1 Features

• 14-bit resolution

• Maximum DAC sample rate: 9 GSPS

• Key Specifications:

– RF full-scale output power at 2.1 GHz:

• DAC38RF80/90/84: 0 dBm

• DAC38RF83/93/85: 3 dBm (with 2:1 balun)

– Spectral performance(on-chip PLL, DIFF):

• fDAC = 5898.24 MSPS, fOUT = 2.14 GHz

– WCDMA ACLR: 75 dBc

– WCDMA alt-ACLR: 77 dBc

• fDAC = 8847.36 MSPS, fOUT = 3.7 GHz

– 20 MHz LTE ACLR: 63 dBc

• fDAC = 9 GSPS, fOUT = 1.8 GHz

– IMD3 = 70 dBc (–6 dBFS, 10-MHz tone

spacing)

– NSD = –157 dBc/Hz

• Dual-band digital up-converter per DAC

– 6, 8, 10, 12, 16, 18, 20 or 24x interpolation

– 4 Independent NCOs with 48-bit resolution

• JESD204B Interface, subclass 1

– Support for multichip synchronization

– Maximum lane rate: 12.5 Gbps

• Single-ended output with integrated balun

(DAC38RF80/90/84) covering 700 MHz to 3800

MHz

• Internal PLL and VCO with bypass

– fC(VCO) = 5.9 or 8.9 GHz

• Power dissipation: 1.4 to 2.2 W/ch

• Power supplies: –1.8 V, 1 V, 1.8 V

• Package: 10 x 10 mm BGA, 0.8 mm pitch, 144-

balls

2 Applications

• Wireless communications

• Communications test equipment

• Arbitrary waveform generators

• Military software defined radios

• Radar and satellite communications (SATCOM)

3 Description

The DAC38RFxx is a family of high-performance,

dual/single-channel, 14-bit, 9-GSPS, RF-sampling

digital-to-analog converters (DACs) that are capable

of synthesizing wideband signals from 0 to 4.5 GHz.

A high dynamic range allows the DAC38RFxx family

to generate signals for a wide range of applications

including 3G/4G signals for wireless base-stations

and radar.

The devices feature a low-power JESD204B Interface

with up to 8 lanes with a maximum bit rate of 12.5

Gbps allowing an input data rate of 1.25 GSPS

complex per channel. The DAC38RFxx provides

two digital up-converters per channel, with multiple

options for interpolation rates. A digital quadrature

modulator with independent, frequency flexible NCOs

are available to support multi-band operation. An

optional low-jitter PLL/VCO simplifies the DAC

sampling clock generation by allowing use of a lower

frequency reference clock.