Q3
2019

NEW PRODUCT
GUIDE
NEW
NEW
NEW

NPG19Q3

4
8
10
12
18
20

AMPLIFIERS
Ultra-Wideband MMIC LNAs
Wideband MMIC Ampliﬁers with Shutdown I High Gain Monolithic LNA
High Gain Monolithic LNA I Class AB High Power Ampliﬁers
Ultra-Wideband Coaxial LNAs

COUPLERS
High-Power Stripline Bi-Directional Couplers

EQUALIZERSNew SMA Connectorized Fixed Equalizers I MMIC Fixed Equalizers

FILTERS
Surface Mount Ceramic Resonator Filters I SMA Connectorized Reﬂectionless Filters
MMIC Reﬂectionless Filters I Waveguide Bandpass Filters
Cavity Bandpass Filters I Coaxial Bandpass Filters I Suspended Substrate Diplexers

INTERCONNECT PRODUCTS
Flexible Interconnect Cables I Coaxial Adapters

LTCC PRODUCTS
LTCC Directional Couplers I LTCC Bandpass Filters
LTCC Low Pass Filters I LTCC Diplexers I LTCC Splitter/Combiners
Application Note: A Practical Approach to the Design and Implementation of
Scalable, High-Performance, Custom SMT Packages for mmWave Applications

32
34

TABLEOFCONTENTS

36
38

SPLITTERS/COMBINERS
0°/180° Magic-T Splitter/Combiner
Ultra-Wideband Coaxial Splitter/Combiners

TEST SOLUTIONS
USB/Ethernet Switch Modules I USB/Ethernet Programmable Attenuators
USB/Ethernet Synthesized Signal Generators

TRANSFORMERS & BALUNS
Surface Mount Transformers I DC to 3000 MHz

VCOs
Surface Mount VCOs
Application Note: Specifying VCOs for Clock Timing Circuits

46

RESEARCH & EDUCATIONVTRIG-74 | 3D Millilmeter Wave Imaging Kit

AM

AMPLIFIERS

50Ω 400 to 15000 MHz

Ultra-Wideband MMIC LNAs
• Low noise over wide bandwidth• Flat Gain
• High IP3Model Number

Frequency
Range
(MHz)

Gain (dB)
Typ.

NF (dB)
Typ.

P1dB
(dBm)
Typ.

OIP3
(dBm)
Typ.

Input
VSWR
(:1) Typ.

Output
VSWR(:1) Typ.

Voltage(V)

Current(mA)

PMA2-153LN+

500-15000

16.8

2.6

14.8

26.8

1.97

1.15

5/6

50/66

PMA2-133LN+

10000-13000

15.3

1.3

13.5

28.6

1.24

1.08

3/5

13/29

PMA2-123LN+

500-12000

16.8

2.6

14.9

27

1.96

1.17

5/6

51/68

PMA2-123LN5+500-12000

15.1

1.2

12.2

23.4

1.9

1.3

5

30

PMA3-83LN+

500-8000

22.1

1.3

20.7

35.2

1.38

1.58

5/6

60/77

PMA3-83LNW+

400-8000

22.6

1.2

21.7

37.0

1.32

1.5

5/6

58/75

PMA3-63GLN+

1800-6000

27.9

0.7

14.1

26.6

1.78

1.92

5

69

PMA2-43LN+

1100-4000

19.9

0.46

19.9

32.9

1.35

1.64

5

51

PMA3-352GLN+

2500-3500

28.5

0.7

14.8

27.8

1.78

1.92

5

69

PMA4-33GLN+

700-3000

38.9

0.47

22.6

40.4

1.6

1.9

5

152

PMA2-33LN+

400-3000

19.1

0.38

17.2

34.5

1.9

1.2

3

56

PMA2-252LN+

1500-2500

17.6

0.8

17.8

30

1.3

1.3

4

57

PMA2-162LN+

700-1600

22.7

0.5

20

30

1.3

1.3

4

55

50Ω 1 to 43500 MHz

Wideband MMIC Ampliﬁers with Shutdown• Noise ﬁgure as low as 1.1 dB typ.
• Excellent gain ﬂatness• IP3 up to 42.9 dBm• Internal shutdown feature protects the ampliﬁer
and reduces power consumption▼

MMIC LNAs with shutdown feature up to 43.5 GHz

▼

▼

▼

New ultra-wideband MMIC LNAs▼

H I G H L I G H T S

Multi-chip module integrates low
pass reﬂectionless ﬁlter and two
high-dynamic-range ampliﬁers
New Class-AB high power ampliﬁers

NEW RELEASE

Model Number

Frequency
Range
(MHz)

Gain (dB)
Typ.

NF (dB)
Typ.

P1dB
(dBm)
Typ.

OIP3
(dBm)
Typ.

Input
VSWR
(:1) Typ.

Output
VSWR(:1) Typ.

Voltage(V)

Current(mA)

TSS-13HLN+

1-1000

23

1.4

28.4

42.9

1.43

1.37

8

234

TSS-13LN+

1-1000

22.8

1.1

24.5

39.2

1.28

1.32

5/3

142/72

TSS-23HLN+

30-2000

21.8

1.4

28.5

42.6

1.92

1.67

8

236

TSS-23LN+

30-2000

21.5

1.2

24.1

36.4

1.92

1.67

5/3

139/74

TSS-53LNB+

500-5000

21.7

1.4

20.6

33.9

1.46

1.33

5

82

TSS-53LNB3+

500-5000

18.4

1.5

14.9

25

1.63

1.26

3

42

TSS-183A+

5000-18000

14.2

4.4

17.9

28.9

1.37

1.28

5

145

TSS-44+22000-43500

17.6

3.2

6.9

12.7

1.37

1.28

4

22

Ultra-wideband coaxial LNAs
up to 20 GHz
www.minicircuits.com 5

AMPLIFIESAMPLIFIERSAMPLIFIERS

RS
FIE
PLI
AM

NEW RELEASEAMAMPLIFIERS

50Ω 220 to 380 MHz

50Ω 500 to 20000 MHz• Low noise, 1.6 dB typ.
• High cascaded gain, 37.2 dB typ.
• High IP3, 38.3 dBm typ.
• Multi-chip module integrates low pass reﬂectionless ﬁlter andtwo high-dynamic-range ampliﬁers in a single 5x5mm QFN• Multi-octave bandwidths• Very low noise over wide bandwidth• Excellent gain ﬂatness, ±1.6 dB or better• High IP3, up to +35.2 dBm

Ultra-Wideband Coaxial LNAs

High Gain Monolithic LNA

NEW RELEASES

Model
NumberFrequency
Range
(MHz)

Gain
(dB)
Typ.

NF
(dB)
Typ.

P1dB
(dBm)
Typ.

OIP3
(dBm)
Typ.

Input
VSWR
(:1) Typ.

Output
VSWR(:1) Typ.

Voltage(V)

Current(mA)

YSIF-421+

220-380

37.2

1.6

22.2

38.3

1.78

1.08

5

189

YSIF-421+

YSIF-421+

8
-45°C

40

+25°C

35

+85°C

25
20
15
10

5. 25V

5

300

400

500

600

700

800

200

300

400

500

600

700

FREQUENCY (MHz)FREQUENCY (MHz)GAIN (dB)Class AB High Power Ampliﬁers

ZX60-06203LN+

6000-20000

18.4

2.8

15.6

27.4

1.9

1.65

5

128

ZX60-06183LN+

6000-18000

25

2.1

11

24

2

2

5

64

ZX60-153LN-S+

500-15000

16

2.8

15

27

2

1.5

12

82

ZX60-123LN-S+

500-12000

17

2.4

16

28

1.45

1.3

12

82

ZX60-05113LN+

5000-11000

21.4

1.9

13

24.5

1.9

1.5

5

42

ZX60-83LN-S+

500-8000

22.1

1.4

20.7

35.2

1.38

1.58

5.0/6.060/70

ZX60-06203LN+

GAIN vs. FREQUENCY & TEMPERATURE
INPUT POWER = -25.00dBm, Vd = 5.00V

10

NOISE FIGURE vs. FREQUENCY & TEMPERATURE
Vd = 5.00V

23

9

-45°C

21

8

+25°C

19

7

+85°C

17
15
13
11

-45°C

9

+25°C

7

+85°C

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

16000

6
5
4
3
2
1

18000

20000

0
4000

22000

6000

8000

FREQUENCY (MHz)Frequency
Range
(MHz)

Gain
(dB)
Typ.

NF
(dB)
Typ.

P1dB
(dBm)
Typ.

OIP3
(dBm)
Typ.

Input
VSWR
(:1) Typ.

Output
VSWR(:1) Typ.

Voltage(V)

ZHL-20W-202-S+

20-2000

53

10

39

45

2.0

3.5

28

ZHL-10W-202-S+

10-2000

50

10

38

45

2.0

2.0

28

ZHL-5W-202-S+

10-2000

50

10

36

45

1.2

2.0

28

ZHL-20W-202-S+

Gain @ 28V

60
58

61

56

59

54

Output IP3 (dBm)

63

57
55
53
51

25
20

22000

3.5
3.0
2.5
2.0

1.0

5

0.5
5000

6000

7000

8000

9000

Frequency (MHz)

50

20000

1.5

10

52

18000

4.0

30

0
4000

16000

4.5

15

Ouput IP3 @ 28V

14000

Noise Figure @ 5V

5.0

35

60

12000

ZX60-05113LN+

Gain @ 5V

40

10000

FREQUENCY (MHz)ZX60-05113LN+

Current(mA)

Gain (dB)

ZHL-20W-202-S+

Gain (dB)Current
(mA)

5
4000

• Saturated POUT from 5W to 20W• Self-protected from excessive drive, heat,
reverse polarity and open/short loads• High Gain, 50 dB typ.

10000

11000

12000

13000

0.0
4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

9000

10000

11000

12000

13000

Frequency (MHz)

48
46

49

44

47

42
0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

2000

2200

Frequency (MHz)6

Voltage
(V)

25
100

50Ω 10 to 2000 MHz

45

OutputVSWR (:1)
Typ.

ZX60-06203LN+

FREQUENCY (MHz)

65

Input
VSWR
(:1) Typ.

2

FREQUENCY (MHz)

Model
Number

OIP3
(dBm)
Typ.

3

0

900
700

P1dB
(dBm)
Typ.

Noise Figure (dB)

200

NF
(dB)
Typ.

AMPLIFIERSAMPLIFIERS

100

Gain
(dB)
Typ.

4

1

5

AMPLIFIERS

5. 00V

630

0

4. 75V

7
NOISE FIGURE (dB)45

Frequency
Range
(MHz)

NOISE FIGURE (dB)

GAIN vs. FREQUENCY & TEMPERATURE
INPUT POWER = -3 0.00dBm, Vd = 5.00V

50

GAIN (dB)

NOISE FIGURE vs. FREQUENCY & D EVICE VOL TAGE
Te mp e r a t u r e = + 25° C

Model Number

ISO 9001 ISO 14001 AS 9100

40

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

Frequency (MHz)

1600

1800

2000

2200

www.minicircuits.com 7

CS

COUPLERS

50Ω 225-6000 MHz

High-Power Stripline
Bi-Directional Couplers▼

Expanded lineup of high-power striplinebi-directional couplers

NEW RELEASES

Model Number

Frequency
Range
(GHz)

Coupling(dB)
Nom.

Mainline Loss
(dB)
Typ.

Directivity
(dB)
Typ.

VSWR
(:1)
Typ.

Power Input
Max.
(W)

BDCH-10-63

2000-6000

10

0.1

22

1.12

100

BDCH-20-63+

2000-6000

19.5

0.15

19

1.2

180

BDCH-20-63A+

2000-6000

18

0.15

29

1.1

140

MBDC-13-63HP

2000-6000

12.8

0.1

23

1.15

100

MBDC-13-63HP+

2000-6000

12.8

0.1

23

1.15

100

MBDC-20-63HP

2000-6000

20.25

0.15

23

1.17

100

SCBD-10-63HP+

50-6000

10

0.9

17

1.22

100

SCBD-16-63HP+

50-6000

16.2

0.45

23

1.22

100

SCBD-16-562HP+

2700-5600

16.2

0.4

18

1.29

75

BDCH-25-33+

800-3000

25

0.2

28

1.2

150

BDCH-15-33+

500-3000

15.5

0.25

25

1.07

100

SCBD-20-272HP+

1750-2750

18.6

0.25

24

1.08

100

BDCH-15-272

700-2700

15

0.25

19

1.13

150

BDCH-20-272

700-2700

21

0.25

21

1.12

150

BDCH-25-272

700-2700

26

0.2

18

1.2

150

BDCH-35-272

700-2700

35

0.2

16

1.3

150

SCBD-25-122HP+

800-1220

25

0.1

23

1.07

100

SCBD-28-82HP+

600-820

28

0.1

23

1.07

100

SCBD-30-62HP+

400-620

31

0.08

23

1.1

100

MBDA-30-451HP

225-450

30.5

0.15

28

1.07

200

www.minicircuits.com 9

COUPLERSAMPLIFIERS

S
LER
UP
CO
H I G H L I G H T S• Flat coupling over multi-octave bandwidths• High power in miniature, SMT case style• Low insertion loss
• High directivity

ES

EQUALIZERS50Ω DC to 6 GHz, 1 dB to 10 dB Slope Values

New SMA Connectorized Fixed Equalizers▼

Our popular wideband ﬁxed gain slope
equalizers are now available in both MMIC andtubular SMA connectorized formats to ﬂatten
system gain performance in your board
design, cable assembly or test setup.

Model Number

Frequency Range(GHz)

Slope (dB)Typ.

Insertion Loss @Freq. High (dB)

VSWR(:1)
Typ.

Max Input
Power (dBm)

Max Input Power(dBm)

VEQY-1-63+

10-6000

0.9

1

1.13

31

31

VEQY-2-63+

10-6000

2.3

0.6

1.18

31

31

VEQY-3-63+

10-6000

3

1.2

1.25

31

31

VEQY-4-63+

10-6000

4.4

0.8

1.23

31

34

VEQY-5-63+

10-6000

4.8

1.6

1.16

31

31

VEQY-6-63+

10-6000

6.3

1.1

1.2

31

31

VEQY-8-63+

10-6000

7.9

1.1

1.21

31

34

VEQY-10-63+

10-6000

9.9

1.6

1.21

31

31

50Ω DC to 20 GHz, 0 dB to 10 dB Slope Values

MMIC Fixed Equalizers• Precise negative slope values over wide bandwidth• Excellent VSWR
• Up to +34 dBm power handling• Available in 2x2mm QFN and bare die formats
Model Number

Frequency Range(GHz)

Slope (dB)Typ.

Insertion Loss @Freq. High (dB)

VSWR(:1)
Typ.

Max Input
Power (dBm)

Max Input Power(dBm)

EQY-0-24+

DC-20000

0.37

0.39

1.1

33

33

EQY-2-24+

DC-20000

2.1

0.9

1.16

31

31

EQY-3-24+

DC-20000

3.1

0.7

1.15

34

34

EQY-5-24+

DC-20000

5.1

0.7

1.24

34

34

EQY-6-24+

DC-20000

6.3

0.5

1.22

31

31

EQY-8-24+

DC-20000

8.3

0.8

1.18

34

34

EQY-10-24+

DC-20000

10.2

0.9

1.18

33

33

EQY-12-24+

DC-20000

12

1.4

1.09

30

30

EQY-0-63+

DC-6000

0.1

0.14

1.07

33

31

EQY-1-63+

DC-6000

1.2

0.4

1.24

31

31

EQY-2-63+

DC-6000

2.1

0.4

1.29

31

31

EQY-3-63+

DC-6000

3.2

0.6

1.29

31

34

EQY-4-63+

DC-6000

4.2

0.6

1.25

31

31

EQY-5-63+

DC-6000

5

1

1.24

31

31

EQY-6-63+

DC-6000

6.5

0.5

1.2

32

34

EQY-8-63+

DC-6000

8.2

0.5

1.21

31

31

EQY-10-63+

DC-6000

10.2

1

1.12

31

31

www.minicircuits.com 11

EQUALIZERSAMPLIFIERS

S
ER
LIZ
UA
EQ
H I G H L I G H T S• Precise negative slope values over wide bandwidth• Excellent VSWR
• +31 dBm power handling• SMA connectorized housing ideal for cable assemblies and lab use

FS

FILTERS50Ω, 1333 to 2048 MHz

Surface Mount Ceramic Resonator Filters• Low insertion loss with excellent power handling• Fractional bandwidth from 3 to 25%• Low proﬁle designs with min. height of 0.120”• Excellent temperature stability• Rugged construction to handle demanding environments

New releases shown here. Over 50 models in stock. Custom designs available.
Passband (MHz)

Lower Stopband(MHz)

Lower Rejection(dB)

Upper Stopband(MHz)

Upper Rejection(dB)

CBP-1423AF+

1333-1513

DC-111360

1669-2600

55

CBP-1475E+

1375-1575

DC-123040

1750-2600

40

CBP-1598AF+

1505.5-1690.5

DC-1264

60

1888-2900

60

CBP-1773AF+

1678-1868

DC-1400

65

2150-2700

60

CBP-1953AF+

1858-2048

DC-1500

65

2400-3500

50

50Ω, 2900 to 11500 MHz

SMA Connectorized Reﬂectionless Filters• Matched to 50Ω in the stop band,
eliminates undesired reﬂections• New connectorized package
supports cable assemblies and lab use
Model Number

Passband(MHz)

Passband
VSWR (:1)

3 dB Cutoff(MHz)

Stopband(MHz)

Stopband
VSWR (:1)

Rejection(dB)

VXHF-23+

2010-10100

2.0

1650

DC-1210

1.2

14

VXHF-292M+

2900-8700

1.9

8700

DC-1950

1.5

36

VXHF-392+

3940-11500

2.3

3220

DC-2450

1.6

12.5

50Ω, DC-19400 MHz

MMIC Reﬂectionless Filters

New ceramic resonator bandpass ﬁlters

Type

Passband
(MHz)

3 dB
Cutoff(MHz)

Passband
VSWR (:1)

Stopband(MHz)

Stopband
VSWR(:1)

Rejection(dB)

Package▼

New waveguide bandpass ﬁlters

XHF-482M+

High Pass

4800-19400

4390

1.2

DC-3600

1.2

36

3x3mm
QFN

Expanded lineup of cavity ﬁlters

XHF-73M+

High Pass

7000-16400

6420

1.1

DC-5200

1.1

30

3x3mm
QFN

Wideband suspended substrate diplexers

XHF-652M+

High Pass

6600-16200

6230

1.1

DC-5000

1.1

30

3x3mm
QFN

XLF-662M+

Low Pass

DC-6000

6740

1.2

9200-26000

1.5

30

3x3mm
QFN

▼

Model Number▼

Reﬂectionless ﬁlters now available inconnectorized housings

New releases shown here. Over 80 models in stock!

▼▼

H I G H L I G H T S• Matched to 50Ω in the stop band,
eliminates undesired reﬂections• Cascadable• Excellent power handling• Ideal for non-linear circuits

www.minicircuits.com 13

FILTERSAMPLIFIERS

S
TER
FIL

Model Number

FS

FILTERS50Ω 27500 to 86000 MHz

50Ω 902-19200 MHz

Waveguide Bandpass Filters

Cavity Bandpass Filters• Precision machining and plating• Outstanding return loss
• Super-high rejection & fast roll-off
NEW RELEASES

Passband
(MHz)

Lower
Stopband
(MHz)

Lower
Rejection
(dB)

Upper
Stopband
(MHz)

Upper
Rejection(dB)

81000-86000

60000-79000

64

88000-90000

38

Model Number

NEW RELEASE

Passband
(MHz)

Lower
Stopband
(MHz)

Lower
Rejection
(dB)

Upper
Stopband
(MHz)

Upper
Rejection(dB)

ZVBP-19R2G-S+

19200

DC-18900

45

19500-27000

45

ZVBP-11G3-S+

11200-11400

DC-11030

35

11580-20000

35

Model Number

WVBP-783-WR12+

76000-81000

60000-74500

6782500-90000

48

WVBP-733-WR12+

71000-76000

60000-69500

5677500-90000

66

ZVBP-10R5G-S+

9750-11250

DC-5950

35

15100-18000

35

WVBP-673-WR12+64000-71000

60000-61500

5673500-90000

28

ZVBP-8250-S+

8025-8475

DC-765020

8925-11000

20

WVBP-653-WR15+

63700-65900

50000-62700

5966900-75000

66

ZVBP-5800-S+

5725-5875

DC-520035

6400-14000

35

WVBP-613-WR15+57200-65900

50000-56200

7466900-75000

65

ZVBP-5310-S+

5250-5370

DC-5080205530-8250

20

ZVBP-4900-S+

4840-4960

DC-467020

5100-9000

20

ZVBP-4810-S+

4750-4870

DC-460020

5020-8250

20

WVBP-633-WR15+

61500-63800

50000-60500

66

64800-75000

67

WVBP-64-WR15+

59400-61600

50000-58400

7262600-75000

72

ZVBP-4300-S+

4250-4350

DC-414020

4480-8000

20WVBP-583-WR15+57200-59400

50000-56200

5660400-75000

58

ZVBP-4000-S+

3997-4003

DC - 3800

70

4200 - 6000

70

WVBP-383-WR28+

37000-40000

22000-36000

59

41000-42000

34

ZVBP-3875-S+

3845-3905

DC-378535

3970-8500

35

WVBP-283-WR28+

27500-28350

22000-27000

4828850-38000

34

ZVBP-2450-S+

2400-2500

2120-2260

40

2635-2780

40

ZVBP-2400-S+

2375-2425

DC-225035

2550-6000

35

ZVBP-2300A-S+

2200-2400

DC-200030

2550-8050

30

ZVBP-909-S+

902-915

10-89520925-2300

20WVBP-653-WR15+

WVBP-64-WR15+

Insertion Loss

0.1

1.0
Insertion Loss (dB)

10.0

55

58

60

63

65

68

70

73

1000.075Frequency (GHz)

30

50

53

55

WVBP-633-WR15+

60

63

Frequency (GHz)

65

68

70

73

75

WVBP-583-WR15+

Insertion Loss

0.1

58

40
50
60
70
80
90
100

Insertion Loss

0.1

10

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

50

53

55

58

60

63

65

68

70

73

75

Frequency (GHz)14

ISO 9001 ISO 14001 AS 9100

1.0

30
35
18900

30000

19000

19100

19200

19300

19400

19500

GROUP DELAY
INPUT POWER = 0 dBm

INSERTION LOSS (Zoomed)
INPUT POWER = 0 dBm

0

4.4
5

5

4.2
10

10.0

100.0

50

53

55

58

60

63
Frequency (GHz)

65

68

70

73

75

INSERTION LOSS (dB)10
OUTPUT RETURN LOSS (dB)

Insertion Loss (dB)

Insertion Loss (dB)

100.0

25

FREQUENCY (MHz)OUTPUT RETURN LOSSINPUT POWER = 0 dBm

10.0

20

FREQUENCY (MHz)

0

1.0

25000

15

15
20
25
30
35
18900

4.0

15

GROUP DELAY (ns)

53

5

20

100.0

INPUT RETURN LOSSINPUT POWER = 0 dBm

0

10

100.0

50

ZVPB-19R2G-S+

INSERTION LOSSINPUT POWER = 0 dBm

0

INPUT RETURN LOSS (dB)

10.0

INSERTION LOSS (dB)

Insertion Loss (dB)

1.01000.0Insertion Loss

0.1

FILTERSAMPLIFIERSFILTERSWVBP-833-WR12+• Passbands as narrow as 1%• Very low passband insertion loss
• Very fast roll-off with wide stopband• High power handling, up to 15W

20
25
30

19000

19100

19200
FREQUENCY (MHz)

19300

19400

19500

3.6
3.4
3.2

35
40
18700

3.8

18800

18900

19000

19100

19200

19300

FREQUENCY (MHz)

19400

19500

19600

19700

3.0
19100

19120

19140

19160

19180

19200

19220

19240

19260

19280

19300

FREQUENCY (MHz)www.minicircuits.com 15

FS

FILTERS50Ω 175 to 1580 MHz

Coaxial Bandpass Filters• Good rejection• Wide stop band• Excellent temperature stability

Passband
(MHz)

Lower
Stopband
(MHz)

Lower
Rejection
(dB)

Upper
Stopband
(MHz)

Upper
Rejection(dB)

ZFBP-70HR-S+

69-71

DC-50

85

100-1000

60

ZX75BP-204-S+

175-237DC-90

60

2500-3500

30

ZX75BP-A1060-S+

1015-1105

DC-880251350-4000

30

ZX75BP-A1230-S+

1160-1300

DC-95030

1670-3500

20

ZX75BP-B1230-S+

1120-1340

DC-94025

1750-3500

20

ZX75BP-1450-S+

1320-1580

DC-1100

46

2000-2500

54

VBF-7331+

6850-7850

10-5800

23

9300-13300

20

Model Number

FILTERSTry it Before you Buy it!

50Ω DC -20000 MHz

Suspended Substrate Diplexers• Low insertion loss
• Ultra-wide passband width• Fast roll-off with wide stopband• Passband up to 26 GHz• Stopband up to 26.5 GHz can extend to 40 GHz
NEW RELEASE

Port

Passband(MHz)

Passband IL(MHz)

Rejection(dB)

Return Loss(dB)

ZDSS-5G6G-S+

High pass
Low pass

DC-5000
6000-20000

1.5
2.5

80 @ 7200-20000
50 @ DC-4000

108ZDSS-5G6G-S+

High pass
Low pass

DC-3000
4000-20000

1.5
1.5

30 @ 4000-20000
15 @ DC-3000

1010ZDSS-2R5G5G-S+

High pass
Low pass

DC-2500
5100-7500

0.5
0.8

50 @ 5100-7500
65 @ DC-2500

20
17Model Number

ZDSS-2R5G5G-S+

LOWPASS INSERTION LOSSINPUT POWER = 0 dBm

0

60

20
Isolation (dB)

InsertionLOSS
Loss (dB)
INSERTION

40

Over 1300 models available to sample for free!
Free shipping to over 200 countries

CROSSOVER ISOLATIONINPUT POWER = 0 dBm

0

20
20

20

INSERTION LOSS (dB)

HIGHPASS INSERTION
INSERTION LOSSHIGHPASSLOSSINPUTPOWER
POWER== 00dBm
INPUT
dBm

00

EZ-Sample is Mini-Circuits’ free, online sample request
program for RF components. We oﬀer a wide selectionof our surface mount parts for free sample to support
your product validation eﬀorts and help you make an
informed decision at no cost.

40
40

60
60

80
80

40

60

80

80
100
100

100
0

16

1500

3000
4500
FREQUENCY (MHz)

6000

7500

00

1500
1500

3000
3000

4500
4500

FREQUENCY (MHz)

6000
6000

7500
7500

100

0

1500

3000

4500

6000

7500

FREQUENCY (MHz)www.minicircuits.com P.O. Box 350166, Brooklyn, NY 11235-0003 (718) 934-4500 sales@minicircuits.com

ISO 9001 ISO 14001 AS 9100

▼

New ﬂexible interconnect cables▼

New SMA and N-Type adapters

INTERCONNECT PRODUCTS

50Ω DC-18000 MHz

Flexible Interconnect Cables• Flexible construction ideal for integrating
coaxial components in tight spaces• Tight bend radius• Excellent return loss and insertion loss
NEW RELEASES

Model Number
FL086-24NM+

Center
Diameter

Length(ft.)

Connector 1

Connector 2Frequency
Range (MHz)Insertion Loss(dB)

0.086"

2.0

N-Type Male

N-Type Male

DC-18000

1.4

FL086-24SM+

0.086"

2.0

SMA Male

SMA MaleDC-18000

1.5

FL086-24SMNM+

0.086"

2.0

N-Type Male

SMA MaleDC-18000

1.4

FL086-12NM+

0.086"

1.0

N-Type Male

N-Type Male

DC-18000

0.6FL086-12SM+

0.086"

1.0

SMA Male

SMA MaleDC-18000

0.9FL086-12SMNM+

0.086"

1.0

N-Type Male

SMA MaleDC-18000

0.7FL086-9SM+

0.086"

0.75

SMA Male

SMA MaleDC-18000

0.64

FL086-6NM+

0.086"

0.5

N-Type Male

N-Type Male

DC-18000

0.3

FL086-6SM+

0.086"

0.5

SMA Male

SMA MaleDC-18000

0.4FL086-6SMNM+

0.086"

0.5

N-Type Male

SMA MaleDC-18000

0.3

FL141-24NM+

0.141"

2.0

N-Type Male

N-Type Male

DC-18000

0.9

FL141-24SM+

0.141"

2.0

SMA Male

SMA MaleDC-18000

1.0

FL141-24SMNM+

0.141"

2.0

N-Type Male

SMA MaleDC-18000

0.9

FL141-12NM+

0.141"

1.0

N-Type Male

N-Type Male

DC-18000

0.4FL141-12SM+

0.141"

1.0

SMA Male

SMA MaleDC-18000

0.5FL141-12SMNM+

0.141"

1.0

N-Type Male

SMA MaleDC-18000

0.4FL141-9SM+

0.141"

0.75

SMA Male

SMA MaleDC-18000

0.37

FL141-6NM+

0.141"

0.5

N-Type Male

N-Type Male

DC-18000

0.2

FL141-6SM+

0.141"

0.5

SMA Male

SMA MaleDC-18000

0.3

FL141-6SMNM+

0.141"

0.5

N-Type Male

SMA MaleDC-180000.2

50Ω, models from DC-50 GHz

Coaxial Adapters• Wide variety of connector types• Excellent VSWR
• Rugged construction

New releases shown here. Now over 50 models in stock!
Model Number

Connector 1

Connector 2Frequency Range (GHz)VSWR (:1) Typ.

NFFL-SM50+

N-Female

SMA-Male

DC-18

1.08

SFR-KF50+

SMA-Female

2.92mm-Female

DC-18

1.11

SFR-SM50+

SMA-Female

SMA-Male

DC-18

1.09

www.minicircuits.com 19

INTERCONNECT
PRODUCTSAMPLIFIERS

T
EC TS
NN UC
CO D
ER PROINT
H I G H L I G H T S

IP

LTCC PRODUCTS

50Ω, 2400 to 2500 MHz

LTCC Directional Couplers• Band optimized for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Zigbee• Tiny size, 0603
• Excellent power handling, 2W
NEW RELEASES

Model Number

Frequency
Range
(GHz)

Coupling (dB)Nom.

Mainline Loss
(dB)
Typ.

Directivity
(dB)
Typ.

VSWR (:1)
Typ.

Power Input
Max. (W)

CPJC-6-252R+

2400-2500

6.5

1.27

18

1.2

2

CPJC-10-252R+

2400-2500

10

0.65

19

1.33

2

CPJC-17-252R+

2400-2500

17.65

0.14

12

1.06

2

CPJC-21-252R+

2400-2500

21

0.3

19

1.1

2

CPJC-28-252R+

2400-2500

28

0.3

10

1.05

2

50Ω, DC to 6000 MHz

LTCC Diplexers• Case styles as small as 0402
• Rejection up to 30 dB• Channel splits for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee and more
Port

Passband(MHz)

Passband IL(dB)

Rejection(dB)(MHz)

Return Loss(dB)

Package
Size

DPGE-252-492R+

Low Pass
High Pass

2400-2500
4900-5950

0.4
0.5

36 @ 4800-6000
25 @ 800-2500

33
25

0805

DPJC-252-492R+

Low Pass
High Pass

2400-2500
4900-5950

0.7
0.7

28 @ 4800-6000
34 @ 800-2500

18
26

0603

State-of-the-art design capability

DPNK-252-492R+

Low Pass
High Pass

2400-2500
5150-5850

0.4
1.2

26 @ 4800-6000
40 @ 2400-2690

31
23

0402

The industry’s largest selection, over 440 models in stock

LDP-1050-252+

Low Pass
High Pass

1-10501650-2500

0.6
1

31 @ 1650 - 2500
21 @ 1-1050

15
8

1206

▼

NEW RELEASESLDPG-212-322+

Low Pass
High Pass

DC-2100
2600-5000

0.5
0.8

22 @ 3200 - 5000
18 @ DC - 2040

16
14

0805

Filters

LDPG-272-492+

Low Pass
High Pass

DC-2700
4900-5750

0.5
0.7

30 @ 4800 - 8000
23 @ DC - 2700

16
14

0805

LDPW-162-242+

Low Pass
High Pass

DC-1650
2400-6000

0.6
0.6

20 @ 2500 - 6000
15 @ DC - 1650

20
16

0603

Model Number

Case styles as small as 0202▼

Couplers▼

Splitters / Combiners▼▼

Transformers / Baluns

▼

▼

▼

▼ ▼ ▼

▼

H I G H L I G H T S

www.minicircuits.com 21

LTCC
PRODUCTSAMPLIFIERS

S
CT
DU
RO
CP
LTC

LP

LP

LTCC PRODUCTS

50Ω, 2400 to 5950 MHz

50Ω, 600 to 5900 MHz

LTCC Bandpass Filters

LTCC Splitter/Combiners• Reduced package size, as small as 0402
• Enhanced rejection, up to 49 dB
Model
NumberPassband(MHz)

Stopband F3(MHz)

Rejection @ F3(dB)

Stopband F4(MHz)

Rejection @ F4(dB)

Rejection(dB)

Package

BPGE-252R+

2400-2500

1200-1300

42

3600-3800

43

43

0805

BPGE-542R+

4900-5920

3500

49

14700-17760

30

30

0805

BPJC-252R+

2400-2500

1910

26

3200

38

38

0603

Model
Number

BPJC-542R+

4900-5900

DC-270040

9800-12000

34

34

0603

BPNK-252R+

2400-2500

692-80040

4800-5000

23

23

0402

BPNK-542R+

4900-5950

2400-2500

23

14700-17850

38

38

0402

LTCC Low Pass Filters• Reduced package size, as small as 0402
• Enhanced rejection, up to 50 dB
Model
NumberPassband F1(MHz)

3 dB Cutoff(MHz)

Stopband F3(MHz)

Rejection @ F3(dB)

Stopband F4(MHz)

Rejection @ F4(dB)

PackageSize

LFCG-1200+

DC-1200

1470

1865-3700

50

3700-10000

30

0805

LFCG-1400+

DC-1400

1650

2015-6600

50

6600-10000

35

0805

LFCG-1800+

DC-18002030

2450-7000

40

7000-10000

35

0805

LFCG-2500+

DC-2500

2870

3500-4000

33

7000-10000

30

0805

LFCG-2600+

DC-2600

3000

3850-7000

50

7000-15000

25

0805

LFCG-3000+

DC-3000

3460

4550-7000

50

11000-15000

25

0805

LFCG-3500+

DC-3500

3970

4800-5000

35

8500-15000

25

0805

LFCN-900+

DC -850

1075

1275

20

1350-4850

30

1206

LFCV-700-75+

5-700

855

990-1950

30

1950-2150

25

1210

LPGE-252R+

2400-2500

3750

4800-5000

40

7200-7500

37

LPGE-592R+

4900-5900

7600

9800-11800

4214700-17700

LPJC-252R+

2400-2500

3600

4800-5000

52

7200-7500

LPJC-592R+

4900-5950

7000

8800-12600

49

LPNK-252R+

2400-2500

3100

4800-5000

42

No.
of
Ways

Isolation
(dB),
Typ.

Insertion Loss
(dB)
Above
Theoretical,
Typ.

Phase
Unbalance(deg),
Typ.

Amplitude
Unbalance
(dB),
Typ.

Power
Input (W)as Splitter,Max.

Package
Size

SCG-2-242+

1000-2400

2

15

0.8

1.5

0.1

2

0805

SCG-2-322+

1800-3200

2

15

0.7

1.5

0.1

2

0805

SCG-2-592+

3800-5900

2

15

0.8

1.5

0.1

2

0805

SCG-3-162+

900-1600

3

18

1.2

5

0.2

2

0805

SCG-3-262+

1600-2600

3

17

1.2

5

0.4

2

0805

SCG-3-592+

4400-5900

3

17

1.2

5

0.4

2

0805

SCN-2-10+600-1000

2

15

0.5

1.7

0.1

1

1206

50Ω, 223 to 5950 MHz

LTCC Transformers & Baluns• Case styles as small as 0402
• Channel splits for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee and more
Model
NumberFrequency
Range
(MHz)

Impedance
Ratio

Single-Ended
toSingle-Ended

Single-Ended
to
Balanced

BalancedtoBalanced

CenterTap

DC
Isolation

Package
Size

BLGE1-252R+

2400-2500

1

N

Y

N

N

Y

0805

BLGE1-542R+

4900-5875

1

N

Y

N

N

Y

0805

BLGE2-252R+

2400-2500

2

N

Y

N

N

Y

0805

0805

BLGE2-542R+

4900-5875

2

N

Y

N

N

Y

0805

54

0805

BLGE4-252R+

2400-2500

4

N

Y

N

N

Y

0805

34

0603

BLGE4-542R+

4900-5875

4

N

Y

N

N

Y

0805

-

-

0603

BLJC1-252R+

2400-2500

1

N

Y

N

N

Y

0603

7200-7500

40

0402

BLJC1-542R+

4900-5950

1

N

Y

N

N

Y

0603

BLJC2-252R+

2400-2500

2

N

Y

N

N

Y

0603

BLJC2-542R+

4900-5875

2

N

Y

N

N

Y

0603

BLJC4-252R+

2400-2500

4

N

Y

N

N

Y

0603

BLJC4-542R+

4900-5950

4

N

Y

N

N

Y

0603

BLNK1-252R+

2400-2500

1

N

Y

N

N

N

0402

BLNK1-542R+

4900-5950

1

N

Y

N

N

N

0402

BLNK2-252R+

2400-2500

2

N

Y

N

N

N

0402

BLNK2-542R+

4900-5950

2

N

Y

N

N

N

0402

NCS1-521+

223-520

1

N

Y

N

N

N

0805

NCS4-521+

223-520

4

N

Y

N

N

Y

0805

50Ω, 4900 to 5850 MHz

LTCC High Pass Filters• Case styles as small as 0202
• Rejection up to 25 dB• Passbands optimized for high-band Wi-Fi
Model Number

Passband(MHz)

Stopband F3(MHz)

Rejection @ F3(dB)

Stopband F4(MHz)

Rejection @ F4(dB)

Package
Size

HPJC-492R+

4900-5850

500-2400

25

2400-2500

36

0603

HPSC-492R+

4900-5850

500-2400

25

2400-2500

34

0202

ISO 9001 ISO 14001 AS 9100

Frequency
Range
GHz

NEW
RELEASES

www.minicircuits.com 23

LTCC
PRODUCTSAMPLIFIERS

LTCC PRODUCTS

50Ω &75Ω, Passbands from DC to 4900 MHz

22• Case styles as small as 0402
• Rejection up to 30 dB• Channel splits for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee and more

APPLICATION NOTE:

24

ISO 9001 ISO 14001 AS 9100

It is critical that packages for RF components
allow the integration of multiple circuitaltechnologies while achieving the best
possible balance of performance andcost for a given application. Nevertheless,traditional packaging techniques have
proven incapable of translating the same
performance typically seen below X-band
into the millimeter wave range due toembedded parasitics and other inherent
technological constraints. These limitations
have led the design community to leverage
new packaging technologies, novel design
methodologies, and advanced CAD tools todevelop cost-effective, scalable packaging
solutions for high-frequency markets andapplications. These new packaging techniques
are now moving away from performancedegrading implementations such as molding
compounds and long wire bonding structuresto achieve outstanding performance beyond
55 GHz. In light of these developments, thispaper explores some of the key concepts
underlying the development of commercially
viable packaging solutions for millimeter wave
components (patent pending).
Index Terms
Low-Temperature Co-Fired Ceramic, LTCC,
MMIC, mmWave, Multi-Physics, Simulation,
SMT Package, Packaging

I. INTRODUCTION
Global mobile data usage is expected to growfrom 11.2 Petabytes/month in 2017 to 48.3
Petabytes/month in 2021. 5G has emerged
as a strong proposal to achieve a 1000X
increase in mobile data capacity and support
the expected data consumption of sevenbillion people and seven trillion devices whileremaining energy efﬁcient and maintaining
nearly-zero downtime[1]. The advent of 5G
has brought about increasing developmentof integrated circuits (ICs) to meet therequirements for high frequency applications
and a related need to develop cost-effective
packages that not only protect the ICs, but arealso capable of maintaining good electricalperformance across wide operational frequency
bands. Current surface mount QFN packages
are not suitable for packaging devices at
millimeter wave frequencies. Parasitic elements
encountered in the signal path, for example
discontinuities in the vertical transition fromthe PCB to the top side of the QFN and thewire bond to the IC, are negligible at lower
frequencies but become relevant once thephysical dimensions of the elements becomea fraction of the wavelength. Another drawbackof QFN packages is their reliance on overmolding, which not only increases electricalloss at higher frequencies, but also makes it
impossible to package die featuring air-bridges.
Moreover, QFN packages are incapable ofaccommodating ﬂip chip devices due to theirstandardized nature. Many solutions havebeen developed in order to address thesechallenges: Air cavity QFN packages allow for
ICs with air-bridges, but still lack a well-matchedtransition at high frequencies. MicroCoax
structures [2] allow for high frequency operation,
but require specialized assembly processes.
Custom packaging solutions can compensate
for parasitic effects [3] and allow for air-cavity
implementation. Fully-custom solutions are mostviable when incorporated into a rapid, low-risk
design strategy as well as a highly-automatedassembly process.
www.minicircuits.com 25

LTCC
PRODUCTSAMPLIFIERS

A Practical Approach to the
Design and Implementation of Scalable,
High-Performance, Custom SMT Packages
for mmWave Applications

ABSTRACT
After many years of research and development,
electrical engineers, physicists, mathematicians
and scientists have come to realize the beneﬁts
of operating communications systems at
higher frequencies. Some of the most notableadvances stemming from this research include:
smaller circuit implementations for the samefunctionality; improved antenna gain for a given
antenna size; and dramatic increases in datacarrying capacity. However, numerous challenges
remain in implementing high-frequency circuits
under real-world constraints. Among the non-trivial
problems, packaging stands out.

Modern RF applications have stringent
requirements for components beyond
electrical speciﬁcations; dense assemblies,
high operating powers, and the needfor robust, reliable systems place heavy
demands on MMIC package designers tobalance electrical performance with desirable
thermal and mechanical characteristics.
Since design features which beneﬁt one
aspect of performance may detract from therequirements of others, tradeoffs are often
necessary. For example, a tradeoff intended
to improve electrical performance at theexpense of heat dissipation may yield little
beneﬁt due to the effect of a temperaturerise on conductors and semiconductors. It istherefore critical for designers to understandthe simultaneous effects of design choices on
the different aspects of a device’s performanceFig. 2. Schematical cross section of organic package.

Fig. 3. Lumped element representation of the gold wireinterconnect between the package pad (CPK), the gold
wire (LWB) and the IC pad (CIC)

26

II. DESIGN
A. Structure
Schematical cross section diagrams of theceramic and organic packages and PCB are
shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, respectively. The
following description is common to both. The
IC is attached to the pocket inside the substrateusing conductive epoxy. This implementation
minimizes the length of the gold wirebonds.
The gold wire interconnects the RF pads of the
IC and the RF pads of the package, forming
the low-pass network depicted in Fig. 3, where
the wirebond is represented as a lumped
series inductance LWB, and the pads are
represented as CPK and CIC. Proper tuning of
this matching network is critical for an accurate
impedance match and good wideband electricalperformance. The package’s RF pad is followed
by a microstrip line with 50Ω characteristic
impedance, and a matched vertical transition
down to the bottom pad. The bottom pad of the
package is made to have a 50Ω characteristic
impedance in a Grounded Coplanar Waveguide(GCPW) conﬁguration. The package is soldered
to the PCB, which has GCPW with a 50 �characteristic impedance. A plastic or ceramic lid
is attached to the package with a non-conductive
B-staged epoxy.

ISO 9001 ISO 14001 AS 9100

B. Materials
Material and technology selection play a
big role in the performance of a package.
The selection of the right materials will
depend on the application requirements
such as hermeticity, maximum operating
frequency, package size, package weight,
ﬁrst- and second-level interconnects, thermal
management constraints, and tolerable
insertion loss of interconnects [4]. In boththe LTCC and organic substrate packages,
the selection of substrate material must take
into account the dielectric constant and loss
tangent needed to achieve the desired RF
performance. The substrate also determines
the package topology and the compatibility
with the other materials. The two substrates
explored here are LTCC and organic substrate.
The LTCC package, Fig. 1, consists of a ceramicmonolithic structure with a cavity formedin the top tape layers of the substrate. The
exposed top face of the pocket features acontinuous metallization that is connectedto the bottom ground pad through multiple
vias. Being a stiffer material, it is easier to wirebond. In the case of the organic package, Fig.
2, the pocket is created by removing a portionof the substrate and exposing the bottom
metallization, allowing for better RF grounding
and thermal resistance.
In both packages, the conductor materials
and ﬁnishes are selected to achieve good RF
performance and to accommodate industrystandard assembly processes. The metal
conductor on the LTCC package is typicallysilver with an Electroless Nickel Immersion Gold
(ENIG) surface ﬁnish. The plating protects theunderlying silver from oxidation and must also
have properties compatible with soldering andwirebonding processes. The organic package
employs copper conductors and may feature
any of several different surface ﬁnishes. The
choice of surface ﬁnish may be a critical matterin high frequency applications, as both surface
roughness and electrical conductivity havesigniﬁcant effects on insertion losses [5] [6].

The selection of the conductive epoxy used tomount the MMIC die has a signiﬁcant impact
on the total thermal resistance of the package.
As the main point of contact between thedie and the package, the epoxy facilitates the
majority of the die’s heat dissipation.
C. Simulation Workﬂow
During the design phase of this project, theelectrical,thermal, and mechanical performanceof the LTCC and organic packages wereanalyzed using a multi-physics simulation
workﬂow. The simulation workﬂow employedmultiple simulators which were operated
sequentially, with each simulator’s results being
used as part of the next simulator’s setup.
The speciﬁc simulation workﬂow is as follows:
1) A full 3D ﬁnite-element electromagnetic
simulation is performed on a simpliﬁed
version of the design’s geometry. The
simulation yields S-parameter data and a
spatial distribution of power dissipation
within the design.
2) A full 3D ﬁnite-element thermal simulation
is run on the electromagnetic simulation’smodel, augmented to include geometry
relevant to thermal and mechanical (but notelectrical) performance. As shown in Fig. 5,
effort was made to accurately model criticalregions of simulation geometry, such as
hollow and solder-ﬁlled PTHs. The simulation
employs the power dissipation computedfrom the electromagnetic simulation andyields a temperature distribution within themodel’s geometry.
3) A full 3D ﬁnite-element mechanicalsimulation is run on the full model geometry,employing the spatial temperature
distribution as part of its setup. The
simulation yields mechanical strains andstresses within the model geometry.
4) If desired, the above process may be iterated
until convergence criteria are met, feeding
the temperature rise information and model
www.minicircuits.com 27

LTCC PRODUCTS

LTCC PRODUCTS

Fig. 1. Schematical cross section of ceramic package.

In this paper, we present the development ofcustom surface-mount packages with goodelectrical performance from DC to 50 GHz,
accounting for the PCB, the surface mountpackage, and the IC (patent pending). Section
II describes the package’s components anddesign. Section III discusses the trade-off
between customization and standardization ofdesign features in the context of performanceand cost goals. Measured performance ofa broadband MMIC attenuator die in bothcustom organic and LTCC packages are shown.
Additionally, the beneﬁts of a multi-physics
simulation workﬂow employed in the designof these packages are discussed.

geometry deformation into the electricalsimulator for the next pass. In practice, asingle pass is often sufﬁcient to achieve
outstanding agreement between simulation
results and physical measurements.

Fig. 5. Close-up of geometry and mesh employedin thermal and mechanical simulations of LTCC
package, with package lid hidden. Note that themodel includes solder, die-attach epoxy, and both
hollow and solder-ﬁlled PTHs.

While more complex than a workﬂow involving
separate electrical, thermal, and mechanicalsimulation tasks, a true multi-physics simulation
workﬂow provides design engineers with aholistic view of a design’s performance. For
example, a traditional thermal simulation of a
microstrip conductor may involve a uniformlydistributed heat source applied to the
conductor’s volume or faces. Such an approach
discards valuable information about localizedheat generation, since current densities at
millimeter-wave frequencies are nonuniform.
A multi-physics simulation approach implicitly
captures this effect and others without needingattention from the designer.

28

ISO 9001 ISO 14001 AS 9100

‘templated’ approach to package design
allows for the reuse of proven design elements,
reducing the effort and risk incurred by from—scratch solutions. Facilities for adaptation toan application’s speciﬁc electrical, thermal,
mechanical, and environmental needs areprovided while minimizing or eliminating theneed for extensive qualiﬁcation of new designs.

Because the electrical, thermal, andmechanical aspects of a design’s performanceare often linked (due to temperaturedependent electrical resistivities, thermal
expansion, and so on), such a simulation
workﬂow makes it possible to best understandthe impact of design decisions on interrelated
aspects of performance. The workﬂow has
been qualiﬁed through multiple projects
involving several technologies, and achieves
simulation results in very close agreement withperformance measurements. As with otherportions of Mini-Circuits’ established LTCC
process, it is subject to continual evaluationand improvement.

QFN packages are typically available in a
granular range of standardized sizes(3mm x 3mm, 4mm x 4mm, and so on), while
a MMIC die may be any size and aspectratio. A die that is slightly too large to ﬁt one
standard QFN package size must instead
use the next size up, necessitating long
wirebonds with correspondingly large parasitic
inductances. The package itself offers little
facility to compensate for these parasitics, atask relegated instead to conductor geometryon the PCB and die. Furthermore, QFN
packages employ a plastic encapsulant whichenvelops the leadframe, die, and wirebonds.
Delicate structures on the MMIC die suchas air bridges are incompatible with such an
encapsulation process; even in the absence ofincompatible MMIC features, the encapsulant
may detune or degrade the performance ofsensitive electronics simply by proximity. Finally,
the terminals of the QFN package are highly
standardized with little ﬂexibility of the padsizes and geometries. For some applications,the electrical parasitics associated with the ﬁxed
transition geometry may be unacceptable.

III. CUSTOMIZATION VS.
STANDARDIZATION
Although the QFN package has been an
industry workhorse for both active and passive
electronic components up to V-band [7],its highly-standardized nature makes it asuboptimal solution for some applications. As
applications march towards millimeter-wave
frequencies, packaging technologies must
adapt to widely-varying industry needs.
While a one-size-ﬁts-all solution may ﬁt all
applications equally poorly, a fully-custom
solution yielding outstanding results may becost- and time-prohibitive. To develop a rapid,
cost-effective packaging solution which still
offers outstanding application ﬂexibility, it
was desirable to combine industry-standard
processes and tunable design features intoa customizable package template. This

Mini-Circuits’ custom LTCC and organic
substrate packages address the above
limitations, offering solutions with sufﬁcient
ﬂexibility to meet the needs of a wide variety
of applications. In these packages, the die
inhabits a pocket atop the substrate as shownin Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. The pocket’s dimensions are
speciﬁed according to the customer’s die sothat wirebond pads can be brought as close to

the die as possible, minimizing bondwire lengthand inductance. Therefore the LTCC and organic
substrate packages offer greater ﬂexibility withregard to MMIC die sizes even though they
are currently available in the same sizes asstandard QFN packages, 3mm x 3mm, 4mm x4mm, and 5mm x 5mm. A plastic lid is afﬁxed
over the die and wire bonds with a B-staged
epoxy compound, maintaining an air gap
above the die and wirebonds and achieving asemi-hermetic seal. The use of an air gap rather
than an encapsulant permits the packaging
of delicate MMIC structures and minimizes
degradation of electrical performance.
Unlike QFN packages, the LTCC and organic
substrate packages offer the ﬂexibility needed
to best suit a wide variety of applications. The
package structure contains tunable elements
which electrically compensate for the parasitics
associated with the transitions from the PCB
to the package and from the package to the
MMIC die. Furthermore, since the packagefeatures printed conductors rather than a solid
leadframe, the footprints of the LTCC andorganic substrate packages can be customized
with minimal tooling cost.

IV. EXAMPLES
To validate the design and to measure
the performance of the organic and LTCC
packages, multiple packages were designed,
fabricated, and tested. The packages wereassembled and soldered on 5 mil Taconic TLY-5
evaluation PCBs with 50Ω CPWG traces. 2.4mm
Southwest Microwave edge-launch connectors
were used to interface the PCBs with the Vector
Network Analyzer (VNA). Standard Short-OpenLoad-Thru (SOLT) calibration was performed
up to 55 GHz, up to the reference plane of theconnectors. The insertion loss measurements
for each package are normalized by subtracting
the losses of the PCB thru-line.

www.minicircuits.com 29

LTCC PRODUCTSAPPLICATION NOTE

Fig. 4. Electromagnetic simulation model of LTCC
package, including only the design elements relevant
to electrical performance.

The ability of a multi-physics simulation toautomatically account for conditions toocomplex to set up manually is especiallyvaluable for LTCC designs. As LTCC designs
consist of a monolithic ceramic structure withcomplex internal conductor geometry, thermal
images of the exterior of such a device may not
fully reveal its internal thermal behavior.

Fig. 6. IC in organic package on evaluation board.
(a) Package with lid on evaluation board. (b) Close-upof package without lid, showing ﬂip chip die atoppackage substrate.

C. Flip-Chip SPDT Switch on Ceramic Package

References

A ﬂip-chip SPDT switch is mounted on top ofan ceramic package. Fig. 10 shows the package
mounted on top of the PCB, as well as a close
up of the package with the exposed ﬂip-chip die.
Fig. 11 shows the measured data of the device
with the RF2 channel active. A good return loss
is observed over the entire bandwidth.

[1] National Instruments. (2018) 5g new radio:
Introduction to the physical layer. [Online].
Available: http://www.ni.com/enus/
innovations/wireless/5g/new-radio.html

Fig. 11. Measurement results SPDT ﬂip-chip switch
with RF2 channel active.

Fig. 8. IC in LTCC package on evaluation board. (a)Package without lid on evaluation board. (b) Close-upof package without lid, showing die and wirebonds.
Fig. 7. Measurement results of 2 dB attenuatoron organic package.

A. MMIC 2 dB Attenuator on Organic Package
A 2 dB MMIC attenuator is mounted andwirebonded on top of an organic package. Fig. 6
shows the package mounted on top of the PCB,
as well as a close up of the package without thelid, showing the die and the wirebonds. Fig. 7
shows the measured data of the device. The S21
trace shows a very ﬂat response of −2 dB up to
48 GHz. A good return loss is also observed forthe entire frequency bandwidth.

Fig. 9. Measurement results of 2 dB attenuator on
LTCC package.

B. MMIC 2 dB Attenuator on Ceramic Package
A 2 dB MMIC attenuator is mounted andwirebonded on top of a ceramic package. Fig. 8
shows the package mounted on top of the PCB,
as well as a close up of the package without thelid, showing the die and the wirebonds. Fig. 9shows the measured data of the device. The S21
trace shows a very ﬂat response of −2 dB up to
55 GHz. A good return loss is also observed forthe entire frequency bandwidth.

30

ISO 9001 ISO 14001 AS 9100

Packages employing both LTCC and organic
substrate materials have been developed(patent pending). Outstanding electricalperformance of both packaging technologies
has been demonstrated up to 55 GHz. Bothpackaging methodologies accommodatea wide variety of application-speciﬁc needs,
including impedance-matching, variable die
sizes, and a wide range of IO pad counts,
signal types (DC or RF), and PCB geometries.
By combining standardized and adjustablefeatures into a tunable package template,Mini-Circuits’ approach to packaging achieves
desirable electrical performance and broad
applicability while minimizing turnaround time,cost, and risk.

VI. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors would like to thank Mini-Circuits
for providing the resources needed to conduct
the research and develop the innovations
presented in this paper.

[3] K. Fujii and H. Morkner, “Two novel
broadband MMIC ampliﬁers in SMT
package for 1 to 40 GHz low cost
applications,” in 2005 European Microwave
Conference, vol. 2, pp. 4 pp.–1086.
[4] R. Sturdivant, Microwave and MillimeterWave Electronic Packaging, ser.
Artech House microwave library.
Artech House, 2013. [Online].
Available:https://books.google.com.co/books?id=xphQAgAAQBAJ[5] J. Coonrod, “Ambiguous inﬂuences
affecting insertion loss of microwave
printed circuit boards [application notes],”IEEE microwave magazine, vol. 13, no. 5,
pp. 66–75, 2012.
[6] M. Henry, C. Free, Q. Reynolds, S. Malkmus,
and J. Wood, “LTCC technology at highmillimetre wave frequencies,” in 2006 1stElectronic Systemintegration Technology
Conference. IEEE, 2006. [Online].
Available: https://doi.org/10.1109/
estc.2006.280087[7] Mini-Circuits. (2018) EP2KA+ Datasheet.
[Online]. Available: https://www.
minicircuits.com/pdfs/EP2KA+.pdf

Fig. 10. Packaged IC on evaluation board. (a) Packagewith lid on evaluationboard. (b) Close-up of package
without lid, showing die and wirebonds.

www.minicircuits.com 31

LTCC PRODUCTS

LTCC PRODUCTS

V. CONCLUSION[2] E. A. Sanjuan and S. S. Cahill, “QFN-based
millimeter wave packaging to 80 GHz,” in2009 IEEE MTT-S International Microwave
Workshop Series on Signal Integrity andHigh-Speed Interconnects, pp. 9–12.

▼75Ω, 5 to 1218 MHz

0°/180° Magic-T Splitter/Combiner• Low amplitude unbalance, 0.3 dB• Low phase unbalance, ±3°• Good power handling, 0.5W
• Supports bandwidth requirements for DOCSIS® 3.1
Model
NumberFrequency
Range
(MHz)

Isolation
(dB),
Typ.

Insertion Loss(dB) above 3 dB,
Typ.

Phase Unbalance(deg),
Typ.

Amplitude
Unbalance (dB),
Typ.

Power
Input (W)as Splitter,Max.

SYMT-122-75+

5-1218

20

3.2

7

0.6

0.5

50Ω, 0.5 to 40 GHz

Ultra-Wideband
Coaxial Splitter/Combiners• Low amplitude unbalance, 0.3 dB• Low phase unbalance, ±3°• Good power handling, 0.5W
• Supports bandwidth requirements for DOCSIS® 3.1
Model
NumberFrequency
Range
GHz

Isolation
(dB),
Typ.

Numberof
Ways

Insertion Loss
(dB)
Above
Theoretical,
Typ.

Phase
Unbalance(deg),
Typ.

Amplitude
Unbalance
(dB),
Typ.

Power
Input (W)as Splitter,Max.

ZC3PD-K1844+

18000-40000

31

3

1.2

3.7

0.15

13.6

ZC4PD-K0144+

1000-40000

33

4

1.8

1.5

0.1

20

ZN4PD-K44+

10000-40000

22

4

1.5

6

0.3

20

ZC8PD-5R263-S+

500-26500

35

8

4.1

3.1

0.2

20

ZC8PD-01263-S+

1000-26500

26

8

3.2

2.9

0.14

20

ZC8PD-02263-S+

2000-26500

31

8

2.1

2.3

0.11

20

ZC8PD-06263-S+

6000-26500

28

8

1.2

2.6

0.11

20

ZC8PD-18263-S+

18000-26500

26

8

1.7

4.2

0.19

20

ZC8PD-K5R44W+

500-40000

35

8

4.1

1.9

0.18

20

0°/180° Magic-T for DOCSIS® 3.1 applications

ZC8PD-K0644+

6000-40000

28

8

2.0

2.2

0.12

20

Ultra-wideband coaxial splitter/combiners,
3-way to 16-way up to 40 GHz.

ZN8PD-K44+

10000-40000

20

8

2

8

0.3

20

ZC8PD-K1844+

18000-40000

26

8

1.8

5.3

0.16

20

ZC16PD-06263-S+

6000-26500

24

16

2.2

3.3

0.2

20

ZC16PD-18263-S+

18000-26500

23

16

3.1

3.8

0.24

20

ZC16PD-K0644+

6000-40000

26

16

2.2

6

0.28

20

ZC16PD-K1844+

18000-40000

22

16

3.1

5.9

0.2

20

H I G H L I G H T S▼

SPLITTERS/COMBINERS

www.minicircuits.com 33

SPLITTERS/COMBINERSAMPLIFIERS

S
/ NER
I
RS
TE MB
LIT COSPSCTEST SOLUTIONS

50Ω DC to 40 GHz

USB/Ethernet Switch Modules• Ideal for signal routing in high-frequency test setups• Low insertion loss and high isolation• User-friendly GUI and full API included
NEW RELEASES

Model Number

Frequency
Range
(GHz)

SwitchType

Numberof
Switches

Insertion
Loss (dB),Typ.

Isolation
(dB),
Typ.

VSWR (:1),
Typ.

RF Power(W), Max.

Case
Style

RC-1SP6T-26

DC-26.5

SP6T

1

0.25

90

1.35

20

PF2909

RC-2SP4T-40

DC-40

SP4T

2

0.3

80

1.3

20

MR2616

RC-2SP4T-26

DC-26.5

SP4T

2

0.2

80

1.35

20

MR2616

RC-2SP6T-26

DC-26.5

SP6T

2

0.25

90

1.35

20

PF2675

RC-2SP6T-40

DC-40

SP6T

2

0.4

80

1.7

20

PF267550Ω DC to 40 GHz

USB/Ethernet Programmable Attenuators• Covering applications from 1 MHz to 40 GHz• Precise attenuation control up to 120 dB• Ideal for transmission loss simulation for a wide
range of test applications• User-friendly GUI and full API included
Frequency
Range
(MHz)

ControlInterface

NumberofChannels

Attenuation
Range (dB),TypAttenuation
Step (dB),TypAttenuation
Accuracy(dB), Typ

Max
Input
Power
(dBm)

IP3 (dB),
Typ

RC4DAT-8G-95

1-8000USB & Ethernet

4

95

0.25

± 0.8

28

51

RCDAT-30G-30

1-30000

USB & Ethernet

1

30

0.5

± 0.8

24

38

RCDAT-40G-30

1-40000

USB & Ethernet

1

30

0.5

± 1.0

24

38

Model Number

TEST
SOLUTIONSAMPLIFIERS

NS
TIO
LU
SO
ST
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TS

50Ω, 1 to 15000 MHz▼

Programmable attenuators up to 40 GHz▼

USB/Ethernet switch modules to 40 GHz▼

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USB/Ethernet
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design veriﬁcation and more
•User-friendly GUI and full API included

Model Number

Frequency
Range
(MHz)

Power
Range
(dBm)

Frequency
Resolution(Hz), Min.

Power
Resolution
(dB),
Nom.

Harmonics& SubHarmonics(dBc),
Typ.

Non-Harmonic
Spurious(dBc) @ 100
kHz Step,
Typ.

Phase Noise(dBc/Hz)SSB@ 100 Hz
Offset,Typ.

Phase Noise(dBc/Hz) SSB@ 1/10/100 kHz
Offset,Typ.

SSG-15G-RC

10-15000-50 to 15

0.1

0.1

-25

-70

-83

-103/-112/-112

SSG-6000RC

25-6000-65 to 14

3

0.25

-52

-72

-82

-96/-99/-102

SSG-6001RC

1-6000-70 to 15

3

0.25

-65

-73

-92

-108/-112/-119

NEW RELEASE

www.minicircuits.com 35

S
ER S
RM LUNA
SFO & BAN
TR

TB

TRANSFORMERS & BALUNS

50Ω and 75Ω, 5 to 1500 GHz

Surface Mount Transformers• Small footprint• Wideband with ﬂat response• Good amplitude and phase unbalances
Model
NumberSingleEnded
to Single
Ended

SingleEnded toBalanced

Balanced toBalanced

CenterTap?

DC
Isolation?

Frequency
Range
(MHz)

Impedance

Impedance
Ratio

SYTX2-451-5W+

N

Y

Y

N

Y

10-45050

2

TC1-1T-152X+

N

Y

N

Y

N

5-150050

1

TRC1-1-122-75+

N

Y

N

N

N

5-125075

1DC to 3000 MHz• BNC-male (50Ω) to BNC-female (75Ω) connectors• Low insertion loss, 0.6 dB• 2W power handling• DC passing

INSERTION LOSS
0.0
INSERTION
LOSS

0.0

Frequency Range(MHz)
DC-2300

0.1

0.1
Impedance
0.2
Ratio0.2

Impedance

0.2

INSERTION LOSS (dB)

Z7550-BMBF+

0.1

INSERTION LOSS (dB)

Model
Number

0.1

0.2
0.3

50/75

0.3

Z7550-BMBF+
920

460

1380

920

1380

1840

2300

1380

1840

2300

1380

1840

FREQUENCY (MHz)
2300

1840

FREQUENCY (MHz)50Ώ RETURN LOSS

50Ώ 10
RETURN LOSS
12

0.1

12

14

0.2

14

16

0.2

16

0.3
0.3
0.4
0.4
0.5

INPUTRETURN LOSS (dB)

10

INPUTRETURN LOSS (dB)

INSERTION LOSS (dB)

2

0

460

0.1

18
20
22
24

0

460

920
FREQUENCY (MHz)

130
380
0

18
20
22
24
26
28

26

30

28

0.5

1840
460

0

2300
920

460
1380

920
FREQUENCY (MHz)
2300

1840

FREQUENCY (MHz)50Ώ RETURN LOSS

75Ώ RETURN LOSS
1075Ώ RETURN
LOSS

10

12

14

12

14

16

14

16

18

16

20
22
24
26
28
30
0

460

920
FREQUENCY (MHz)OUTPUTRETURN LOSS (dB)12

OUTPUTRETURN LOSS (dB)

INPUTRETURN LOSS (dB)

10

18
20
22
24

20
22
24
26
28

26
28
1380
30
0

18

30
1840

2300

460

920

0

460
1380

920
1840

2300

FREQUENCY (MHz)2300

FREQUENCY (MHz)75Ώ RETURN LOSS101214OUTPUTRETURN LOSS (dB)

▼

1.6

0.4

0.5

0.5

INSERTION LOSS

▼

0.6

0.3

0.5

0.0

50/75Ω matching transformer, BNC-M to BNC-F

RF InputPower
Handling (W)

0.3

0.4
0.5

Tiny, surface-mount core-and-wire transformers

VSWR (:1)

1.5 0.4

0.4

0H I G H L I G H T S

Insertion Loss
(dB)

16
18
20
22
24
26
28

www.minicircuits.com 37

TRANSFORMERS& BALUNSAMPLIFIERS

50Ω / 75Ω Matching Transformer

VS

VCOs

Surface Mount VCOs
• Low phase noise• Good pushing and pulling• Small size
• Robust design and construction

Phase NoisedBc/Hz SSB at offset
frequencies, kHz
TypPulling(MHz) Pushingpk-pk @ (MHz/V),
12 dBr,TuningPower
VoltageFrequency Output
(V)
(dBm)
Range
(MHz)
Typ. Min. Max.

1

10

100

1000

Typ.

ROS-1801C-119+

1800-1800

6

0.5

9.5

-101

-126

-147

-166

ROS-2001C-119+

2000-2000

7

0.5

9.5

-100

-126

-148

ROS-5815C-119+5685-5815

3.5

0.5

4.5

-74

-106

-129

Model
Number

Typ.

0.2

0.1

1.5

-16

50

8

37

-165

0.2

0.1

0.7

-16

50

8

38

-149

1.5

1.5

70-80

-17

100

5

32

-90

P h a s e N o is e @

7. 7

+25°C

7. 4

-100
-110

O u tp u t P o w e r (d B m )P h a s e N o is e ( d B c /H z )Po w e r Ou t p u t

8

-80

-120
-130
-140
-150

7. 1
6. 8
6. 5
6. 2
5. 9

-160

5. 6

-170

5. 3

-180

5
1

10

100

1000

-55°C
+25°C
+85°C

0

2

4

ROS-2001C-119+

Ph a se No i se
-80-90

P h a s e N o is e @O u tp u t P o w e r (d B m )P h a s e N o is e ( d B c /H z )

7. 6

-120
-130
-140
-150

7. 4
7. 2
7
6. 8
6. 6

-160

6. 4

-170

6. 2

-180

6

1

10

New surface mount VCOs with low phase noise

100

1000

-40°C
+25°C
+85°C

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

T u n in g V o lta g e ( V )ROS-5815C-119+

Ph a se No i se-60

Po w e r Ou t p u t

8-70

P h a s e N o is e @

7

+25°C

-80

6

-90

5

O u tp u t P o w e r (d B m )P h a s e N o is e ( d B c /H z )▼12

Po w e r Ou t p u t

F re q u e n c y O ffs e t (k H z )

▼

10

7. 8

+25°C

-110

-100
-110
-120
-130

4
3
2
1

-140

0

-150

-1

-160

8

8

-100

Application note: Specifying VCOs for HighFrequency Clock Circuits

6

T u n in g V o lta g e ( V )F re q u e n c y O ffs e t (k H z )H I G H L I G H T S

Typ.

-2
1

10

F re q u e n c y O ffs e t (k H z )

100

1000

-40°C
+25°C
+85°C

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

T u n in g V o lta g e ( V )www.minicircuits.com 39

VCOs
AMPLIFIERS

Os
VC

Harmonics(dBc)

ROS-1801C-119+

Ph a se No i seDC
3 dB
OperatingControl
Power
BW
Current(MHz), Vcc(mA)
Typ. (volts) Max.
Max.

TuningSensitivity(MHz/V)Typ.

T
APPLICATION NOTE:

VCOs are capable of low noise and high stability with the convenienceof tunable frequency for applications requiring reliable clock timing.

VCOs can serve as clock timing circuits for
wireless communications networks, video
broadcast systems, and test equipment,
essentially any systems requiring timing
synchronization, for data processing, digital
signal processing, or channeling of logic
signals. VCOs support data-conversion
circuits in analog-to-digital converters (ADCs),
digital-to-analog converters (DACs), andlogic circuits in need of reliable clock timing
signals. These tunable, high-frequency
oscillators are available from many different
suppliers in many different formats, fromchips to packaged devices, making thetask of specifying a VCO for a clock timing
application or even a traditional analog
heterodyne receiver no simple task. Selecting
a VCO for clock timing applications requires
an understanding of VCO performance
speciﬁcations and how they can be applied in
the time-domain realm of clock timing circuits.
Working with clock timing circuits usually
involves tight management of timing
accuracy in the clock timing source. Errors
in clock timing can result in poor digitalsystem performance, causing lost or missing

data. High-speed clock signals are usuallycharacterized by fast rise and fall times, with
an amplitude-versus-time plot showing apeak amplitude with very sharp edges (Fig.1).
Sharper slopes leading to and trailing from thepeak amplitude represent less noise and lesstiming errors. Clock signals that are narrower
or wider than optimum limits are errors in clock
timing caused by phase noise and can degrade
system performance.

Figure 1: High-speed clocks require signals with sharpleading and trailing edges and sharp rise times to clearlydeﬁne timing in system applications.

An ideal clock signal plot would show a signal
trace with almost vertical, 90° rising and fallingedges to the peak amplitude of the output
signal. Unfortunately, real-world clock oscillators
suffer some amount of noise due to signal
power spread from the carrier to the sidebands
as well as the generation of harmonics of thedesired output frequency. Noise can also result
from nonharmonic, spurious signal sources
falling within the bandwidth of the oscillator.
Additionally, energy spread from the carrier
to the sidebands causes variations in signal
frequency and phase and is measured as
single-sideband (SSB) phase noise (Fig. 2). All
these noise sources can cause timing errors inan oscillator that is used as a clock source.

www.minicircuits.com 41

VCOs

Specifying VCOs for
Clock Timing Circuits

iming is everything for many systems,
especially for modern electronicsystems with high-speed data
converters and high-resolution sampling. A
clock source is “the keeper of time” in thesesystems and system timing performance isvery much dependent upon the performanceof its clock source. For some system designers,
a clock source automatically means a crystal
oscillator, typically a single-frequency source.
But some system designers, especially those
faced with synchronizing systems at multiple
clock frequencies, have learned to appreciate
the ﬂexibility of using voltage-controlled
oscillators (VCOs) as clock sources.

Figure 2: Oscillator phase noise is a measure of noiselevels at different offset frequencies from the carrier.

While no ideal clock timing source may exist,
good sources are available. Oscillator noise
parameters of SSB phase noise, harmonic
noise, and spurious noise provide a means todetermine the usefulness of a given model asa clock timing source. VCOs provide output
signals at a speciﬁed center frequency (fc) andmodulation bandwidth around that center
frequency. A VCO’s tuning range is deﬁned by aminimum and maximum frequency and by thetuning voltage that is applied to the oscillator to
produce the frequencies within its tuning range.

42

The frequency control of a VCO is also deﬁned
by its tuning speed, which is typically the time
for an oscillator to settle within 90% of its ﬁnal
frequency after a change in tuning voltage has
been applied. The tuning speed may also be
described by a VCO’s settling time, which isa function of modulation bandwidth (longer
settling times for wider bandwidths).
Additional VCO frequency-tuning parameters
to consider include:• post-tuning drift: variations from a desired
frequency within a speciﬁed time after a tuning
voltage has been applied;• frequency pushing: variations from a desired
frequency due to changes in power-supply
voltage, usually expressed as MHz/V; and• frequency pulling: variations from a desired
frequency as a result of impedance loads fromother components within the same system, suchas ampliﬁers and ﬁlters connected to the VCO.

ISO 9001 ISO 14001 AS 9100

For systems with multiple VCOs, pulling cancause frequency errors and timing differences
between clock oscillators that can impact bit
error rate (BER) and digital system performance.
Controlling Noise and Jitter
For high-speed clock timing circuits, clock
timing oscillators should provide high stability,with the lowest levels of noise possible,
including low SSB phase noise, harmonics,
and spurious noise. All three forms of noise
can degrade system-level performance whena VCO is used as a clock timing oscillator.
In the frequency domain, SSB phase noise
close to the carrier (such as offset 1 or 10
kHz from the carrier) is usually considered ofmost concern because it is often being mixed
with the carrier as a local oscillator (LO) forreceiver or transmitter frequency-conversion
applications. In the time domain, where phasenoise is referred to as “jitter,” high noise levels
at offsets further from the carrier are also ofgreater concern because they are an indicationof large amounts of wideband noise. Whenphase noise is represented as jitter, it is the total
integrated phase noise (noise at all offsets) thatis considered for jitter conversions and noise
far from the carrier can contribute to increased
jitter. Especially for VCOs used as clock sources,
noise far from the carrier can be thought of asdegrading the rise and fall times or sharpness ofa clock’s pulse edges, resulting in timing errors.
Jitter refers to timing variations in the signal
edges of an oscillator’s clock signals whencompared to perfectly timed clock signals (Fig.
3). The signal timing variations are caused bynoise within a system and can be the result of
the effects of changing operating temperatures,
power-supply variations, changes in the
impedance load conditions, semiconductor

device noise, and interference from nearby
circuits. When considering a VCO for clock
timing applications, whether it be phasenoise or jitter, the value should be as low as
possible for the most precise timing results.
In general, a VCO with acceptably low phasenoise will also perform with very low jitter inclock timing circuits. The additional oscillator
noise components from harmonic and spurious
signals can also degrade the quality of oscillator
spectral purity in the frequency domain andjitter performance in the time domain andshould be kept at the lowest levels possible.

Figure 3: Jitter is a measure of timing variation in theedges of signal waveforms.

Comparing the phase-noise levels of different
VCOs for clock timing applications is typicallynot a simple task since the phase noise
occupies so many different sidebands around acarrier frequency (fc) of interest. Phase noise istypically at its highest levels close to the carrier,with noise levels dropping for offsets further
from the carrier. The phase noise typically has
three slopes, with the highest slope, for noise
also known as ﬂicker FM noise, close to thecarrier. The middle slope region of phase noise
is known as 1/f noise, with steadily decreasing
noise further from the carrier. The region ofphase noise furthest from the carrier, at thelowest levels of noise, is known as white noiseor broadband noise. Because jitter equates tothe total integrated phase noise of an oscillator,

www.minicircuits.com 43

VCOs

VCOs

Asynchronous clocking applications, such asvideo broadcast systems and Ethernet systems,
typically employ many different clock oscillators
serving as local timing reference sources fordifferent components (such as ADCs, DACs, andFPGAs) within the system. For such applications
requiring multiple clock signals, the frequenciesof those clock signals will establish a minimum
tuning range for a VCO used as a clock
oscillator, perhaps with added bandwidth toallow for some amount of frequency tolerance
within the system. The VCO’s tuning step size
should provide the frequency resolution (suchas 1 kHz) required to produce the frequenciesof the multiple timing signals. Commercial
VCOs are available with both narrowband andwideband tuning ranges, although the tuning
response must provide the frequency resolution
required by a given application.

VCOs

circuits. The impact of VCO performance onanalog systems is well understood, and VCOs
can be just as valuable as timing sources for
digital systems.

Measurements of phase noise are performed
in one of the sidebands (<fc or >fc) within a
1-Hz bandwidth at various offsets from thecarrier frequency. It is important that the noiselevels being compared for different oscillators
are for the same carrier frequency and offsets.
Because the noise power is at frequencies
lower or higher than the desired carrier, highphase noise results in some “detuning” of
the carrier frequency, depending upon the
sideband and the offset frequency. For clock
timing applications, the SSB phase-noise levels
across all offsets from the carrier are important,especially at offsets greater than 10 MHz(which are often not considered for analog
applications). In short, lower levels of SSB phasenoise equal low jitter in VCOs.

Fortunately, VCO phase-noise plots and an
oscillator’s spectral purity (including harmonics
and spurious noise) can be translated into jitterfor clock timing applications using equations
available in the literature or a jitter mask which
is imposed over a VCO’s phase-noise plot toidentify noise at offset frequencies of interest.
The phase noise may not be critical at all offsets;for example, noise at offsets from 12 kHz to 20
MHz has traditionally been of main concern
for optical communications applications suchas synchronous optical network (SONET)
communications systems. In general, a jittermask (Fig. 4) can be a useful tool for identifying
design limits, such as the maximum SSB phasenoise levels corresponding to required jitter
design limits in the time domain.

Connecting a VCO
Analog circuit designers have long applied
VCOs’ outputs to heterodyne receiver ports
as LO signals, converting RF input signals
to intermediate-frequency (IF) signals forprocessing. In the mixed-signal and digital
circuit realms, components such as digital signal
processors (DSPs), ADCs, and DACs provide
clock input ports for timing and synchronization
purposes. Signals for these clock inputs havetraditionally been provided by lower-frequency
clock oscillators. But as the speeds andfrequencies of digital components continue toclimb, VCOs appear as more likely candidates
for clock timing sources because they provide
the higher frequencies, lower phase noise, andoutstanding stability needed for clock timing

44

ISO 9001 ISO 14001 AS 9100

see the table. Model 4608CH-2+ is a ﬁxedfrequency oscillator developed to provide
a ﬁxed timing signal at 4608 MHz for cable
television (CATV) systems. It is housed in acompact surface-mount package (Fig. 5) for
operating temperatures from -5 to +95°C.
At less than one-half the frequency, modelROS-1801C-1+ provides clock timing signals
at 1800 MHz as a drop-in replacement for
ﬁxed-frequency integrated-circuit (IC) VCOs inmany test equipment and system applications.
It provides as much as +8 dBm output power
and typically +6 dBm output power with typicaltuning sensitivity of 1.5 MHz/V for a tuningvoltage range of 0.5 to 9.5 V.

Figure 5: Model ROS-4608CH-2+ is a surface-mount
VCO with ﬁxed-frequency output at 4608 MHz withtypical tuning sensitivity of 6 MHz/V for a control
voltage range of 0.9 to 4.35V

At 2000 MHz, model ROS-2000C-6+ is a VCO
well suited for clock timing applications inemerging Fifth Generation (5G) clock timing
applications. The RoHS-compliant source is also
housed in a compact surface-mount package, withvery little drift across a wide operating temperature
range of -40 to +85°C. All three VCOs feature low
phase noise and outstanding frequency stability toserve as clock timing sources.
In short, electronic systems continue to movehigher in frequency and speed, with growing
numbers of users relying on those systems
for communications, transportation, even
health care. To keep users and their systems
connected, timing is everything, and electronic
timing depends on a high-quality clock source,
often more than one. For higher systemfrequencies, low-noise VCOs provide the timing
accuracy needed to maintain many systems wellinto
the future.
Note: For more on VCO performanceparameters, refer to “Glossary of VCO Terms”
https://www.minicircuits.com/appdoc/AN95003.html on minicircuits.com. For more on
VCO testing, refer to “Mini-Circuits® VCO Test
Methods.” https://www.minicircuits.com/
appdoc/VCO15-15.html

Figure 4: A jitter mask makes it possible to evaluate a
VCO’s frequency-domain spectral purity characteristics
relative to the jitter performance in the time domain.

Sizing Up Specs
What type of VCO performance levels areneeded for providing dependable clock timing
in real-world applications? For a sampling of
VCOs developed for clock timing applications,www.minicircuits.com 45

VCOs

higher broadband phase noise contributes tohigher jitter. High jitter causes errors in digitalsystem sampling time, reduced signal-to-noise
ratio (SNR) and missing or lost digital bits.

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