Evaluates: MAX2831
MAX2831 Evaluation Kit
General Description
The MAX2831 evaluation kit (EV kit) simplifies testing
of the MAX2831 receive and transmit performance in
802.11g/b applications operating in the 2.4GHz to 2.5GHz
ISM band. The EV kit provides 50Ω SMA connectors for
all RF and baseband inputs and outputs. Differential-to-
single-ended and single-ended-to-differential line drivers
are provided to convert the differential I/Q baseband
inputs and outputs to single ended.
Features
●
On-Board Line Driver and Voltage Reference
● 50Ω SMA Connectors on All RF and Baseband Ports
● PC Control Software Available at
19-0816; Rev 3; 1/16
Quick Start
The MAX2831 EV kit is fully assembled and factory tested.
Follow the instructions in the
section
to test the devices.
Test Equipment Required
This section lists the recommended test equipment to
verify the operation of the MAX2831. It is intended as a
guide only and substitutions may be possible:
●
MAX2831 EV kit
●
I interface board
● DC supply capable of deli5V and 200mA of
continuous current
● DC supply capable of delivering -5V and 200mA of
continuous current
● DC supply capable of deli3.3V and 300mA of
continuous current
● DC supply capable of deli2.85V and 200mA
of continuous current
● One HP8648s or equivalent signal sources capable
of generating 0dBm up to 3GHz
● 802.11b/g CW I/Q waveform generator
● HP8561E or equivalent RF spectrum analyzer with a
minimum 100kHz to 3GHz frequency range
● TDS3012 or equivalent oscilloscope with 200MHz
bandwidth
● PC laptop or tablet with Microsoft Windows XP
®
,
Windows
®
7, 8 OS and a USB port
●
USB-A male to USB-B male cable
Connections and Setup
This section provides step-by-step instructions for getting
the EV kit up and running in all modes (see
for
EV kit connections):
1) Connect the PC to the INTF3000 interface board using
the USB-A male to USB-B male cable. On INTF3000,
remove jumper JU1 and connect a DC supply set to 3.3V
to the V
PULL
connector. Connect the 25-pin connector of
the INTF3000 (J4) directly to the 25-pin connector on the
EV kit (J18).
2) With the power supply turned off, connect a +2.85V
power supply to V
REG
(pin 1), VCCAUX, and a +3.3V
power supply to V
BAT
. Connect the power-supply
ground to the header labeled GND1 or GND2.
3) With the power supply turned off, connect a +5V power
supply to the +5V test point and a -5V power supply to
the -5V test point. Connect the power-supply ground to
the header labeled GND1 or GND2. Connect all the
power-supply grounds together.
4) Make sure the jumpers are installed in their default
positions as shown in
.
5) Turn on the +3.3V power supply, followed by the
+2.85V power supply, +5V power supply, and -5V
power supply.
6) Install and run the MAX2831 control software,
available for download
Receive Mode
1) Set the RXTX jumper across pins 2-3 (RX) to enable the
receiver and disable the transmitter. Set the ANTSEL
jumper to its default position 2-3 (ANT1).
2) Set the signal generator to accurately deliver -100dBm
at 2438MHz, at the SMA port (ANT1/RXRF) of
MAX2831. Connect the output of signal generator to
RXRF port of MAX2831.
3) On the Registers page of the EV kit software, set the
register values to the recommended setting in the
MAX2831 data sheet by clicking the "Defaults" and
“Send All” buttons.
4) On the Entry page, confirm that the "Receive Mode" is
set to “normal,” "Baseband Filter Mode Control" is set
to “RX,” and the "RF frequency" is tuned to 2437MHz.
Maximize the RX LNA and RX VGA Gain.
5) Connect the spectrum analyzer to either RXBBI or
RXBBQ. Set the center frequency to 1MHz with a span
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