Fractional-N Synthesizer Simplifies UHF Sensor Radio

摘要

Low power and small size are key features of the radio hardware associated with Unattended Ground Sensors (UGS). The RF modulation capability of the radio is an important parameter that affects overall network performance, and drives the size, cost and power consumption of both receive and transmit circuitry. This paper describes the use of a fractional-N synthesizer to directly generate various modulation waveforms at the transmit frequency. A design example is presented to highlight the benefits of this technique on a typical UHF sensor radio.