9
Table 4-1. Operational Differences between
P
PC8119T and
P
PC8120T
Operation
At maximum gain
At minimum gain
AGC control voltage (forward control)
Minimum
Maximum
P
PC8119T
Current into V
CC
pin
Minimum
Maximum
AGC control voltage (reverse control)
Maximum
Minimum
P
PC8120T
Current into output pin
Maximum
Minimum
5. EXTERNAL CIRCUIT CONFIGURATION
Figures 5-1 and 5-2 show an example of external circuit configuration and an example of configuration on an
evaluation board. With these ICs, the external capacitors connected to the V
CC
line and V
AGC
pin determine the
minimum gain, and the output matching circuit determines the maximum gain.
The external circuit of each pin is explained in detail below.
5.1 V
CC
Line and V
AGC
Pin (Determining minimum gain)
The output pin is the collector of the differential output transistor, so the bias is applied to the output pin by
connecting an inductor to the V
CC
line that is connected to the V
CC
pin, which is another collector of the differential
control circuit. Unless an external circuit is connected so that the V
CC
line is the load, therefore, the high-frequency
signal from the V
CC
pin leaks to the output pin at the minimum gain (because the current of the transistor at the
control side is maximum at the minimum gain). It is therefore necessary to optimize the feedback by inserting a
feedback capacitor between the V
CC
and AGC pins and by inserting a
S
type circuit consisting of a series inductor
and two parallel capacitors outside the feedback capacitor of the V
CC
pin. As a result, the leakage of the high-
frequency signal from the V
CC
pin can be attenuated. Without the feedback capacitance, the minimum gain increases
about 10 dB. Without the
S
type circuit, it increases about 20 dB. You, however, should note that this feedback
capacitance is affected by variations of the products if its value is too small to have frequency characteristics. In the
test circuit shown in the Data Sheet, each capacitance is 1000 pF which value is insensitive to characteristics in VHF
band. In the Data Sheet, a test circuit using a jumper line or pattern L as the series inductor of the
S
type circuit is
shown. This circuit is for simple evaluation and actually, a multi layer chip inductor of 4.7 nH can be used.
5.2 Output Matching (Determining maximum gain)
Because these ICs are of the open-collector output type, configure an LC matching circuit for RF impedance with
external components. The matching circuit consists of a parallel inductor at the V
CC
side and a series capacitor
toward the following stage. The collector of the output pin is biased by the voltage on the V
CC
pin via an inductor for
RF matching, as described above. Consequently, the inductor connected to the output pin has two effects: RF effect
of frequency matching and DC effect of applying a bias. Therefore, use a high-frequency inductor with a low DC
resistance. The LC value should be determined by referring to the S parameter at the maximum gain of the IC, so
that a power gain is obtained in a narrow region according to the operating frequency. Select a value so that S22
drops to –20 dBm at the maximum gain of the frequency band used. To bias the inductance connected to the output
pin, connect the output pin to the outside of the
S
ype circuit (not to the IC side) connected to the V
CC
line (otherwise,
the high-frequency signal from the V
CC
pin leaks out to the output pin and the minimum gain will not be available
below this leak level).
5.3 Input Pin
The impedance of the input pin is relatively low but is higher than 50
:
. The presence or absence of matching
should be determined by the impedance of the preceding stage. The bias must not be externally applied to input pin.
Part Number
DC Parameters