ADF4377 from Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI) is a synthesizer for high-performance ultra-wideband data converter and synchronization applications. The high-performance PLL has a figure of merit of -239dBc/Hz, ultralow 1/f Noise and a high PFD frequency that can achieve ultralow in-band noise and integrated jitter. The ADF4377’s fundamental VCO and output divider generate frequencies from 800 MHz to 12.8 GHz. The ADF4377 is suitable for operation in applications such as radar, instrumentation, and wideband receivers requiring multiple data converters.
The ADF4377 provides a clean clock source to drive the signal sampling process, thus enabling an excellent signal-to-noise ratio. The performance is achieved by the ADF4377 synthesizer delivering jitter levels below 18fs rms because of the low normalized in-band phase noise at -239dBc/Hz, -147dBc/Hz normalized 1/f noise and a wideband voltage control oscillator (VCO) noise floor of -160dBc/Hz.
According to the company, the ADF4377 allows multiple data converters to sample their signals in precise alignment, hence, simplifying the alignment and calibration routines. This is essential to operations of newer ultra-wideband multi-channel systems and is achieved by implementing automatic reference to output synchronization, and achieving sub-ps, jitter free reference to output delay adjustment capabiility (+/- 0.1ps).
Key Features of ADF4377:
• Output frequency range: 800 MHz to 12.8 GHz
• Jitter = 18 fs rms (Integration BW: 100 Hz to 100 MHz)
• Wideband Noise Floor: -160 dBc/Hz @12 GHz
• PLL Specifications:
o -239 dBc/Hz: Normalized In-Band Phase Noise Floor
o -147 dBc/Hz: Normalized In-Band 1/f Noise
o Phase Detector Frequency up to 500 MHz
• Reference to Output Delay Specifications:
o Part-to-Part Standard Deviation: 3 ps
o Temperature Drift: 0.03 ps/℃
o Multi-chip Output Phase Alignment
