National Semiconductor
Application Note 2081
Loren Siebert
LMH6517EVAL-R1
Evaluation Board
October 5, 2010
30130311
FIGURE 1. LMH6517EVAL-R1 Evaluation Board
to the board should preserve the operating points of the DV-
GA and protect sensitive test equipment.
General Description
The LMH6517EVAL-R1 evaluation board is designed to aid
in the characterization of National Semiconductor’s High
Speed LMH6517 Digital Controlled Variable Gain Amplifier
(DVGA).
Transformers T1– T4 can provide both impedance matching
as well as single ended to differential conversion. The board
is shipped with 2:1 turns ratio transformers that will match
50Ω equipment with the 200Ω input impedance of the
LMH6517 DVGA . Do not connect the transformer secondary
winding directly to ground since this will short the DVGA input
voltage to ground.
Use the evaluation board as a guide for high frequency layout
and as a tool to aid in device testing and characterization.
Basic Operation
For differential operation the board must be modified by hand.
The copper on the grounded input must be cut as illustrated
in Figure 7. and additional SMA connectors need to be sol-
dered to the board to complete the IN- and OUT- signal paths.
The LMH6517EVAL-R1 Evaluation board is 0.63” thick and
uses edge mounted SMA connectors. The board is built with
Emerson part #142–0701–806 end launch, nickel plated SMA
connectors.
The LMH6517 DVGA has differential input and differential
output. To aid evaluation with 50Ω, single ended test equip-
ment the LMH6517EVAL-R1 evaluation board is shipped with
transformers on both the input and output signal paths. The
single ended signal path uses the IN+ and OUT+ marked
connectors. The IN− and OUT− signal paths are grounded
and the SMA connectors are not installed.
The LMH6517EVAL-R1 evaluation board comes built with 1:1
balun transformers and 10 Ohm series output resistors (R42,
R43, R44 and R45). A 4.7pF load capacitor is placed between
the resistors and the transformer (C14 and C15). The 10 Ohm
resisters and 4.7pF capacitor form a snubber circuit that re-
duces high frequency peaking and enhances stability. The
The input and output pins of the LMH6517 will self bias to
approximately mid supply (2.5V). The LMH6517EVAL-R1
board has been designed with AC coupling on both input and
output signal paths to protect test equipment and to ensure
proper operation of the LMH6517 DVGA. Any modifications
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