1.2GHz Voltage Controlled Oscillator VCO Circuit

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Overview

Creating high-frequency voltage-controlled oscillators, or VCOs, isn’t a walk in the park, which is why Maxim (www.maxim-ic.com) has developed an integrated 1.2GHz oscillator known as the MAX2754. This device allows you to set the center frequency using the TUNE input, and it also features a linear modulation input for frequency modulation. Packaged in an 8-pin µMAX package, it operates within a voltage supply range of 2.7 V to 5.5 V while consuming less than 2 mA of current.

The TUNE and MOD functions work within a control voltage range of +0.4 V to +2.4 V. Specifically, TUNE enables adjustment of the VCO frequency from 1050 MHz to 1270 MHz. In certain scenarios, a PLL control voltage is applied to precisely set the center frequency to a desired value.

Hardware Components

You’ll need the following hardware components to get started:

S.noComponentsValueQty
1Integrated Circuit ICMAX27541
2CapacitorsC1,C3,C4= 330nf
C2=100pf
1,1,1
1
3ResistorsR1 = 480
R2 = 100
R3 = 220
R4 = 270
R5 = 1.2K
1
1
1
1
1

Schematic