User's Guide
SLOU216B–January 2008–Revised January 2013
VCA8500BOARD
The Texas Instruments VCA8500BOARD evaluation module makes it easy to evaluate the performance of
the TI VCA8500 variable gain amplifier. This user's guide provides a description of the evaluation module
and its operation, schematic diagram, bill of materials, and the printed-circuit board layout.
If going from a Rev B BOARD to a Rev C BOARD, /CS has been changed to RESET.
Contents
1 Description ................................................................................................................... 2
2 Initial Configuration ......................................................................................................... 2
2.1 Power Supply ....................................................................................................... 2
3 Signals ........................................................................................................................ 2
3.1 Input Signals ........................................................................................................ 2
3.2 Output Signals ...................................................................................................... 2
3.3 TGC Outputs ........................................................................................................ 3
3.4 CW Outputs ......................................................................................................... 3
4 Microcontroller ............................................................................................................... 3
5 Modes of Operation ......................................................................................................... 3
5.1 Default-Power-Up Mode .......................................................................................... 4
5.2 PC Control Mode ................................................................................................... 4
5.3 Direct Control Mode ............................................................................................... 4
6 VCA8500BOARD Full-Access Software ................................................................................. 4
6.1 Loading the Software .............................................................................................. 4
6.2 Initial Start-up Screen ............................................................................................. 4
6.3 Other Program Functions ......................................................................................... 8
7 Printed-Circuit Board Layout, Bill of Materials, and Schematic ....................................................... 8
7.1 Printed-Circuit Board Layout ..................................................................................... 8
7.2 Bill of Materials .................................................................................................... 12
7.3 Schematic ......................................................................................................... 13
List of Figures
1 CW Output Circuit........................................................................................................... 3
2 Initial Start-up Screen ...................................................................................................... 5
3 Main Program Window..................................................................................................... 6
4 CW Options Selection...................................................................................................... 7
5 Silkscreen — Top Layer ................................................................................................... 8
6 Ground ....................................................................................................................... 9
7 Power Plane 1............................................................................................................... 9
8 Power Plane 2 ............................................................................................................. 10
9 Ground...................................................................................................................... 10
10 Silkscreen — Bottom Layer .............................................................................................. 11
11 Schematic Pg.1............................................................................................................ 14
12 Schematic Pg.2............................................................................................................ 15
List of Tables
1 Bill of Materials............................................................................................................. 12
1
SLOU216B–January 2008–Revised January 2013 VCA8500BOARD
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