RF detector eliminates external components

Linear Technology introduced the LTC5536 RF power detector, which includes a comparator. Its voltage output is compared against a DC voltage threshold that is set by the user. The comparator output transitions when the RF input level goes above or below the threshold point. The device is designed for detecting the presence of RF signals in 802.11 and 802.16 networks, optical data links, wireless data modems, WiMAX, and cellular basestations and cable headends. The LTC5536 can also be used as an RF power monitor or envelope detector in RFID tag readers.

The LTC5536 operates over an RF frequency range of 600MHz to 7GHz, supporting multi-band operation. The device incorporates temperature compensation circuitry that aims to provide stable and accurate RF detection over the full range of temperature extremes. The device's on-chip comparator has a 20ns response time, sufficient to be used for recovery of bit stream data.

The LTC5536 operates from a single 2.7V to 5.25V supply, drawing a typical quiescent current of only 2.1mA. The device is available from stock in a 6-lead ThinSOT package, priced at $2.25 each in 1,000-piece quantities.