Square wave generator - help needed

I need help with a homework design of a square wave generator, the constraints are as follow:

Frequency is to be set at 10 Mhz, square wave, the output should be 1VPP with 50% duty cycle.

I would like to design something simple but effective, I found a chip online from Linear Technology LTC6900 that can generate 10Mhz, 50% duty cycle square waves, however, the output is 4.8V and I need 1VPP. Can I use an op. amp to attenuate the signal or is there a better way to get the 1VPP for the final output? Thanks.

You don't need an amplifier to reduce the signal, you need an attenuator!
Use two resistors, or a potentiomenter to form a potential divider and reduce the voltage to anything between zero and 4.8V. The only drawback to ths method is that you might change the output imedance and drive capability, if this is the case, attenuate first to set the level then use a buffer stage to drive the output.

Brian.

An amplifier could be an attenuator when it has a voltage gain less than 1. On the other hand, using an opamp allows to improve drive capability because its output impedance.

@edwinc - a voltage gain of less then one still requires an attenuator. I know of no amplifiers that have a voltage gain of 0.2088, at least within their rated bandwidth.

Brian.

When you have an amplifier with gain < 1, then output is decreased respect to input and you don't require an attenuator (see https://www.edaboard.com/threads/17051/). On the other hand, compromise between bandwidth and gain allows to increase bandwidth when gain is reduced. Of course, you have to consider stability, which depends on load.

edwinc, do you want to give broad ideas of amplifier operation, or do you suggest a specific amplifier for 10 MHz and a circuit, that the original poster can use?

A voltage divider (or attenuator) is in fact the most simple solution for the problem. We don't have an output impedance specification, so we don't know, if a divider is suitable. Also many other parameters are unknown, e.g. frequency accuracy, required waveform quality in terms of symmetry or slew rate.

both way is right ,,..... you can use either op-amp with gain less then 1 or you can use voltage divider circuit to get 1Vpp output...............

Hi thanks guys, the problem didn't specify anything about the load so I'm assuming that's not a concern, the only thing is that a voltage divider seems to me a little too simplistic, that's why I was looking to go with the op-amp; is 20 Mhz pretty resonable for an op-amp, I'm trying to go with the Nyquist concept of at least double the bandwith, maybe even 25Mhz to be safe, can op amps handle this type of bandwith acting as an attenuator? Maybe I will need to resort to the voltage divider if I can't find a component suitable for my needs, also, on the datasheet it says the LC6900 can drive a 5K load, so for my divider, do I need a configuration that amounts to less resistance than that? I always forget which way we could go, like when your stereo says impedance 8ohms and you can plug in speakers that are 16ohms or 4ohms? Anyway, also the circuit is being powered by a 5V source (coming from a 12V voltage regulator) so I'd like an op-amp that takes 5V or 12V as Vdd. Thanks.