TI's 12-bit, 500- to 900-MSPS ADCs slash board space by 80%

Today at the International Microwave Symposium (IMS), Texas Instruments Inc. (TI) introduced a family of 12-bit, 500- to 900-MSPS analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) that reduce board space by 80 percent while providing industry-leading signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and spurious-free dynamic range (SFDR). The ADS5409 family provides best-in-class performance in a significantly smaller footprint and at the lowest power consumption to meet the size, power and performance needs of test and measurement equipment, wideband LTE and LTE-advanced communications base stations, millimeter wave backhaul (v-band and e-band), cable infrastructure return path and defense electronics. For more information, visit www.ti.com/ads5409family-pr.

Wideband LTE and LTE-advanced power amplifier linearization previously required large, expensive and high-power-consumption feedback ADCs for speeds greater than 500 MSPS. The ADS5409 family addresses these challenges by reducing IC size, cost and power, while providing the high performance needed to achieve transmit spectral mask requirements and improved power amplifier efficiency.

The pin-compatible ADS5409 family includes six 1- and 2-channel ADCs at a variety of speed grades and price points to meet system needs.

Key features and benefits of the ADS5409 family

Slashes board space: 12-mm by 12-mm footprint reduces board space by 80 percent over current devices, enabling the use of wideband ADCs in applications where they would not have fit previously, such as small form factor remote radio units.
Increases performance-to-power ratio: Provides 2-dB higher SNR and 10-dBc higher SFDR than existing solutions at speeds up to 900 MSPS while reducing power up to 20 percent.
Simplifies system design: Optional 2x decimation filter eases analog filter requirements and reduces the data interface rate by half.
Enables linear and efficient wideband transmit:Provides power amplifier linearization bandwidths up to 900 MHz for fifth order digital pre-distortion of a 180-MHz transmit signal.

Pin-compatible, export-compliant family

Also new to the market, the complementary 12-bit ADS54T02 family includes three 1- and 2-channel, 500- to 750-MSPS dual-mode feedback and receiver ICs for time division duplex (TDD) base stations. The devices are pin-compatible with the ADS5409 family.

Tools and support

Evaluation modules (EVMs) for the ADS5409 and ADS54T02 families can be purchased today from the TI eStore for a suggested retail price of US$499. IBIS models are also available for verifying board signal integrity requirements.

For more extensive system-level evaluation, the TSW1400EVM data capture and pattern generation board provides a complete system to capture and evaluate data samples from high-speed ADC EVMs, and to generate and send desired test patterns to the high-speed digital-to-analog converter (DAC) EVMs. The complementary TSW1405EVM provides simple pattern capture with up to 64k sample depth.

For wideband digital pre-distortion (DPD) development, the TSW1266EVM DPD feedback reference design includes the 2-channel, 12-bit, 800-MSPS ADS5402 ADC, TI’s 2-channel LMH6521 digital variable gain amplifier (DVGA), LMK04808 dual-PLL clock jitter cleaner and a complex demodulator. The reference design can be configured for a variety of frequency plans by modifying the onboard filter components.

Support is available on the High Speed Data Converters Forum in the TI E2ETM Community, where engineers can ask questions and get answers from TI experts.

Package, availability and pricing

The 12-bit ADS5409 family includes the following devices, most which are available today in a 12-mm by 12-mm BGA package:

ADS5401: 1 channel at 800 MSPS for US$187.50
ADS5403: 1 channel at 500 MSPS for US$125.00
ADS5404: 2 channel at 500 MSPS for US$218.75
ADS5407*: 2 channel at 500 MSPS for US$239.95
ADS5402: 2 channel at 800 MSPS for US$349.65
ADS5409: 2 channel at 900 MSPS for US$393.35; will be available in June 2013

The 12-bit ADS54T02 family is also available today and includes the following devices in a 12-mm by 12-mm BGA package:

ADS54T01: 1 channel at 750 MSPS for US$187.50
ADS54T04: 2 channel at 500 MSPS for US$349.65
ADS54T02: 2 channel at 750 MSPS for US$218.75

All prices quoted are for 1,000-unit quantities.

* The ADS5407 provides higher SNR and lower power consumption than the ADS5404.

TI at International Microwave Symposium

Going to International Microwave Symposium (IMS) June 4 to 6 in Seattle, Wash.? Visit TI at Booth 2615 to see our latest high-performance data converters, amplifiers, modulators, PLL/VCOs and clock jitter cleaners for wideband receive and transmit applications ranging from wireless base stations and defense electronics to test and measurement. For more information and to follow TI’s IMS activities virtually, visit www.ti.com/ims2013-pr.

Learn more about TI’s high-speed data converter portfolio by visiting the links below: