1 Features
• 14-bit resolution
• Maximum DAC sample rate: 9 GSPS
• Key Specifications:
– RF full-scale output power at 2.1 GHz:
• DAC38RF80/90/84: 0 dBm
• DAC38RF83/93/85: 3 dBm (with 2:1 balun)
– Spectral performance(on-chip PLL, DIFF):
• fDAC = 5898.24 MSPS, fOUT = 2.14 GHz
– WCDMA ACLR: 75 dBc
– WCDMA alt-ACLR: 77 dBc
• fDAC = 8847.36 MSPS, fOUT = 3.7 GHz
– 20 MHz LTE ACLR: 63 dBc
• fDAC = 9 GSPS, fOUT = 1.8 GHz
– IMD3 = 70 dBc (–6 dBFS, 10-MHz tone
spacing)
– NSD = –157 dBc/Hz
• Dual-band digital up-converter per DAC
– 6, 8, 10, 12, 16, 18, 20 or 24x interpolation
– 4 Independent NCOs with 48-bit resolution
• JESD204B Interface, subclass 1
– Support for multichip synchronization
– Maximum lane rate: 12.5 Gbps
• Single-ended output with integrated balun
(DAC38RF80/90/84) covering 700 MHz to 3800
MHz
• Internal PLL and VCO with bypass
– fC(VCO) = 5.9 or 8.9 GHz
• Power dissipation: 1.4 to 2.2 W/ch
• Power supplies: –1.8 V, 1 V, 1.8 V
• Package: 10 x 10 mm BGA, 0.8 mm pitch, 144-
balls

2 Applications
• Wireless communications
• Communications test equipment
• Arbitrary waveform generators
• Military software defined radios
• Radar and satellite communications (SATCOM)

3 Description
The DAC38RFxx is a family of high-performance,
dual/single-channel, 14-bit, 9-GSPS, RF-sampling
digital-to-analog converters (DACs) that are capable
of synthesizing wideband signals from 0 to 4.5 GHz.
A high dynamic range allows the DAC38RFxx family
to generate signals for a wide range of applications
including 3G/4G signals for wireless base-stations
and radar.
The devices feature a low-power JESD204B Interface
with up to 8 lanes with a maximum bit rate of 12.5
Gbps allowing an input data rate of 1.25 GSPS
complex per channel. The DAC38RFxx provides
two digital up-converters per channel, with multiple
options for interpolation rates. A digital quadrature
modulator with independent, frequency flexible NCOs
are available to support multi-band operation. An
optional low-jitter PLL/VCO simplifies the DAC
sampling clock generation by allowing use of a lower
frequency reference clock.