
9-23
Varactor-Tuned Oscillators
Technical Data
VTO-8000 Series
Pin Configuration
TO-8V
Features
600 MHz to 10.5 GHz
Coverage
Fast Tuning
+7 to +13 dBm Output
Power
±
1.5 dB Output Flatness
Hermetic Thin-film
Construction
GROUND
CASE GROUND
+DC
RF
+V
3
1
2
4
OUT
TUNE
Description
HP VTO-8000 Series oscillators
use a silicon transistor chip as a
negative resistance oscillator. The
oscillation frequency is deter-
mined by a silicon abrupt varactor
diode acting as a voltage-variable
capacitor in a thin-film micro-
stripline resonator. This provides
extremely fast tuning speed,
limited primarily by the internal
impedance of the user-supplied
voltage driver. Fast settling is
another feature of the HP
VTO-8000 Series oscillators.
Typical settling times for the
VTO-8090 are <200kHz within one
microsecond while the VTO-8950
settles to <2MHz within two
microseconds referenced to ten
milliseconds. The VTO-8850
combines a bipolar transistor
oscillator with a GaAs FET buffer
stage. This GaAs FET buffer
isolates the oscillator from
variations in load impedance for
low frequency pulling, allows the
oscillator to run lighty-loaded for
low phase noise content and
provides +10 dBm of minimum
output power over the full tuning
range. The VTO-8000 Series
varactor-tuned oscillators are
packaged in TO-8 transistor cans
for simple installation in a
conventional 50-ohm micro-
stripline PC board. They are ideal
for most compact, lightweight
commercial and military equip-
ment designs. Test fixturing is
also available for lab bench test
applications. See the “Test
Fixtures for TO-8 Packages”
section for additional information
and outlines.
Applications
Frequency agile systems, such as
digitally controlled receivers and
active jamming transmitters often
use externally linearized
varactor-tuned oscillators. HP
oscillators are monotonic making
external linearization easy using
analog (opamp) or digital
(EPROM) linearizing techniques.
The HP VTO Series has been
designed with a tuning input
bypass capacitance which is
sufficient to provide the neces-
sary RF filtering action yet as low
as possible to maximize
V/
T
characteristics for excellent
tuning speeds. Used in a phase
locked loop PLL circuit, a VTO
provides a receiver LO with
stability equivalent to the refer-
controlled), yet variable in
discrete steps or continuously
depending on the PLL
configuration.
Another important aspect of VTOs
used in an LO application is their
power vs. frequency flatness
(
±
1.5dB). This assures that once a
receiver mixer is biased for best
dynamic range the local oscillator
drive will remain constant
throughout the tuning range
without complex leveling
circuitry.
5964-9815E