DESIGN FEATURES

Amplifier with Integrated Filter Offers

the Best High Speed, Low Noise
Interface for Differential
DACs and ADCs by Michael Kultgen

Introduction
Differential signal paths are becom- VIN+
RIN
IN + VMID V– OUT –
ing a popular way to improve system 8 7 6 5
V+
performance. A differential signal has
twice the amplitude for a given supply 11k PROPRIETARY
level. Interference from other compo- RF
LOWPASS
FILTER STAGE
nents, digital clocks for example, 11k
become common mode signals and
V–
are rejected by the amplifiers in the OP AMP
differential signal chain. Hence, with a + – + –
differential signal path, dynamic range VOCM VOCM
can be maintained while the supply – + – +
voltage is reduced.
Differential output op amps are
one means of providing gain, buff-
ering, and filtering in these signal RF
paths, but often at the price of added 1 2 3 4
complexity and board real estate. A VIN– IN – VOCM V+ OUT +
RIN
circuit using a differential output
op amp typically requires twice the
{
RF 402Ω FOT THE LT6600-10 AND LT6600-20
PASSBAND GAIN = WHERE RF =
RIN 1580Ω FOR THE LT6600-2.5
number of resistors and capacitors
as the corresponding single-ended Figure 1. LT6600 block diagram
circuit. Therefore, there is a need for
a compact, high performance means erates with power supplies ranging input signals, translate common mode
to process differential signals. The from 3V to 10V. The LT6600 is pack- voltages, and have a common mode
solution is the new LT6600. aged in an SO-8, and is pin-for-pin input range that extends to ground.
The LT6600 is a family of fully differ- compatible with other commercially But, unlike these other amplifiers,
ential amplifiers with an integrated 4th available high-speed differential op the LT6600s have a proprietary ar-
order lowpass filter. Each device in the amps (Figure 1). Like their industry chitecture that minimizes noise and
family features a fixed cutoff frequency counterparts, the LT6600 amplifiers distortion while maximizing speed.
(2.5MHz, 10MHz and 20MHz) and op- can accept single-ended or differential Furthermore, the custom lowpass filter
402Ω 200Ω
10 80

0 70 43pF 10pF
MAGNITUDE
–10 60
GROUP DELAY (ns)

–20 50
MAGNITUDE (dB)

402Ω 287Ω 200Ω 162Ω 402Ω

+ + +
–30 40
VI 82pF OP AMP #1 82pF OP AMP #2 VO VI LT6600 VO
–40 30
GROUP DELAY – – –
–50 20 402Ω 287Ω 200Ω 162Ω 402Ω
43pF 10pF
–60 10

–70 0
402Ω 200Ω
–80
100k 1M 10M 100M
FREQUENCY (Hz) THE COMPETITION THE BETTER WAY
Figure 2. The frequency response of the
LT6600-10 Figure 3. The LT6600 vs the competition

22 Linear Technology Magazine • September 2003

 DESIGN FEATURES
5V total noise of 56µVRMS in a 10MHz
12pF
0.1µF
bandwidth with harmonics below
1:1 24.9Ω 24.9Ω V+
SINGLE ENDED
+ –74dB for 5MHz 2VP–P signals. With
ANALOG INPUT
100Ω
100Ω
12pF AIN LTC174x DOUT
the gain set to +12dB, the LT6600-
24.9Ω 24.9Ω
– 20 has 42µVRMS total input referred
12pF VCM V– noise in a 20MHz bandwidth and
12pF shares many features of the -2.5 and
-10. Each member of the family has a
Figure 4. Using a transformer to drive a differential ADC
lowpass response with less than 0.5dB
of passband ripple. These combina-
5V tions of low noise, low distortion and
SINGLE ENDED INPUT
REFERENCED TO VCM
+ controlled frequency response are
U1
5V
practically impossible to duplicate
–
12pF
with discrete designs.
24.9Ω 24.9Ω V+ The LT6600s are specified and
+ tested for both single 3V supply
24.9Ω
12pF
24.9Ω
AIN LTC174x DOUT operation and ±5V supply operation.
100Ω
+ – This flexibility, combined with the low
12pF VCM V–
U2 external parts count and the wide in-
– 4.7µF
put common mode range, makes the
LT6600 extremely easy to use.
499Ω 499Ω

A Great Solution for

Differential ADC and
Figure 5. Using single-ended op amps to drive a differential ADC
DAC Interfaces
Differential output amplifiers have
{
A 402Ω FOT THE LT6600-10 AND LT6600-20
DC GAIN = WHERE A =
RIN 1580Ω FOR THE LT6600-2.5 gained popularity in systems that
LT6600 5V
have differential input ADC convert-
5V
12pF ers. Often the signal to be processed
RIN
1
–
3
49.9Ω V+ by the converter is single-ended, low
4 +
800mVP-P
7
VMID
+ amplitude, and from a large source
SINGLE ENDED INPUT
0.01µF
2
VOCM 49.9Ω
12pF AIN LTC174x DOUT impedance. For the converter to real-
REFERENCED TO GND 8 – – ize its full range and accuracy, it must
0 t VIN + 5
12pF VCM V–
RIN 6 be presented with a larger differential
1µF signal and a common mode level near
V mid supply. There are two common
solutions to this problem. Figure 4
VOUT+
3.2VP-P shows a transformer coupling circuit
VCM
VOUT–
DIFFERENTIAL SIGNAL and Figure 5 shows an operational
TO THE ADC
amplifier circuit. The circuit shown
0 t in Figure 5 is preferable when size
and DC response are important, when
Figure 6. Using the LT6600 to drive a differential ADC gain is needed, or when buffering is
required. The circuit of Figure 4 is use-
response provides 30dB attenuation discrete active-RC design would ful for wide bandwidth applications.
at 3 times the cutoff frequency with require 18 precision resistors and Figure 6 shows how simple the dif-
low delay distortion (Figure 2). capacitors, as well as a second op- ferential converter interface is with the
erational amplifier package (Figure 3). LT6600. This circuit retains all of the
Quiet, Compact and The first available devices in the family benefits of Figure 5’s circuit (gain, DC
Easy to Use are the LT6600-2.5, the LT6600-10, response, and single-ended to differen-
The LT6600s are also the most and the LT6600-20, with fixed filter tial conversion) with the added feature
compact anti-alias/smoothing filter bandwidths of 2.5MHz, 10MHz, and of selective anti-alias filtering. Further-
solutions available. These integrated 20MHz respectively. more, the single-ended analog input
filter-amplifiers need only two external The LT6600-2.5 offers true 14-bit can have a common mode level that
resistors to set the gain. The precision performance with noise and distortion differs from the ADC converter (unlike
response is completely determined by components below –86dB for 1MHz the circuit of Figure 5). The LT6600
the monolithic filter. By contrast, a 1VRMS inputs. The LT6600-10 has a automatically translates the common

Linear Technology Magazine • September 2003 23

 DESIGN FEATURES

{
A 402Ω FOT THE LT6600-10 AND LT6600-20
VLT6600 OUT = IDAC • WHERE A =
R2 R2 1580Ω FOR THE LT6600-2.5
1+ +
R1 R3
3.3V
3.3V 3.3V
5V R3 0.1µF
432Ω R2
402Ω 3
1
+ – 4
“I” LTC1666/7 R1 7 + VCC LT5503
66.5Ω LT6600-10 3.3V
DIGITAL DIN (I CHANNEL DAC) IOUT 2 BI
INPUT 10mA FS 0.1µF
8 –5
– +
R1 R2 402Ω 6
66.5 R3 390Ω 18nH
–5V 432Ω 8.2pF 8.2pF
2.7nH 2.7nH
3.3V MODIN 0°
3.3V VGA MOI
3.3V 90°
5V R3 0.1µF 1.2pF 1.2pF
432Ω R2 3.3V
402Ω 3
1
+ – 4 DMODE
“Q” LTC1666/7 R1 7 + MixEN
66.5Ω LT6600-10 ModEN
DIGITAL DIN (Q CHANNEL DAC) IOUT 2 BQ
10mA FS 0.1µF GC1
INPUT
8 –5 GND GC2
– +
R1 R2 402Ω 6
66.5 R3
–5V 432Ω
3.3V
Figure 7. Using the LT6600 as a transimpedance amplifier and smoothing filter in a base station application.

mode level when it converts the single- a base station application. The input low delay distortion in the passband
ended input to differential. In Figure common mode range of the LT6600 (Figure 2), making for an outstanding
6, the input signal is referenced to accommodates the compliance range DAC smoothing solution.
ground and the signal presented to of the DAC. The output common mode
the ADC is referenced to VCM. voltage of the LT6600 is set to optimize Conclusion
To illustrate the excellent dynamic the performance of the LT5503 direct The LT6600 differential filter-am-
range of the LT6600, consider Figure 6 I/Q modulator. The resistors between plifiers are the most compact ADC
with a 1MHz input signal of 800mVPP the DAC and the LT6600 allow the user anti-aliasing and DAC smoothing
amplified by an LT6600-2.5. With RIN to adjust the transimpedance gain. The solutions available in the 2.5MHz
= 402Ω, the amplifier provides 12dB LT6600 and LT5503 are operating on to 20MHz range. The combination of
of voltage gain. The signal presented a 3.3V power supply. low noise, low distortion, and precision
to the ADC converter is 3.2VP–P. The To illustrate the optimized filtering response are impossible to replicate
distortion components will be at least of the LT6600, consider the case where with discrete designs. The LT6600 is
82dB below the fundamental, and the the DAC in Figure 7 has a sample rate pin compatible with standard differ-
signal-to-noise ratio will be 81dB in a of 50Msps and the baseband signal ential output op amps and performs
5MHz bandwidth. information extends to 10MHz. By us- all of the same functions. The LT6600
The differential output DAC is an- ing an LT6600-10, the attenuation of improves the design of any system
other application where the LT6600 the images near 40MHz would be more requiring differential signal buffering
excels. Figure 7 shows the LT6600 than 50dB (filter response plus sin(x)/x and filtering.
acting as a transimpedance amplifier attenuation). The excellent rejection
and a 4th order smoothing filter, in in the stopband is combined with

LT3464, continued from page 21

90
low current. As shown in Figure 9, For further information on any
80
VIN = 8.4V
high efficiency is maintained with low of the devices mentioned in this
VIN = 4.2V output currents. issue of Linear Technology, use
70 the reader service card or call the
EFFICIENCY (%)

Conclusion LTC literature service number:

60
The LT3464 in the ThinSOT package
produces an ultra compact boost 1-800-4-LINEAR
50
solution featuring high efficiency, Ask for the pertinent data sheets
40 low quiescent current, true output and Application Notes.
disconnect, and low external parts
30
0.01 0.1 1 10 100 count.
LOAD CURRENT (mA)

Figure 9. Efficiency for the circuit in Figure 7

24 Linear Technology Magazine • September 2003