0.1 GHz to 13.0 GHz, 0.5 dB LSB, 6-Bit, GaAs Digital Attenuator

The HMC424ALP3E is a broadband, 6-bit, gallium arsenide (GaAs), digital attenuator in low cost, leadless surface-mount package with a 31.5 dB attenuation control range in 0.5 dB steps.

The HMC424ALP3E offers excellent attenuation accuracy of ±(0.2 dB + 4% of attenuation state) and high input linearity with a typical insertion loss of less than 4 dB over the specified frequency range from 0.1 GHz to 13.0 GHz. The attenuator bit values are 0.5 dB (LSB), 1 dB, 2 dB, 4 dB, 8 dB, and 16 dB for a total attenuation of 31.5 dB with a ±0.5 dB typical step error.

The device allows a user to program the attenuation state via six parallel control inputs toggled between 0 V and VEE.

The HMC424ALP3E operates with a single negative supply voltage from −3 V to −5 V, and requires an external level shifter to interface with a CMOS/transistor to transistor logic (TTL) interface.

The HMC424ALP3E comes in a RoHS compliant, compact, 3 mm × 3 mm, 16-lead lead frame chip scale package (LFCSP).

Applications

* Cellular infrastructure

* Microwave radios and very small aperture terminals (VSATs)

* Test equipment and sensors

* Intermediate frequency (IF) and RF designs

* Military and space

* Attenuation range: 0.5 dB (LSB) steps to 31.5 dB

* ±0.5 dB typical step error

* Low insertion loss: 2.8 dB at 4 GHz

* High linearity at VEE = −3 V

* Input P0.1dB: 22 dBm typical

* Input IP3: 45 dBm typical