7-bit DSA family features unique serial-addressable control interface
San Diego, California, June 19, 2008 — Peregrine Semiconductor Corporation, a leading supplier of high-performance RF CMOS and mixed-signal communications ICs, today released three new 7-bit UltraCMOS™ Digital Step Attenuators to complement its popular 50-Ohm DSA line. Building on their high-performance predecessors, along with flexible Serial and Parallel interface logic these new HaRP™-enhanced devices also offer an unprecedented serial-addressable control interface which allows the user to control up to 8 different DSAs using a common 3-wire interface bus. The new trio offers highly flexible attenuation options by covering a 31.75 dB attenuation range in 0.25 dB, 0.5 dB, or 1.0 dB steps.
The PE43701, PE43702 and PE43703 DSAs offer best-in-class linearity with and Input IP3 of +57 dBm, outstanding attenuation accuracy of +/- 0.20 + 2% of attenuation setting at 3 GHz, and low Insertion Loss of 1.6 dB (typical). As with all UltraCMOS silicon-on-sapphire RFICs, there is no gate lag to settling time nor phase shift, making them ideal for next-generation communication systems such as cellular base stations, repeaters, femtocells and power amplifier distortion cancelling loops. In particular, the PE43703 DSA delivers unprecedented settling time making it ideal for test and measurement applications and a perfect complement to Peregrine’s recently introduced PE42552 RF Switch.
These new 50-Ohm DSAs have an operating frequency range of near DC up to 6 GHz, with exceptional low- frequency performance, superior noise immunity and outstanding ESD tolerance of 2.0 kV HBM. They work with two typical supply voltages of 3.3V or 5V with very low power consumption, allowing the use of a single devices in both the RF and IF radio sections to save board space.
Peregrine’s PE4370x DSAs provide many additional features, including on-board CMOS logic which facilitates 2.75 V control, and a high-α state at power-up (PUP). The devices are available in the following ultra-compact, RoHS-compliant QFN packages: 32-lead 5x5x0.85 mm (PE43701 and PE43703) and 24-lead 4x4x0.85 mm (PE43702). All products are sampling now and are priced at PE43701: $3.65 (100K units); PE43702: $3.36 (100K units); and PE43703: $8.20 (100K units).
About UltraCMOS™ Technology and the HaRP Technology Innovation
UltraCMOS™ mixed-signal process technology is a patented variation of silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology on a sapphire substrate providing with high yields and competitive costs. This technology delivers significant performance advantages over competing processes such as GaAs, SiGe BiCMOS and bulk silicon CMOS in applications where RF performance, low power and high levels of integration are paramount. The Company’s revolutionary HaRP™ technology further exploits the fundamental benefits of silicon-on-sapphire, enabling dramatic improvements in harmonic results, linearity and overall RF performance which today remain unmatched by any other RF process technology.
About Peregrine Semiconductor
Peregrine Semiconductor Corporation designs, manufactures, and markets high-performance communications RF ICs for the wireless infrastructure and mobile wireless; broadband CATV/DTV; communications infrastructure and aerospace markets. Manufactured on the Company’s proprietary UltraCMOS™ silicon-on-sapphire process technology, Peregrine products are uniquely poised to meet the needs of a global RF design community in high-growth applications such as WCDMA, EDGE and GSM digital cellular, broadband, DTV, DVR and rad-hard space and defense programs. The Company, headquartered in San Diego, California, maintains global manufacturing and sales support operations and a worldwide technical distribution network. Additional information is available on the web at www.psemi.com.
###
The Peregrine Semiconductor name and logo are registered trademarks and UltraCMOS and HaRP are trademarks of Peregrine Semiconductor Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.