GNSS receiver eliminates need for external LNA and IF SAW filters

Engineered using Maxim's low-power SiGe BiCMOS process technology, this Universal GNSS Receiver is a complete receiver chain on a single chip that provides both high performance and remarkable integration at a low cost for a variety of industrial- and consumer-based RF applications.

The GNSS receiver differs from competing solutions with a highly integrated design that eliminates the need for external LNA and IF surface acoustic wave (SAW) filters, allowing the device to achieve a total cascaded noise figure of 1.4 dB.

Using Maxim’s silicon germanium (SiGe) BiCMOS process technology, the device integrates a complete receiver chain that includes a dual-input LNA and mixer, image-rejection filter, VGA, VCO, fractional-N frequency synthesiser, crystal oscillator and a multi-bit analogue-to-digital converter (ADC).

The delta-sigma fractional-N frequency synthesizer enables IF programming with ±40-Hz accuracy while operating with any reference or crystal frequency available in the host system.

The integrated ADC outputs provide one or two quantized bits for both I and Q channels or three quantised bits for the I channel.Output data is available either at CMOS or at limited-differential logic levels.

Supporting development of the MAX2769C is Maxim’s MAX2769CEVKIT evaluation kit, which enables complete performance testing of the MAX2769C and requires no additional support circuitry.

The fully assembled and tested kit includes standard 50Ω SMA connectors for quick and easy evaluation on the test bench.

Designed to work with most GPS baseband processors on the market, the MAX2769C is ideal for a wide range of RF applications, including automotive navigation, asset tracking, cellular handsets, portable navigation devices, digital cameras, and ultra-mobile personal computers.