October 17, 2012 – Analog Devices ( www.analog.com , NASDAQ: ADI), a global leader in high-performance signal processing technology and data converters, announced the launch of two radio frequency (RF) D/A converter products capable of synthesizing the full downstream cable spectrum with a single D/A converter port. The single-channel 14-bit AD9129 and 11-bit AD9119 RF D/A converters, supporting data rates up to 2.8 GSPS, enable cable operators to reduce the total system power and component count of CATV (CMTS) infrastructure equipment, simplify system design, and lower the total bill of materials (BOM) cost.

The AD9129 and AD9119 RF D/A converters can support up to 158 CATV carriers, and with two optional interpolation filters, the D/A converter update rate can be effectively doubled, reducing output filtering complexity. In Mix-Mode™ Super-Nyquist operation mode, the AD9129 can restore spectrally pure RF carriers to the second and third Nyquist regions, enabling the elimination of the mixing stage while simultaneously maintaining an excellent dynamic range of up to 4.2 GHz.

Carlton Lane, Marketing Director of Analog Devices’ High-Speed D/A Converter Group, said, “The AD9129 RF D/A converter utilizes ADI’s patented quad-switch architecture to synthesize the entire baseband output spectrum from DC to 1.4 GHz, which can significantly simplify downstream DOCSIS 3.0 compliant transmitter designs and improve performance.” “With the enhanced performance and functionality of this D/A converter product, cable infrastructure equipment manufacturers can implement entire downstream signal chains with a smaller footprint, one-third the power, and fewer signal chain components. These are critical design requirements in today’s CMTS service environment,” he said.

AD9129 14-bit RF D/A Converter
The AD9129 RF D/A converter can achieve excellent direct RF synthesis performance with minimal output loss across the full output spectrum. Additionally, since it supports dual-edge clocking operation, the converter update rate can be effectively increased to 5.6 GSPS when configured in Mix-Mode or two interpolation modes, and it offers excellent dynamic range and bandwidth, enabling multi-carrier operation up to 4.2 GHz. This device consumes only 1.1 W when the D/A converter update rate is up to 2.8 GSPS.

The AD9129 includes a dual-port, source-synchronous LVDS (low-voltage differential signaling) interface, simplifying the data interface to a host FPGA or ASIC. The on-chip DLL (delay-locked loop) optimizes timing between different clock domains and allows configuring the AD9129 and monitoring the status of the readback register using the SPI (serial peripheral interface).

Key Features of the AD9129/19 Single-Channel D/A Converter:
• D/A converter update rate up to 5.6GSPS possible
• Direct RF synthesis at 2.8 GSPS data rate
o DC~1.4GHz in baseband mode
o DC~1.0GHz in 2x interpolation mode
o 1.4~4.2GHz in Mix-Mode
• 1–158 DOCSIS 3.0 Carriers: 8-QAM Carrier ACLR = 69dBc or less
• Bypassable 2x interpolation filter
• Single/Multi-carrier IF or RF synthesis
• Low power consumption: 1.1W at 2.8GSPS (1.3W at 5.6GSPS)

Price, supply, and complementary products
Product Sample Supply Mass Production Supply Resolution (Bits) Sample Rate (GSPS) Price per 1,000 Package
AD9129
In supply November 30 14 2.8 $59.00
(Pb-free) 160-ball CSP-BGA
AD9129
In supply November 30 14 2.8 $69.00
(PbSn) 160-ball CSP-BGA
AD9119
In supply November 30 14 2.8 $49.00
(PbSn) 160-ball CSP-BGA

AD9129 and mutualComplementary Analog Devices products include the ADF4351 wideband PLL and ADCLK925 low-jitter clock buffer, which are used as D/A converter clocks.

• Get support from EngineerZone™, ADI's online technical support community: http://www.analog.com/en/alliances/xilinx/topic.html
• View ADI High-Speed D/A Converter Product Portfolio: http://ez.analog.com/community/data_converters/high-speed_adcs
• Download data sheet, order samples and evaluation boards: http://www.analog.com/AD9129
• Download data sheet, order samples and evaluation boards: http://www.analog.com/AD9119