News & Events
Harris Utilizes Silicon Germanium Technology to Develop Advanced I/Q Modulator/Demodulator and Synthesizer

SAN JOSE, CA, Wireless Symposium ‘99, February 23, 1999 – Harris has developed a highly integrated and fully-differential baseband converter for half duplex wireless applications using advanced silicon germanium (SiGe) technology. The HFA3783 I/Q Modulator/Demodulator features all of the necessary blocks for quadrature modulation and demodulation of "I" and "Q" baseband signals. It is the most highly-integrated IC done to date on IBM’s SiGe process.

The HFA3783 is one of four chips that comprise Harris’ new next generation PRISM II WLAN chip set. It features an integrated AGC receive IF amplifier with frequency response to 600 MHz. The AGC has 79 dB of voltage gain and more than 70 dB of gain control range. The transmit output also features gain control with 70 dB of range.

SiGe-based chips deliver a cutting-edge complement to Harris’ CMOS and BiCMOS technology due to their ability to provide greater design performance and flexibility. The SiGe process employs deep trench isolation, a noise-reduction methodology enabling designers to increase integration levels by placing functional blocks closer together on a single silicon die.

The HFA3783 is well-suited for a variety of wireless applications including wireless local area networks (WLANs), PCMCIA wireless transceivers, ISM systems including automatic level control (ALC) and TDMA packet protocol radios.

With the HFA3783, the receive and transmit IF paths share a common differential matching network so that only a single IF filter is required for half duplex transceivers. Only one SAW filter is required, providing further cost savings. A pair of second-order anti-aliasing filters with an integrated DC offset cancellation architecture is included in the receive chain for baseband operation down to DC.

In addition, an IF level detector is included in the AGC chain for threshold comparison. Up and down conversion are performed by double-balanced mixers for "I and Q" IF processing. These converters are driven by a broadband quadrature LO generator with frequency of operation phase locked by an internal 3-wire interface synthesizer and PLL. The device requires low LO levels from an external VCO and a PLL reference signal up to 44 MHz.

Packaging, Availability and Pricing
The HFA3783 is housed in a 48-lead TQFP package well-suited for PCMCIA board applications. It is available for sampling now and is priced at $9.76 in 10K quantities.

Harris Corporation's Semiconductor sector manufactures discrete semiconductors and integrated circuits. Product development efforts are focused on innovative "next level solutions" for the communications and power markets. The company’s portfolio of high-value products serve many market segments – automotive, industrial, PC computing, wireless networking, signal processing, telecommunications, PC multimedia, consumer electronics, defense and space. The worldwide website is http://www.semi.harris.com.

Harris Corporation (NYSE:HRS), with worldwide sales of $3.9 billion, is an international communications and electronics company focused on providing product, system and service solutions that take its customers to the next level. The company provides a wide range of products and services such as wireless and personal communications, digital television (HDTV), health care information, automotive electronics, transportation, business information, defense communications and information and Lanier office products.