RFIC chipset for high performance, cellular radio test equipment.

The design and realisation of two complex L-Band RFIC's in Ga As technology is presented. They are an up converter which includes a two LO signal selection switch and a power output detector, and a high gain amplifier which includes a RF output power monitor detecting output power failures with digital alarm output signal and I/O RF signal selection switches. The paper will describe the architectures chosen for both devices and will focus on the design techniques that should be adopted when RF signals with different power levels and/or at different frequencies must meet on the same chip without mutual interference. The paper will also focus on the electrical modelling of large IC packages for digital VLSI IC's which need to be used at L-band-frequencies for RF applications.