0-2.5 GHz Generator Based on ADF4360 Controlled by Microprocessor

The aim of this paper is not to bring a theoretical expressions and some new ideas in mixing theory, but only to show a simple wide band RF generator design with one mixing. The instrument is based on two integrated frequency synthesizers (ADF-4360-x) controlled by Atmel AVR microcontroller via integrated SPI bus. Wide frequency range is achieved by dividing ADF output signal by two using internal frequency divider, signal mixing and suitable switching. Frequency tunning is discontinuous (because of synthesizers), but ADFs are allowed to design frequency step of tens of kilohertzs. In this design, 1 MHz tunning step and (1-2837) MHz bandwidth are used. Simple output microwave lowpass filter (with 3 GHz limit frequency) and two microwave high-pass filters (with 1.7 GHz and 1.9 GHz limit frequencies) around mixer are included in generator design. Of course, microwave gain blocks, monolithic mixer and monolithic and discreet microwave switches are used in also.