Generating Square Wave >80MHz: Best ICs, Circuits, or Microcontrollers?

Hi All.
I need to generate the fastest square wave (also > 80 Mhz).
How can i do this?
Thank you very much.
J

This is a non trivial problem, at 100MHZ, the repetition rate is 10nSec, even assuming that you can tolerate a 10% rise and fall time, then you are looking at <1nSec. A bit more detail about what you are trying to achieve might help. What sort of voltage and load do you anticipate working with? The fastest CMOS and ECL logic are capable of these sorts of rise and fall times at low voltages.
A bit more info about your application might help, is it in some way associated with your other post?
cheers,
Richard

Further to my previous comment, you could try something like the Si5351A, these are available from a number of sources on a breakout board(google the part number), so ready to use. Has a 1nSec rise and fall time, and has to be programmed using I2C. Not much drive capability, and only a logic level out, so my previous comment stands regarding the drive capability you need. Again, at these frequencies, to get a true square wave is not trivial if you are unfamiliar with working at the specified rise and fall times.
Cheers,
Richard

John... you can get crystal oscillator modules up to 100 MHz + (I just today saw one on a board at 125 MHz). They would have an output with a reasonably square wave, You can look some up on suppliers sites and may find a datasheet that will give you more info. At those frequencies the rise and fall times would be of some importance I would think, a good data sheet would specify them. One i saw here had 5ns rise and fall times

https://www.farnell.com/datasheets/3161551.pdf

Hi.
You can receive a radio signal from a Broadcast radio station, then amplify the signal and treat it with suitable electronic components.
Giovanni

There are a few different approaches you can take to generate a fast square wave with a frequency greater than 80 MHz. One option is to use a high-speed digital logic gate, such as a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). These types of devices are designed to operate at high speeds and can be programmed to output a square wave at a specific frequency.

Another option is to use a pulse generator or waveform generator, which is a type of electronic instrument that is specifically designed to generate square waves and other types of electrical waveforms. These instruments typically have a wide range of adjustable frequency and amplitude settings, so you should be able to generate a square wave with a frequency of 80 MHz or higher.

Finally, you can use an oscillator circuit to generate a square wave. Oscillators are electronic circuits that are designed to produce a continuous output signal at a specific frequency. There are many different types of oscillator circuits, including RC oscillators, LC oscillators, and crystal oscillators. You can use an oscillator circuit to generate a square wave by shaping the output waveform with a waveform shaping circuit.

Regardless of the approach you choose, it is important to keep in mind that the speed at which you can generate a square wave is limited by the capabilities of the hardware and circuitry you are using. You may need to use specialized components or design techniques to achieve the high frequency you are looking for.