LOL
The MAX2370 EV kit requires an external RF local oscil-
lator for evaluation. A low-noise RF signal generator
can be connected to the EV kit
’
s LOL port to act as the
local oscillator. The minimum input level at the LOL port
is -15dBm.
RFL
The MAX2370 evaluation kit is shipped with a matching
network optimized for 400MHz to 500MHz. This match-
ing network can be retuned to be optimized for evalua-
tion at other RF frequencies.
IFIN± and IFOUT±
The MAX2370 evaluation kit is shipped configured for
individual IF modulator and RF upconverter evaluation.
IFIN± and IFOUT± are matched to 50
at 120MHz and
on-board baluns at each port convert from differential
to single-ended signals.
For cascaded evaluation, a 120MHz bandpass filter
must be connected between the board
’
s IFIN and
IFOUT SMA connectors. A 50
filter with a typical 4dB
insertion loss is recommended to achieve the cascad-
ed specifications quoted in the MAX2370 data sheet.
VBAT/VREG
V
BAT
is the supply voltage to the PA driver circuitry.
V
REG
is the supply voltage to all MAX2370
’
s circuits
other than the PA driver. The VREG header must be
connected to VBAT or connected to a separate 3V sup-
ply for proper operation.
Jumpers are provided to enable current measurement
to each functional block of the IC (Table 2).
RBIAS
Resistor R74 (nominally 10k
) connects from RBIAS to
ground and sets the bias current for the upconverters
and PA driver stages. Output linearity or efficiency may
be improved by adjusting the PA driver current through
the I-MULT bits in the I
CC
control register.
Layout Considerations
The MAX2370 EV kit can serve as a guide for your
board layout. Keep PC board trace lengths as short as
possible to minimize parasitics. Place decoupling
capacitors as close to the IC as possible with a direct
connection to the PC board
’
s ground plane. Do not
share decoupling capacitor ground vias with other
ground connections.
PC Board Construction
The MAX2370 EV kit PC board uses a 14-mil-wide trace
for 50
transmission line. The PC board has an 8-mil-
layer profile on FR4 with a dielectric constant of 4.5.
INTF2300 SPI Interface Board
The INTF2300 interface board is used to interface
3-wire SPI protocol from a PC
’
s parallel port to the EV
kit. This board will level translate 5V logic from the PC
to V
CC
of the EV kit (this will typically be 3V logic). The
INTF2300 also provides buffering and EMI filtering. Its
absolute maximum supply voltage is 4.6V, limited by
the breakdown of the buffer IC. The recommended
operating supply voltage range is +2.7V to +3.6V.
E
MAX2370 Evaluation Kit
_______________________________________________________________________________________
5
Table 2. Jumpers
JUMPER NUMBER
ASSOCIATED FUNCTIONAL
BLOCK
V
CC
for VCCDRIVER
Not used
Not used
VGC jumper
V
CC
for PA predrivers
V
CC
for RF mixer
V
CC
for IF modulator
V
CC
for digital interface
V
CC
for RF charge pump
JU1
JU2
JU3
JU4
JU6
JU7
JU8
JU9
JU10
Component Suppliers
SUPPLIER
PHONE
617-935-5150
803-946-0690
847-639-6400
507-833-8822
770-436-1300
708-297-0070
WEBSITE
Alpha Industries
AVX
Coilcraft
Johnson
Murata
Toko
Note:
Indicate that you are using the MAX2370 when contacting these suppliers.
www.alphaindustries.com
www.avxcorp.com
www.coilcraft.com
www.johnsoncomponents.com
www.murata.com
www.tokoam.com