Introduction to High Performance VCO Product Solutions:
Dynamic Engineers manufactures standard and custom voltage-controlled oscillators for a diverse range of applications such as test and measurement, SATCOM, Telecom, and digital mobile radio. Our fully automated assembly and test systems allow DEI to produce VCO’s with tight performance distribution and 100% screening of critical parameters like phase noise and tuning sensitivity across operating temperature.
A summary of critical performance features is presented for selected design categories.
Example of VCO device designed for narrow band and ultra-low noise
Whenever an ultra-stable LO source is required, a narrow band design is the ideal choice. Designed using a high Q low loss coaxial resonator, the CRO design series is represented by the VCO3360. It delivers the best phase noise, harmonic suppression, and high immunity to load pulling and voltage pushing from 665 to 685 MHz.
Examples of VCO devices designed for good phase noise and moderate bandwidth
This VCO design category offers the best combination of low phase noise and moderate bandwidth (15%). It is represented by the VCO3361 model optimized for performance from 825 to 930 MHz. Another optimized band design is represented by the VCO4448. It offers -90 dBc/Hz phase noise at a 10KHz offset for the frequency band of 4400 to 4800 MHz. The VCO5558 pushes the current design limits to 6GHz offering -90 dBc/Hz at 10KHz offset across an operating band of 5500 to 5815 MHz.
These types of Optimized band series have been widely used in transmitters and receivers, RF repeaters, cellular base stations, SATCOM, and in test and measurement synthesizers.
Examples of VCO devices designed for wide band operation
Wideband VCO designs cover frequency limits as wide as an octave range. The VCO1680 covers a frequency window of 800MHz to 1600 MHz (one octave) while also providing -97 dBc/Hz or better noise at a 10KHz offset. The VCO1680 has been one of our most popular models with many years in volume production.
The VCO1000ET represents yet another reliable production wideband VCO covering 2000 to 4000 MHz while also maintaining -90 dBc/Hz typical noise at 10KHz offset across the operating frequency range of one octave.
The VCO5636 pushes our design limit of 6 GHz covering a range from 3600 MHz to 5600 MHz.
In all cases the wideband designs eliminate the need for customers to use multiple narrowband VCO’s in their applications for signal generation methods in test equipment and wideband receivers.
Wideband designs can allow the customer to qualify one VCO across multiple product platforms.