PLL enables better RF sensitivity and radar accuracy

5th June 2014

Nat Bowers

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Datasheet

Texas Instruments announce what the company claims to be the industry’s highest-performance 14GHz fractional-N PLLatinum phased-locked loop (PLL) with advanced frequency modulation. The LMX2492 is also claimed to offer the industry’s best noise performance, 6dB better than the nearest competitor, for improved RF sensitivity and radar range and accuracy.

The device also supports a 200MHz phase frequency detector, a 5V charge pump supply and a wide operating frequency range from 500MHz to 14GHz. The LMX2492 is offered in industrial and automotive grade (class 1) for military and automotive radar, microwave backhaul, communications and test and measurement applications.

The LMX2492 is part of TI’s growing portfolio of high-performance clock and timing products offering the industry’s highest performance. TI’s clock & timing portfolio is also supported by the WEBENCH Clock Architect to help reduce time-to-market.

Phase detector frequency of 200MHz and low PLL phase noise of -227dBc/Hz provides RF front ends with a low-noise local oscillator for enhanced receiver sensitivity. Flexible frequency and phase modulation, including frequency shift keying (FSK), phase shift keying (PSK) and configurable piecewise linear FM modulation, increases radar detection range, accuracy and immunity to interference. An integrated flexible Fractional-N engine with a 5V charge pump supply and low-noise and high-precision low dropout regulators (LDOs) allow designers to eliminate external components and simplify the system complexity enabling faster time to market.

The LMX2492 produces an enhanced local oscillator to improve receiver sensitivity and transmitter spectral purity when paired with the LMK04828, the industry's highest-performance clock jitter cleaner, or the LMK03806, a low-jitter, multi-rate clock generator.

Engineers can speed their design with the LMX2492 by using TI’s WEBENCH Clock Architect. It is the industry’s first clock and timing design tool that can recommend and simulate a system clock tree solution from a broad database of devices. It features a PLL loop filter design and the ability to simulate phase noise and jitter to optimise the solution for specific applications.

The LMX2492EVM evaluation module (EVM) allows designers to quickly and easily evaluate the functionality and versatility of the device. It can be purchased today for $199 (USD).

The LMX2492 and the LMX2492-Q1 are both available now in a 4x4mm, 24-pin WQFN package. The LMX2492 is available for a suggested retail price of $8.75 (USD) in 1,000 unit quantities, while the LMX2492-Q1 is available for $9.49 (USD) in 1,000 unit quantities.