Hittite Microwave Corp. has introduced tunable filters, which are ideal for pre-selection in multi-band communication systems, wideband radar, and in test and measurement equipment. Tunable over a 1 to 7.6 GHz frequency range, these four new, ultra-compact, varactor-tuned, MMIC filters are inherently stable and their small physical size and insensitivity to environmental conditions provide a superior alternative to competing resonant cavity and MEM solutions.

The HMC881LP5E and HMC882LP5E are tunable, seventh-order, low pass filters (LPF) with adjustable cut-off from 2.2 to 4 GHz, and from 4.5 to 7.6 GHz, respectively. A 0 to 14 V control signal provides very fast and continuous adjustment of passband cut-off: 5000 GHz/millisecond. The LPFs maintain stopband rejection of at least 35 dB out beyond 30 GHz.

The HMC890LP5E and HMC891LP5E are tunable, third-order, bandpass filters (BPF) with two independent voltage controls for adjustment of pass-band frequency and bandwidth. Filter center frequency is adjustable from 1 to 2 GHz, and from 2 to 3.9 GHz, respectively. Pass-bandwidth is adjustable to ±3% of filter center frequency. Like the companion low pass filters, return loss is 10 dB and the BPFs maintain stop-band rejection of at least 30 dB out to 9 GHz.

The HMC881LP5E, HMC882LP5E, HMC890LP5E and HMC891LP5E are available in a compact, RoHS compliant 5 x 5 mm QFN SMT plastic package and are specified for operation from -40° to +85°C.