The LT®5503 is a front-end transmitter IC designed for low voltage operation, and is compatible with the LTC family of WLAN products. The IC contains a high frequency quadrature modulator with a variable gain amplifier (VGA) and a balanced mixer. The modulator includes a precision 90° phase shifter which allows direct modulation of an RF signal by the baseband I and Q signals. In a superheterodyne system, the mixer can be used to generate the high-frequency RF input for the modulator by mixing the system’s 1st and 2nd local oscillators. The LT5503 modulator output delivers –3dBm at 2.5GHz. The VGA allows output power reduction in three steps up to 13dB with digital control. The baseband inputs are internally biased for maximum input voltage swing at low supply voltage. If needed, they can be driven with external bias voltages.