LTC Intros LT5534 Logarithmic-Type RF Detector

Linear Technology Corp. (LTC, Milpitas, CA) introduced its new LT5534 logarithmic-type RF detector that can detect RF signals up to 3 GHz. It is designed for cellular base station receivers and transmitters, subscriber radios, instrumentation applications, and other high-performance transceivers, enabling RF power control and RSSI measurement.

The LT5534 has a log-linear transfer characteristic with a total range of 60 dB. Its output is directly proportional to the logarithm of the average RF voltage input. The device has temperature stability. At 900 MHz, the LT5534 provides repeatable measurement of RF power within ±1 dB over a typical 50 dB range, while spanning the temperature extremes of -40 °C to +85 °C. It detects signals as small as -63 dBm.

The LT5534 operates over a wide RF input frequency range, from 50 MHz to 3 GHz. Additionally, its output buffer has a 30 MHz bandwidth that can track fast RF signal level transitions. It is capable of detecting full-scale RF changes with 38 ns delay. Internally, the chip contains temperature compensation circuitry that provides stable and accurate measurements over the full range of temperature extremes.

The LT5534 operates from a single 2.7 V to 5.25 V supply, drawing a typical quiescent current of 7 mA. The device comes in a tiny, six-lead, 2 mm x 2 mm, surface-mount SC-70 package. The price, in 1,000-piece quantities, is $4.50. The product is available from stock.