Digitally tunable capacitors pack 32 states into a 2 x 2 mm QFN

Peregrine Semiconductor launch two tunable capacitors high insulation resistance, and low losses at frequencies up to 40 GHz; tight dimensional control for repeatable RF performance unit to unit, batch to batch, year after year; and very tight capacitance tolerances for both small signal and high frequency signal applications. The fabless provider of high-performance RF ICs has launched two new DTCs (Digitally Tunable Capacitors) the PE64101 and PE64102 at the International Microwave Symposium in Montreal. The 5-bit, 32-state DTCs, designed using Peregrine's tuning technology, enable wide-band tunable networks and minimize mismatch losses, improve system efficiency, to and reduce radio complexity for cost-sensitive applications, such as RFID, phase shifters, and wireless communications. The PE64102 DTC has a tuning ratio of 7.4:1, and a capacitance range of 1.88 - 14.0 pF in 391 fF steps for shunt configuration. The PE64101 DTC features a tuning range of 4.3:1 and a capacitance range of 1.38 - 5.9 pF in 146 fF steps for shunt configuration. Both of the new devices are available in a miniature, 2x2 mm QFN package, enabling a smaller overall footprint. Both feature low power consumption of 75 μA in normal operation—45 μA in standby—making them suited for battery-powered portable applications. The devices feature IIP3 linearity of 60 dBm across a wide tuning range, and are immune to latch up. An SPI interface controls them and they can be mounted in series or shunt configuration. "With the increasing numbers of radios on wireless devices, and the increasing number of frequency bands, tuning is now a necessity," said Mark Schrepferman, director of marketing, Peregrine's High-Performance Solutions business unit. "Following the 2011 launch of our PE64904/5 DTCs for cellular handsets, the PE64101/2 DTCs address the performance requirements of the broader market, simplify tuning architectures and improve the performance of a variety of applications in the industrial, military and aerospace, automotive, medical, and infrastructure markets. www.psemi.com