L M X 2 5 3 1 L Q 3 0 1 0 E E V A L U A T I O N B O A R D O P E R A T I N G I N S T R U C T I O N S
Inter-modulation Spurs
The LMX2531 features an output divider which may divide the VCO frequency by two. The result is an
Fout frequency half the VCO frequency. When this VCO divider is enabled a spur will occur between a
multiple of the phase detector frequency and the Fout frequency.
In the example below the phase detector frequency (F
PD
) is 10 MHz. The VCO frequency is 3020.005
MHz. The divide by two is enabled and the output frequency (Fout) is 1510.0025 MHz
1510 MHz = 10 MHz * 151, which is a multiple of the F
PD
.
1510.0025 MHz is the divided output frequency.
Therefore a spur will occur at 2.5 kHz offset = (1510.0025 – 1510 MHz)
If the frequency was set to 1509.9975 MHz there would be a spur at 2.5 kHz because:
1510 MHz = 10 MHz * 151, which is a multiple of the F
PD
.
1509.9975 MHz is the divided output frequency.
Therefore a spur will occur at 2.5 kHz offset = (1509.9975 – 1510 MHz)
Technically there are spurs at caused by mixing with all multiples of the phase detector frequency but
they will be far away from the carrier and the loop filter will eliminate them.
The spur shown below at 2.5 kHz off from 1510.0025 MHz is an example of inter-modulation that
occurs. This only happens when the VCO divider is enabled.
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