For price, delivery, and to place orders, please contact Hittite Microwave Corporation:
20 Alpha Road, Chelmsford, MA 01824 Phone: 978-250-3343 Fax: 978-250-3373
Order On-line at www.hittite.com
MIXERS - SINGLE & DOUBLE BALANCED - SMT
9
9 - 30
HMC144LC4
GaAs MMIC DOUBLE-BALANCED
MIXER, 6 - 20 GHz
v02.1208
General Description
Features
Functional Diagram
The HMC144LC4 is a Double-Balanced MMIC
Mixer in a leadless “Pb free” SMT package which
can be used as an upconverter or downconverter
from 6 to 20 GHz. Broadband operation and 30 to
40 dB isolations are provided by on-chip baluns,
which require no external components or DC bias.
MMIC mixers are more reliable replacements to
hybrid diode mixers assuring consistent conversion
loss and isolation performance over high volume
production lots. The HMC144LC4 eliminates the
need for wire bonding, allowing use of surface mount
manufacturing techniques.
+23 dBm Input IP3
35 dB LO/RF Isolation
IF Bandwidth: DC to 3 GHz
RoHS Compliant 4x4 mm SMT Package
Electrical Speci cations, TA = +25° C
Typical Applications
The HMC144LC4 is ideal for:
• Point-to-Point Radios
• Point-to-Mulit-Point Radios & VSAT
• Test Equipment & Sensors
• Military End-Use
Parameter
IF = 100 MHz
LO = +20 dBm Units
Min. Typ. Max. Min. Typ. Max.
Frequency Range, RF & LO 6 - 12 12 - 20 GHz
Frequency Range, IF DC - 3 DC - 3 GHz
Conversion Loss 9.5 11.5 11 13 dB
Noise Figure (SSB) 9.5 11.5 11 13 dB
LO to RF Isolation 25 35 25 35 dB
LO to IF Isolation 15 20 15 20 dB
RF to IF Isolation 15 25 15 25 dB
IP3 (Input) 23 23 dBm
1 dB Compression (Input) 12 15 12 15 dBm
* Unless otherwise noted, all measurements performed as downconverter, IF= 100 MHz.
For price, delivery, and to place orders, please contact Hittite Microwave Corporation:
20 Alpha Road, Chelmsford, MA 01824 Phone: 978-250-3343 Fax: 978-250-3373
Order On-line at www.hittite.com
MIXERS - SINGLE & DOUBLE BALANCED - SMT
9
9 - 31
Conversion Gain vs.
Temperature @ LO = +20 dBm Isolation @ LO = +20 dBm
IF Bandwidth @ LO = +20 dBm
Return Loss @ LO = +20 dBmConversion Gain vs. LO Drive
Upconverter Performance
Conversion Gain @ LO = +20 dBm
-20
-15
-10
-5
0
4 6 8 10121416182022
+25C
+85C
-40C
CONVERSION GAIN (dB)
FREQUENCY (GHz)
-20
-15
-10
-5
0
4 6 8 10121416182022
LO = +13 dBm
LO = +15 dBm
LO = +17 dBm
LO = +20 dBm
CONVERSION GAIN (dB)
FREQUENCY (GHz)
-60
-50
-40
-30
-20
-10
0
4 6 8 10121416182022
RF to IF
LO to RF
LO to IF
ISOLATION (dB)
FREQUENCY (GHz)
-30
-25
-20
-15
-10
-5
0
0123456
IF CONVERSION GAIN
IF RETURN LOSS
RESPONSE (dB)
FREQUENCY (GHz)
-20
-15
-10
-5
0
4 6 8 10121416182022
CONVERSION GAIN (dB)
FREQUENCY (GHz)
-20
-15
-10
-5
0
4 6 8 10121416182022
RF
LO
RETURN LOSS (dB)
FREQUENCY (GHz)
HMC144LC4
GaAs MMIC DOUBLE-BALANCED
MIXER, 6 - 20 GHz
v02.1208
For price, delivery, and to place orders, please contact Hittite Microwave Corporation:
20 Alpha Road, Chelmsford, MA 01824 Phone: 978-250-3343 Fax: 978-250-3373
Order On-line at www.hittite.com
MIXERS - SINGLE & DOUBLE BALANCED - SMT
9
9 - 32
Input IP3 vs. LO Drive*
Input P1dB vs.
Temperature @ LO = +20 dBm
Input IP3 vs.
Temperature @ LO = +20 dBm*
Harmonics of LO
* Two-tone input power = 0 dBm each tone, 1 MHz spacing.
Input IP2 vs. LO Drive *
MxN Spurious @ IF Port
nLO
mRF01234
0XX0 5 37N/A
170494254
24766445657
3 >95 >95 >95 58 77
4 N/A >95 >95 >95 >95
RF = 12 GHz @ -10 dBm
LO = 12.1 GHz @ 20 dBm
All values in dBc relative to the IF power level.
Measured as downconverter.
nLO Spur @ RF Port
LO Freq. (GHz) 1 2 3 4
925184653
10.5 25 20 52 66
12 27 24 47 63
13.5 27 33 61 N/A
15 27 47 67 N/A
16.5 24 52 63 N/A
LO = +20 dBm
All values in dBc below input LO level @ RF port.
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21
LO = +13 dBm
LO = +15 dBm
LO = +17 dBm
LO = +20 dBm
IIP3 (dBm)
FREQUENCY (GHz)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21
+25C
+85C
-40C
IIP3 (dBm)
FREQUENCY (GHz)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21
LO = +13 dBm
LO =+15 dBm
LO = +17 dBm
LO = +20 dBm
IIP2 (dBm)
FREQUENCY (GHz)
5
10
15
20
25
5 8 11 14 17 20
+25C
+85C
-40C
P1dB (dBm)
FREQUENCY (GHz)
HMC144LC4
GaAs MMIC DOUBLE-BALANCED
MIXER, 6 - 20 GHz
v02.1208
For price, delivery, and to place orders, please contact Hittite Microwave Corporation:
20 Alpha Road, Chelmsford, MA 01824 Phone: 978-250-3343 Fax: 978-250-3373
Order On-line at www.hittite.com
MIXERS - SINGLE & DOUBLE BALANCED - SMT
9
9 - 33
Outline Drawing
Absolute Maximum Ratings
RF / IF Input +15 dBm
LO Drive +27 dBm
IF DC Current ±2 mA
Storage Temperature -65 to +150 °C
Operating Temperature -40 to +85 °C
ESD Sensitivity (HBM) Class 1A
NOTES:
1. PACKAGE BODY MATERIAL: ALUMINA
2. LEAD AND GROUND PADDLE PLATING: GOLD FLASH OVER Ni.
3. DIMENSIONS ARE IN INCHES [MILLIMETERS].
4. LEAD SPACING TOLERANCE IS NON-CUMULATIVE.
5. PACKAGE WARP SHALL NOT EXCEED 0.05mm DATUM -C-
6. ALL GROUND LEADS AND GROUND PADDLE MUST BE SOLDERED
TO PCB RF GROUND.
ELECTROSTATIC SENSITIVE DEVICE
OBSERVE HANDLING PRECAUTIONS
HMC144LC4
GaAs MMIC DOUBLE-BALANCED
MIXER, 6 - 20 GHz
v02.1208
For price, delivery, and to place orders, please contact Hittite Microwave Corporation:
20 Alpha Road, Chelmsford, MA 01824 Phone: 978-250-3343 Fax: 978-250-3373
Order On-line at www.hittite.com
MIXERS - SINGLE & DOUBLE BALANCED - SMT
9
9 - 34
Pin Number Funciton Description Interface Schematic
1, 5 - 7, 11 - 14,
18 - 24 N/C No Connection. These pins may be connected to RF/DC ground.
Performance will not be affected.
2, 4, 8, 10,
15, 17 GND These pins and package bottom must be
connect to RF/DC ground.
3RF This pin is AC coupled and matched
to 50 Ohms from 6 - 20 GHz
9IF
This pin is DC coupled. For applications not requiring operation
to DC, this port should be DC blocked externally using a series
capacitor whose value has been chosen to pass the necessary IF
frequency range. For operation to DC, this pin must not source/
sink more than 2 mA of current or die non-function and possible
die failure will result.
16 LO This pin is AC coupled and matched
to 50 Ohms from 6 - 20 GHz
Pin Descriptions
HMC144LC4
GaAs MMIC DOUBLE-BALANCED
MIXER, 6 - 20 GHz
v02.1208
For price, delivery, and to place orders, please contact Hittite Microwave Corporation:
20 Alpha Road, Chelmsford, MA 01824 Phone: 978-250-3343 Fax: 978-250-3373
Order On-line at www.hittite.com
MIXERS - SINGLE & DOUBLE BALANCED - SMT
9
9 - 35
Evaluation PCB
The circuit board used in the  nal application
should use RF circuit design techniques. Signal
lines should have 50 ohm impedance while the
package ground leads and exposed paddle
should be connected directly to the ground
plane similar to that shown. A sufficient number
of via holes should be used to connect the top
and bottom ground planes. The evaluation cir-
cuit board shown is available from Hittite upon
request.
List of Materials for Evaluation PCB 109010 [1]
Item Description
J1 - J2 PCB Mount SMA RF Connector, SRI
J3 PCB Mount SMA Connector, Johnson
U1 HMC144LC4
PCB [2] 109005 Evaluation Board
[1] Reference this number when ordering complete evaluation PCB
[2] Circuit Board Material: Rogers 4350
HMC144LC4
GaAs MMIC DOUBLE-BALANCED
MIXER, 6 - 20 GHz
v02.1208