RF Transceivers Support Multiple WLAN Applications April 2005 Issue Published Date: April 04, 2005
Two single-chip RF transceivers, the MAX2828 and MAX2829, are designed for single-band IEEE 802.11a and dual-band 802.11a/g WLAN applications respectively. The MAX2828 covers the world-band frequency spectrum from 4.9 to 5.9 GHz while the MA2829 covers both the 2.4 to 2.5 GHz and 4.9 to 5.9 GHz bands. Both feature a Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) mode in which the phase angle of the local oscillator is held constant during transmit/receive operation. This allows multiple transceivers to be synchronized to the reference oscillator, an important consideration for 802.11n NxN MIMO radio and smart-antenna-based WLAN applications. Both are fabricated in a SiGe BiCMOS process that results in 4 dB better receiver sensitivity in both 802.11a and g 54 Mbps modes than pure CMOS designs. This translates into 58% longer range for line-of-sight WLAN applications and 38% longer range for indoor applications. All RF transceiver functions between the RF switch and baseband processor I/Os are integrated in the devices. No external SAW filter is required. Both are supplied in 8 mm x 8mm, 56-pin leadless QFN packages. Pricing starts at $7.11 each/1,000. MAXIM INTEGRATED PRODUCTS, Sunnyvale, CA. (800) 998-8800.
