NE612

Double-Balanced Mixer and

Oscillator
Product Specification

DESCRIPTION FEATURES PIN CONFIGURATION

The NE612 is a low-power VHF mono- • Low current consumption

ADS
0, N Packages
lithic double-balanced mixer with on- • Low cost
board oscillator and voltage regulator. It
• Operation to 500MHz
is intended for low cost, low power
communication systems with signal fre- • Low radiated energy INPUT Vee

quencies to 500MHz and local oscillator • Low external parts count; INPUT B 2 7 OSCILLA TOR

frequencies as high as 200M Hz. The suitable for crystal/ceramic filter GROUND 3 6 OSCILLA TOR

mixer is a "Gilbert cell" multiplier config- • Excellent sensitivity, gain, and OUTPUT A 4 5 OUTPUT B
uration which provides gain of 14dB or noise figure
more at 49MHz. TOP VIEW
APPLICATIONS
The oscillator can be configured for a • Cordless telephone
crystal, a tuned tank operation, or as a
• Portable radio
buffer for an external L.O. Noise figure at
49MHz is typically below 6dB and makes • VHF transceivers
the device well suited for high perfor- • RF data links
mance cordless telephone. The low • Sonabuoys
power consumption makes the NE612 • Communications receivers
excellent for battery operated equip-
• Broadband LANs
ment. Networking and other communica-
• HF and VHF frequency
tions products can benefit from very low
conversion
radiated energy levels within systems.
The NE612 is available in an 8-lead dual
in"line plastic package and an 8-lead SO
(surface mounted miniature package).
BLOCK DIAGRAM

November 3, 1987 163 853-0391 91251

 Product Specification

Double-Balanced Mixer and Oscillator NE612

ORDERING INFORMATION
DESCRIPTION TEMPERATURE RANGE ORDER CODE
8-Pin Plastic DIP o to +70°C NE612N
8-Pin Plastic SO o to +70°C NE612D

ABSOLUTE MAXIMUM RATINGS

SYMBOL PARAMETER RATING UNIT

Vee Maximum operating voltage 9 V

TSTG Storage temperature -65 to +150 °C
TA Operating ambient temperature range o to +70 °C

AC/DC ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS TA = 25°C, Vee = 6V, Figure 1

LIMITS
SYMBOL PARAMETER TEST CONDITION UNIT
Min Typ Max

Vee Power supply voltage range 4.5 8.0 V

DC current drain 2.4 3.0 mA
fiN Input signal frequency 500 MHz
fose Oscillator frequency 200 MHz
Noise figured at 49MHz 5.0 dB
Third-order intercept pOint at 49MHz RFIN = -45dBm -15 dBm
Conversion gain at 49MHz 14 18 dB
RIN RF input resistance 1.5 kn
CIN RF input capacitance 3 pF
Mixer output resistance (Pin 4 or 5) 1.5 kn

DESCRIPTION OF OPERATION
The NE612 is a Gilbert cell, an oscillator/
0.5 to 1.3pH l
THIRD OVERTONE CRYSTAL
buffer, and a temperature compensated bias
network as shown in the equivalent circuit.
Vee The Gilbert cell is a differential amplifier (Pins
1 and 2) which drives a balanced switching
cell. The differential input stage provides gain
and determines the noise figure and signal
150pF
handling performance of the system.

~
NE612 1.5 to The NE612 is designed for optimum low
44.2p power performance. When used with the
NE614 as a 49MHz cordless telephone sys-
120pF ":"
tem, the NE612 is capable of receiving
-119dBm signals with a 12dB SIN ratio.
Third-order intercept is typically -15dBm
(that's approximately + 5dBm output intercept
because of the RF gain). The system design-
er must be cognizant of this large signal
limitation. When designing LANs or other
closed systems where transmission levels
are high, and small-signal or signal-to-noise
Figure 1. Test Configuration issues not critical, the input to the NE612
should be appropriately scaled.

November 3, 1987 164

 Product Specification

Double-Balanced Mixer and Oscillator NE612

Besides excellent low power performance The mixer outputs (Pins 4 and 5) are also permissible oscillation frequency. If the re-
well into VHF, the NE612 is designed to be internally biased. Each output is connected to quired L.O. is beyond oscillation limits, or the
flexible. The input, output, and oscillator ports the internal positive supply by a 1.5kn resis- system calls for an external L.O., the external
can support a variety of configurations provid- tor. This permits direct output termination yet signal can be injected at Pin 6 through a DC
ed the designer understands certain con- allows for balanced output as well. Figure 4 blocking capacitor. External L.O. should be
straints, which will be explained here. shows three single-ended output configura- 200mVp_p minimum to 300mVp_p maximum.
tions and a balanced output.
The RF inputs (Pins 1 and 2) are biased Figure 5 shows several proven oscillator
internally. They are symmetrical. The equiva- The oscillator is capable of sustaining oscilla- circuits. Figure 5a is appropriate for cordless
lent AC input impedance is approximately tion beyond 200MHz in crystal or tuned tank telephones. In this circuit a third overtone
1.5k II 3pF through 50MHz. Pins 1 and 2 can configurations. The upper limit of operation is parallel-mode crystal with approximately 5pF
be used interchangeably, but they should not determined by tank "Q" and required drive load capacitance should be specified. Capac-
be DC biased externally. Figure 3 shows levels. The higher the Q of the tank or the itor C3 and inductor L1 act as a fundamental
three typical input configurations. smaller the required drive, the higher the trap. In fundamental mode oscillation the trap
is omitted.
Figure 6 shows a Colpitts varacter tuned tank
oscillator suitable for synthesizer-controlled
applications. It is important to buffer the
output of this circuit to assure that switching
spikes from the first counter or prescaler do
not end up in the oscillator spectrum. The
dual-gate MOSFET provides optimum isola-
tion with low current. The FET offers good
isolation, simplicity, and low current, while the
bipolar circuits provide the simple solution for
non-critical applications. The resistive divider
in the emitter-follower circuit should be
chosen to provide the minimum input Signal
which will assume correct system operation.

m
GND

Figure 2. Equivalent Circuit

NE612

a. Single-Ended Tuned Input b. Balanced Input (for Attenuation c. Single-Ended Untuned Input
of Second Order Products)

Figure 3. Input Configuration

November 3, 1987
165
 Product Specification

Double-Balanced Mixer and Oscillator NE612

CFU455
OR EQUIVALENT

NE612 NE612 FILTER K&L38780 OR EaUIVALENT

·CT MATCHES 3.SKll TO NEXT STAGE.

a. Single-Ended Ceramic Filter b. Single-Ended Crystal Filter

NE612 NES12

c. Single-Ended 1FT d. Balanced Output

Figure 4. Output Configuration

NE612 NE612 NE612

a. Colpitts Crystal Oscillator b. Colpitts LIC Tank Oscillator c. Hartley LIC Tank Oscillator
(Overtone Mode)
Figure 5. Oscillator Circuits

November 3, 1987
166
 Product Specification

Double-Balanced Mixer and Oscillator NE612

S.5I'H

1000PF
T

F":"
~ DC CONTROL VOLTAGE
5 1000pF 1 .. FROM SYNTHESIZER

O.06I'H t t MV210S
OR EaUIVALENT

JO.01PF
100K 2K J
3SK126

O.01pF
t---o 2N5484
J

>-/ f---o
330 O.01pF TO SYNTHESIZER

Figure 6. Colpitts Oscillator Suitable for Synthesizer Applications and Typical Buffers

TEST CONFIGURATION

NE612

Figure 7. Typical Application for 46/49MHz Cordless Telephone

November 3, 1987
167
 Product Specification

Double-Balanced Mixer and Oscillator NE612

-14.5
-10

-11

~
:;)
Q.
~
-10

-20
e-
CD
:!!.
-12

-13
I
12.5 ~
-12

12.5- r--
-15.5

-16.5
",
~ --------
:;)
0
E
5
0
-14

-15
I-- ./13.5
-30 ffi -17.5
~ ~

-40
! -18

-17 -18.5
-so -18 -19.0
-19.5
-so -40 -30 -20 -10 10 0 +40 +70
dBmlNPUT VCC(VOLTS) TEMPERATURE (OC)

Figure 8. NE612 Third-Order

Intermod and 1dB Compression Figure 9. Input Third-Order Figure 10. Third-Order Intercept
Point Performance Intercept Point vs Vee Point vs Temperature

18,---------.-------,

C 4
.s
~
iD
:!!.
iD ffi w
:!!. rr: rr:
:;)
z 14 § 3 CJ 6 4V
C 0 6V ii:
CJ w
~ UI 8V
Q.
Q. i5
2
Z
i7l 4V 6V

10 1 4
0 +40 +70 0 +40 +70 0 .,.40 .,.70
TEMPERATURE ("C) TEMPERATURE (OC) TEMPERATURE (OC)

Figure 11 Figure 12 Figure 13

November 3, 1987 168