Linear Technology LTC6409 differential amplifier

Linear Technology has introduced the LTC6409, a fully differential amplifier capable of driving DC to 100 MHz signals with just 1.1 nV/√Hz noise and -88 dBc HD2/HD3 distortion.

Built on a SiGe BiCMOS process, it features 10 GHz gain-bandwidth product, 100 dB SFDR up to 40 MHz, and 1% settling time of 1.9 ns. It is suitable for driving the latest high-speed ADCs such as the 1.8 V 14-bit 150 Msps LTC2262-14.

The amplifier features wide input common mode range of 0 to 3.5 V and output common mode range of 0.5 to 3.5 V when using a single 5 V supply, making it easy to interface ground-referenced signals to differential pipeline ADCs.

Gain and feedback resistors are external, allowing the designer to configure the exact gain needed for each application. The amplifier is unity gain stable and high output current of up to 95 mA allows it to drive lower value feedback and gain resistors, such as 150 Ω, resulting in low output noise.

The device is fully specified to operate with either a 3 or 5 V single supply. Despite its wide bandwidth and low noise performance, supply current power consumption is 56 mA max and a shutdown mode reduces this to 500 µA when turned off. Turn-on time is typically 160 ns.

The amplifier will find use in pulsed signal applications such as radar signal processing, imaging, high-speed test and measurement and communications applications.