The synthesizer, with an integrated voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO), targets applications such as wireless infrastructure, microwave point-to-point links, electronic test and measurement, and satellite terminals. The company also offers a complementary synthesizer, the ADF4356, which operates to 6.8GHz.

The ADF5356 generates RF outputs from 53.125MHz to 13.6GHz without any gaps in frequency coverage, which allows the device to be used as a multi-band synthesizer, eliminating the need for multiple band-specific VCOs/synthesizers products, to reduce component count, board space, and power, says the company. The synthesizer is claimed to offer superior phase lock loop (PLL) figures of merit (FOM), low VCO phase noise, very low integer-boundary and phase-detector spurs, and high phase-comparison frequency.  

Both the ADF5356 and ADF4356 synthesizers were developed on the company's proprietary advanced SiGe BiCMOS process. The VCO phase noise of -113dBc/Hz at 100kHz offset at 5GHz, is claimed to be industry leading. Integrated root mean square (rms) jitter is just 97 fsec (1kHz to 20MHz) and integer-channel noise floor is -227dBc/Hz. The phase detector spurious levels are below -85dBc, typical, and the phase detector comparison frequency can be as high as 125MHz.

The RF synthesizers are supported by the ADIsimPLL, PLL synthesizer design and simulation tool for assessing phase noise, lock time, jitter and other design considerations. To provide an upgrade path, the synthesizers are pin-compatible with the company's existing ADF5355 and ADF4355 devices.

The ADF5356 and ADF4356 are specified over the -40 to 85°C range. They operate from a nominal 3.3V analogue and digital power supplies as well as 5V charge-pump and VCO supplies, and feature 1.8V logic-level compatibility.

The synthesizers are available in a 32-lead, 5.0 x 5.0mm LFCSP.