ANALOG DEVICES EVAL-ADRF5141 Evaluation Board Photograph User Guide
- June 16, 2024
- Analog Devices
Table of Contents
ANALOG DEVICES EVAL-ADRF5141 Evaluation Board Photograph
Specifications
- Product Name: EVAL-ADRF5141
- User Manual: UG-2066
- Product Type: Evaluation board
- Frequency Range: 6 GHz to 12 GHz
Product Usage Instructions
Equipment Needed
- DC power supplies
- Network analyzer
General Description
The ADRF5141 is a transmit and receive switch with a limiter manufactured
using the silicon process. The ADRF5141-EVALZ evaluation board is designed to
evaluate the features and performance of the ADRF5141. It is pin compatible
with the ADRF5144.
Evaluation Board Photograph
Evaluation Board Hardware
Overview
The ADRF5141-EVALZ is a connectorized board assembled with the ADRF5141 and
its application circuitry. All components are placed on the primary side of
ADRF5141-EVALZ.
Board Layout
The ADRF5141-EVALZ is designed using RF circuit design techniques on an
8-layer printed circuit board (PCB). The PCB stack-up is shown in Figure 2.
The PCB layout includes RF fences on both sides of a CPWG (Coplanar Waveguide) to improve isolation between nearby RF lines and other signal lines.
The exposed ground pad of the ADRF5141, which is soldered on the PCB ground
pad, is the main thermal conduit for heat dissipation.
The PCB ground pad is densely populated with filled, through vias to provide
the lowest possible thermal resistance path from the top to the bottom of the
PCB. The connections from the package ground leads to ground are kept as short
as possible.
RF Inputs and Outputs
The ADRF5141-EVALZ evaluation board provides RF inputs and outputs for
connecting to test equipment and calibration purposes.
Test Procedure
To evaluate the ADRF5141 using the evaluation board, follow the steps
below:
- Connect the evaluation board to a DC power supply.
- Connect the evaluation board to a network analyzer.
- Perform the biasing sequence as described in the user manual.
- Refer to the evaluation board schematic and assembly diagram for further guidance.
Ordering Information
For ordering information, refer to the user manual or contact the
manufacturer.
Bill of Materials
A bill of materials for the ADRF5141-EVALZ evaluation board is provided in
the user manual.
FAQ
Q: What is the frequency range of the ADRF5141?
A: The ADRF5141 operates in the frequency range of 6 GHz to 12 GHz.
Q: Can I use the ADRF5141-EVALZ with the ADRF5144?
A: Yes, the ADRF5141-EVALZ is pin compatible with the ADRF5144.
Q: How is heat dissipation managed on the evaluation board?
A: The exposed ground pad of the ADRF5141 serves as the main thermal
conduit for heat dissipation. The PCB ground pad is designed with filled,
through vias to provide efficient thermal resistance.
Evaluating the ADRF5141 Silicon, Transmit and Receive Switch with Limiter, 6 GHz to 12 GHz
FEATURES
- Full-featured evaluation board for the ADRF5141
- Simple connection to the test equipment
- Thru line for calibration
EQUIPMENT NEEDED
- DC power supplies
- Network analyzer
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The ADRF5141 is a transmit and receive switch with limiter manufactured in the
silicon process.
This user guide describes the ADRF5141-EVALZ evaluation board,designed to
simply evaluate the features and performance of the ADRF5141. The ADRF5141 is
pin compatible with the ADRF5144.
A photograph of the evaluation board is shown in Figure 1.
The ADRF5141 data sheet provides full specifications for the ADRF5141. Consult
the ADRF5141 data sheet in conjunction with this user guide when using the
ADRF5141-EVALZ.
EVALUATION BOARD PHOTOGRAPH
REVISION HISTORY
10/2022—Revision 0: Initial Version
EVALUATION BOARD HARDWARE
OVERVIEW
The ADRF5141-EVALZ is a connectorized board, assembled with the ADRF5141 and
its application circuitry. All components are placed on the primary side of
ADRF5141-EVALZ. An assembly drawing for the ADRF5141-EVALZ is shown in Figure
7, and an evaluation board schematic is shown in Figure 6.
BOARD LAYOUT
The ADRF5141-EVALZ is designed using RF circuit design techniques on an
8-layer printed circuit board (PCB). The PCB stack-up is shown in Figure 2.
The outer copper layers are 1.5 mil thick and the inner layers are 1.3 mil
thick.
The top dielectric material is 8 mil Rogers 4003C, which provides 50 Ω
controlled impedance and optimizes the high-frequency performance.
All RF traces are routed on the top layer, and the second layer is used as the
ground plane for RF transmission lines. The remaining six layers are also
ground planes filled with FR4 material to manage the thermal rise during high-
power operations, and are supported with dense and filled vias to the PCB
bottom for thermal relief. The overall board thickness is approximately 62 mil
for mechanical strength.
The RF transmission lines are designed using a coplanar waveguide (CPWG) model
with a width of 14 mil and ground spacing of 7 mil to have a characteristic
impedance of 50 Ω. Ground via fences are arranged on both sides of a CPWG to
improve isolation between nearby RF lines and other signal lines.
The exposed ground pad of the ADRF5141, which is soldered on the PCB ground
pad, is the main thermal conduit for heat dissipation. The PCB ground pad is
densely populated with filled,through vias to provide the lowest possible
thermal resistance path from the top to the bottom of the PCB. The connections
from the package ground leads to ground are kept as short as possible.
POWER-SUPPLY AND CONTROL INPUTS
The ADRF5141-EVALZ has two power-supply inputs, one control input, and a
ground, as shown in Table 1. The DC test points are populated on VDD, VSS,
CTRL, and GND. A 3.3 V supply is connected to the DC test points on VDD, and a
−3.3 V supply is connected to the DC test points on VSS. Ground reference can
be connected to GND. Connect the control input (CTRL) to 3.3 V or 0 V. The
typical total current consumption for the ADRF5141 is 380 μA.
The VDD supply pin of the ADRF5141 is decoupled with 100 pF and 1000 pF
capacitors, while the VSS supply pin and the CTRL control pin are decoupled
with a 100 pF capacitor.
Table 1. Power-Supply and Control Inputs
Test Points Description
| VDD | Positive supply voltage |
|---|---|
| VSS | Negative supply voltage |
| CTRL | Control Input |
| GND | Ground |
RF INPUTS AND OUTPUTS
The ADRF5141-EVALZ has five edge-mounted, 2.92 mm connectors for the RF inputs
and outputs, as shown in Table 2.
Table 2. RF Inputs and Outputs
2.92 mm Connectors Description
| RFC | Antenna port |
|---|---|
| RF1 | Transmit port |
| RF2 | Receive port |
| THRU1 | Thru line input and output |
| THRU2 | Thru line input and output |
The through calibration line, connecting the THRU1 and THRU2 RF connectors, calibrates out the board loss effects from the measurements of the ADRF5141-EVALZ to determine the device performance at the pins of the IC. Figure 3 and Figure 4 show the typical board loss for the ADRF5141-EVALZ at room temperature,as well as the embedded and de-embedded insertion loss for the ADRF5141.
TEST PROCEDURE
BIASING SEQUENCE
To bias up the ADRF5141-EVALZ, perform the following steps:
- Ground the GND test point.
- Bias up the VDD test point.
- Bias up the VSS test point.
- Bias up the CTRL test point.
- Apply an RF input signal.
The ADRF5141-EVALZ is shipped fully assembled and tested. Figure 5 provides a basic test setup diagram to evaluate the s-pa-rameters using a network analyzer. Perform the following steps to complete the test setup and verify the operation of the ADRF5141-EVALZ:
- Connect the GND test point to the ground terminal of the power supply.
- Connect the VDD test point to the voltage-output terminal of the 3.3 V supply.
- Connect the VSS test point to the voltage-output terminal of the − 3.3 V supply.
- Connect the CTRL test point to the voltage-output terminal of the 3.3 V supply. The ADRF5141 can be configured in different modes by connecting the CTRL test point to 3.3 V or 0 V, as shown in Table 3.
- Connect a calibrated network analyzer to the RFC, RF1, and RF2 2.92 mm connectors. If the network analyzer port count is not enough, terminate the unused RF ports with 50 Ω. Sweep the frequency from 4 GHz to 14 GHz and set the power to –10 dBm.
Additional test equipment is needed to fully evaluate the device functions and
performance.
For third-order intercept point evaluation, use two signal generators and a
spectrum analyzer. A high isolation power combiner is also recommended.
For power compression and power handling evaluations, use a 2-channel power
meter and a signal generator. A high enough power amplifier is also
recommended at the input. Test accessories, such as couplers and attenuators,
must have enough power handling.
The ADRF5141-EVALZ comes with a support plate attached to the bottom side. To
ensure maximum heat dissipation and to reduce thermal rise on the board during
high-power evaluations, this sup-port plate must be attached to a heatsink
using thermal grease.
Note that the measurements performed at the 2.92 mm connectors of the ADRF5141-EVALZ include the losses of the 2.9 2mm con-nectors and the PCB. The thru line must be measured to calibrate out the effects on the ADRF5141-EVALZ. The thru line is the summation of an RF input line and an RF output line that are connected to the device and equal in length.
Table 3. Control Voltage Truth Table
ASSEMBLY DIAGRAM
EVALUATION BOARD SCHEMATIC AND ASSEMBLY DIAGRAM
ORDERING INFORMATION
BILL OF MATERIALS
Table 4. Bill of Materials for ADRF5141-EVALZ
ESD Caution
ESD (electrostatic discharge) sensitive device. Charged devices and circuit
boards can discharge without detection. Although this product features
patented or proprietary protection circuitry, damage may occur on devices
subjected to high energy ESD. Therefore, proper ESD precautions should be
taken to avoid performance degradation or loss of functionality.
Legal Terms and Conditions
By using the evaluation board discussed herein (together with any tools,
components documentation or support materials, the “Evaluation Board”), you
are agreeing to be bound by the terms and conditions set forth below
(“Agreement”) unless you have purchased the Evaluation Board, in which case
the Analog Devices Standard Terms and Conditions of Sale shall govern. Do not
use the Evaluation Board until you have read and agreed to the Agreement. Your
use of the Evaluation Board shall signify your acceptance of the Agreement.
This Agreement is made by and between you (“Customer”) and Analog Devices,
Inc. (“ADI”), with its principal place of business at Subject to the terms and
conditions of the Agreement, ADI hereby grants to Customer a free, limited,
personal, temporary, non-exclusive, non-sublicensable, non-transferable
license to use the Evaluation Board FOR EVALUATION PURPOSES ONLY.
Customer understands and agrees that the Evaluation Board is provided for the sole and exclusive purpose referenced above, and agrees not to use the Evaluation Board for any other purpose. Furthermore, the license granted is expressly made subject to the following additional limitations:
Customer shall not (i) rent, lease, display, sell, transfer, assign, sublicense, or distribute the Evaluation Board; and (ii) permit any Third Party to access the Evaluation Board. As used herein, the term “Third Party” includes any entity other than ADI, Customer, their employees, affiliates and in-house consultants. The Evaluation Board is NOT sold to Customer; all rights not expressly granted herein, including ownership of the Evaluation Board, are reserved by ADI.
CONFIDENTIALITY. This Agreement and the Evaluation Board shall all be considered the confidential and proprietary information of ADI. Customer may not disclose or transfer any portion of the Evaluation Board to any other party for any reason. Upon discontinuation of use of the Evaluation Board or termination of this Agreement, Customer agrees to promptly return the Evaluation Board to ADI. ADDITIONAL RESTRICTIONS. Customer may not disassemble, decompile or reverse engineer chips on the Evaluation Board. Customer shall inform ADI of any occurred damages or any modifications or alterations it makes to the Evaluation Board, including but not limited to soldering or any other activity that affects the material content of the Evaluation Board. Modifications to the Evaluation Board must comply with applicable law, including but not limited to the RoHS Directive.
TERMINATION. ADI may terminate this Agreement at any time upon giving written notice to Customer.
Customer agrees to return to ADI the Evaluation Board at that time.
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