FRACTIONAL-N synthesizers have long promised good RF performance. The cost, however has been great complexity and high current consumption. Fortunately the latest generation of fractional-N synthesizer integrated circuits (ICs) from Philips Semiconductors (Sunnyvale, CA) offers low phase noise, simple operation, and low current consumption at frequencies to 2.5 GHz. The synthesizers operate without complicated lookup tables, and require only a single resistor to set the charge-pump currents.