As a complete SiGe up-/downconverter, the MAX2042 integrates a state-of-the-art, double-balanced mixer core with an LO amplifier and two baluns, plus dozens of discrete components. This integration reduces the total board space used by the mixer by 40%; it reduces the discrete part count by 33%. The MAX2042’s outstanding 2RF-2LO performance of 70dBc (with a -10dBm RF tone) also eases the filtering requirements of close-in harmonics, thus enabling simpler and more cost-effective filter designs.
This mixer offers an exceptionally wide 50MHz to 500MHz IF frequency range with an 1800MHz to 3000MHz, low-side LO injection range. The on-board 0dBm drive LO buffer provides ±3dB drive-variance control, thus ensuring stable gain, NF, and IIP3 performance over temperature, supply, and input power. The MAX2042 has excellent gain-variation performance of ±0.44dB over the -40 degrees Celsius to +85 degrees Celsius industrial temperature range. The IIP3 spread is similarly impressive at ±0.5dB over temperature.
The MAX2042 is packaged in a compact, 5mm x 5mm, lead-free, 20-pin TQFN. The package is pin compatible to the MAX2029/MAX2031/MAX2039/MAX2041/MAX2042A*/MAX2044 series of mixers. This entire family of passive up-/downconverters is ideal for applications in which a common PC-board layout is used for both wireless-infrastructure frequency bands.