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Journal Article•DOI•

A fully integrated CMOS DCS-1800 frequency synthesizer

01 Jan 1998-Vol. 33, Iss: 12, pp 2054-2065
TL;DR: In this paper, a prototype frequency synthesizer for the DCS-1800 system has been integrated in a standard 0.4 /spl mu/m CMOS process without any external components.
Abstract: A prototype frequency synthesizer for the DCS-1800 system has been integrated in a standard 0.4 /spl mu/m CMOS process without any external components. A completely monolithic design has been made feasible by using an optimized hollow-coil inductor low-phase-noise voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO). The frequency divider is an eight-modulus phase-switching prescaler that achieves the same speed as asynchronous dividers. The die area was minimized by using a dual-path active loop filter. An indirect linearization technique was implemented for the VCO gain. The resulting architecture is a fourth-order, type-2 charge-pump phase-locked loop. The measured settling time is 300 /spl mu/s, and the phase noise is up to -123 dBc/Hz at 600 kHz and -138 dBc/Hz at 3 MHz offset.
Citations
More filters
Journal Article•DOI•
TL;DR: In this article, a design strategy centered around an inductance selection scheme is executed using a practical graphical optimization method to optimize phase noise subject to design constraints such as power dissipation, tank amplitude, tuning range, startup condition, and diameters of spiral inductors.
Abstract: Underlying physical mechanisms controlling the noise properties of oscillators are studied. This treatment shows the importance of inductance selection for oscillator noise optimization. A design strategy centered around an inductance selection scheme is executed using a practical graphical optimization method to optimize phase noise subject to design constraints such as power dissipation, tank amplitude, tuning range, startup condition, and diameters of spiral inductors. The optimization technique is demonstrated through a design example, leading to a 2.4-GHz fully integrated, LC voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) implemented using 0.35-/spl mu/m MOS transistors. The measured phase-noise values are -121, -117, and -115 dBc/Hz at 600-kHz offset from 1.91, 2.03, and 2.60-GHz carriers, respectively. The VCO dissipates 4 mA from a 2.5-V supply voltage. The inversion mode MOSCAP tuning is used to achieve 26% of tuning range. Two figures of merit for performance comparison of various oscillators are introduced and used to compare this work to previously reported results.

712 citations

Journal Article•DOI•
TL;DR: A novel fully differential frequency tuning concept is introduced to ease high integration of VCOs with quadrature outputs and leads to a cross-coupled double core LC-VCO as the optimal solution in terms of power consumption.
Abstract: This paper describes the design and optimization of VCOs with quadrature outputs. Systematic design of fully integrated LC-VCOs with a high inductance tank leads to a cross-coupled double core LC-VCO as the optimal solution in terms of power consumption. Furthermore, a novel fully differential frequency tuning concept is introduced to ease high integration. The concepts are verified with a 0.25-/spl mu/m standard CMOS fully integrated quadrature VCO for zero- or low-IF DCS1800, DECT, or GSM receivers. At 2.5-V power supply voltage and a total power dissipation of 20 mW, the quadrature VCO features a worst-case phase noise of -143 dBc/Hz at 3-MHz frequency offset over the tuning range. The oscillator is tuned from 1.71 to 1.99 GHz through a differential nMOS/pMOS varactor input.

454 citations

Journal Article•DOI•
TL;DR: In this paper, two 1.8 GHz CMOS voltage-controlled oscillators (VCOs), tuned by an inversion-mode MOS varactor and an accumulation-mode VOC, were implemented in a standard 0.6 /spl mu/m CMOS process.
Abstract: This paper presents two 1.8 GHz CMOS voltage-controlled oscillators (VCOs), tuned by an inversion-mode MOS varactor and an accumulation-mode MOS varactor, respectively. Both VCOs show a lower power consumption and a lower phase noise than a reference VCO tuned by a more commonly used diode varactor. The best overall performance is displayed by the accumulation-mode MOS varactor VCO. The VCOs were implemented in a standard 0.6 /spl mu/m CMOS process.

445 citations

Journal Article•DOI•
Cicero S. Vaucher1, I. Ferencic2, M. Locher2, S. Sedvallson2, U. Voegeli2, Z. Wang2 •
TL;DR: In this article, a modular and power-scalable architecture for low-power programmable frequency dividers is presented, which consists of a 17-bit UHF divider, an 18-bit L-band divider and a 12-bit reference divider.
Abstract: A truly modular and power-scalable architecture for low-power programmable frequency dividers is presented. The architecture was used in the realization of a family of low-power fully programmable divider circuits, which consists of a 17-bit UHF divider, an 18-bit L-band divider, and a 12-bit reference divider. Key circuits of the architecture are 2/3 divider cells, which share the same logic and the same circuit implementation. The current consumption of each cell can be determined with a simple power optimization procedure. The implementation of the 2/3 divider cells is presented, the power optimization procedure is described, and the input amplifiers are briefly discussed. The circuits were processed in a standard 0.35 /spl mu/m bulk CMOS technology, and work with a nominal supply voltage of 2.2 V. The power efficiency of the UHF divider is 0.77 GHz/mW, and of the L-band divider, 0.57 GHz/mW. The measured input sensitivity is >10 mV rms for the UHF divider, and >20 mV rms for the L-band divider.

408 citations

Journal Article•DOI•
TL;DR: In this paper, a novel noise-shifting differential Colpitts VCO is presented, which uses current switching to lower phase noise by cyclostationary noise alignment and improves the start-up condition.
Abstract: A novel noise-shifting differential Colpitts VCO is presented. It uses current switching to lower phase noise by cyclostationary noise alignment and improve the start-up condition. A design strategy is also devised to enhance the phase noise performance of quadrature coupled oscillators. Two integrated VCOs are presented as design examples.

323 citations

References
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Journal Article•DOI•
TL;DR: In this paper, a general model is introduced which is capable of making accurate, quantitative predictions about the phase noise of different types of electrical oscillators by acknowledging the true periodically time-varying nature of all oscillators.
Abstract: A general model is introduced which is capable of making accurate, quantitative predictions about the phase noise of different types of electrical oscillators by acknowledging the true periodically time-varying nature of all oscillators. This new approach also elucidates several previously unknown design criteria for reducing close-in phase noise by identifying the mechanisms by which intrinsic device noise and external noise sources contribute to the total phase noise. In particular, it explains the details of how 1/f noise in a device upconverts into close-in phase noise and identifies methods to suppress this upconversion. The theory also naturally accommodates cyclostationary noise sources, leading to additional important design insights. The model reduces to previously available phase noise models as special cases. Excellent agreement among theory, simulations, and measurements is observed.

2,270 citations

Journal Article•DOI•
TL;DR: In this article, a 1.5 GHz low noise amplifier (LNA) intended for use in a global positioning system (GPS) receiver, has been implemented in a standard 0.6/spl mu/m CMOS process.
Abstract: A 1.5-GHz low noise amplifier (LNA), intended for use in a global positioning system (GPS) receiver, has been implemented in a standard 0.6-/spl mu/m CMOS process. The amplifier provides a forward gain (S21) of 22 dB with a noise figure of only 3.5 dB while drawing 30 mW from a 1.5 V supply. In this paper, we present a detailed analysis of the LNA architecture, including a discussion on the effects of induced gate noise in MOS devices.

1,463 citations

Journal Article•DOI•
TL;DR: In this article, a delta-sigma (Delta-Sigma) modulation and fractional-N frequency division technique for indirect digital frequency synthesis using a phase-locked loop (PLL) is described.
Abstract: A description is given of a delta-sigma ( Delta - Sigma ) modulation and fractional-N frequency division technique for performing indirect digital frequency synthesis using a phase-locked loop (PLL). The use of Delta - Sigma modulation concepts results in beneficial shaping of the phase noise (jitter) introduced by fractional-N division. The technique has the potential to provide low phase noise, fast settling time, and reduced impact of spurious frequencies when compared with existing fractional-N PLL techniques. >

604 citations

Journal Article•DOI•
TL;DR: In this article, a completely integrated 1.8 GHz low-phase-noise voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) has been realized in a standard silicon digital CMOS process.
Abstract: A completely integrated 1.8-GHz low-phase-noise voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) has been realized in a standard silicon digital CMOS process. The design relies heavily on the integrated spiral inductors which have been realized with only two metal layers and without etching. The effects of high-frequency magnetic fields and losses in the heavily doped substrate have been simulated and modeled with finite-element analysis. The achieved phase noise is as low as -116 dBc/Hz at an offset frequency of 600 kHz, at a power consumption of only 6 mW. The VCO is tuned with standard available junction capacitances, resulting in a 250-MHz tuning range.

550 citations

Journal Article•DOI•
TL;DR: In this paper, an analog receiver front end chip realized in a 0.7 /spl mu/m CMOS technology is presented, which achieves a phase accuracy of less than 0.3/spl deg/ in a large passband around 900 MHz without requiring any external component or any tuning or trimming.
Abstract: An analog receiver front end chip realized in a 0.7 /spl mu/m CMOS technology is presented. It uses a new, high performance, downconverter topology, called double quadrature downconverter, that achieves a phase accuracy of less than 0.3/spl deg/ in a large passband around 900 MHz, without requiring any external component or any tuning or trimming. A high performance low-IF receiver topology is developed with this double quadrature downconverter. The proposed low-IF receiver combines the advantages of both the classical IF receiver and the zero IF receiver: an excellent performance and a very high degree of integration. In this way, it becomes possible to realize a true fully integrated receiver front-end that does not require a single external component and which is, different from the zero-IF receiver, nonetheless totally insensitive to parasitic baseband signals and self-mixing products.

489 citations