 GHz Prescalers in Low-Cost Plastic Package

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA (PRWEB) September 29, 2003  Broadening the availability and application of its precision electronic components, Inphi Corporation (www.inphi-corp.com) today introduced three prescalers in a low-cost quad flat no-lead (QFN) plastic package for point-to-point microwave radios and advanced synthesizer applications at frequencies from DC to 25 GHz. Characterized by high input sensitivity and low phase noise, these devices are specially designed for use in high-frequency phased-locked loop (PLL) oscillator and signal-path down conversion circuits. Inphis new prescalers deliver unsurpassed performance in a small form factor package for equipment manufacturers seeking a reliable and affordable solution for a broad array of commercial, military, and government systems.

   Until recently, prescalers above 14 GHz were not commercially available, which presented serious limitations for advanced synthesizers at higher frequencies. Inphis line of DC to 25 GHz prescalers, announced in May in die form and land grid array (LGA) ceramic packages, enabled design engineers to phase lock a high-frequency oscillator to a low-frequency reference source by means of a prescaler and a commercial off-the-shelf digital PLL circuit for the first time. This new approach reduced the total part count and eliminated the labor-intensive tuning process associated with analog circuits.

Through the introduction of these high-frequency prescalers in low-cost QFN plastic packages, Inphi now extends this competitive advantage to high-volume commercial applications such as point-to-point microwave radios, yttrium iron garnet (YIG) phase-locked oscillators, and advanced synthesizers that require low-cost surface-mount components.

Inphis DC to 25 GHz prescaler circuits, listed in Table 1, perform divide-by-2, divide-by-4, or divide-by-8 functions in a variety of microwave and communications systems. Available in positive 3.3 V power supply version, these prescalers exhibit high input power sensitivity (see Figure 1), low added phase noise, and low DC power consumption across a wide frequency range.

Table 1. Inphis family of DC to 25 GHz prescaler circuits

Figure 1. Input sensitivity window for the Inphi® 25673DV divide-by-8 prescaler

Inphis prescalers are currently sampling to OEM customers worldwide. These products are offered in a 3 x 3 mm2 QFN plastic package, in a 7 x 7 mm2 LGA ceramic package, or in die form. The packaged parts are also available on an evaluation board with SMA connectors for testing purposes. Unit pricing for all three prescalers in the QFN plastic package is $22 for production quantities of 5,000 units.

About Inphi
Founded in November 2000, Inphi Corporation is a privately held electronic components company based in Westlake Village, California. Inphi delivers high-speed precision integrated circuits that optimize power, performance, and size, enabling customers to build the highest performance, most cost-competitive telecommunications, data communications, and instrumentation systems. Additional information about the company can be found at www.inphi-corp.com.

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