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A 0.079 mm2 2.1-to-4.2 GHz ring-VCO employing programmable current topology

Muhammad Awais (Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
Harikrishnan Ramiah (Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
Chee-Cheow Lim (Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
Joon Huang Chuah (Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)

Microelectronics International

ISSN: 1356-5362

Article publication date: 3 April 2018

151

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this work in designing a wideband ring voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) based on programmable current topology. It occupies a very tiny area yet achieving a good phase noise performance, which is suitable to be implemented in cost-effective and wideband frequency synthesizers.

Design/methodology/approach

The tuning range and gain are improved by dividing the VCO tuning curve into multiple curves controlled by programmable current sources without introducing additional parasitic capacitance.

Findings

Fabricated in 130-nm standard complementary metal oxide semiconductor technology and occupying an area of 0.079 mm2, the VCO is tunable from 2.05 to 4.19 GHz, with a tuning percentage of 68.5 per cent. The VCO measures a phase noise performance of −96.7 dBc/Hz at an offset of 1 MHz from a 4.19 GHz carrier while consuming an average current of 6.5 mA, achieving figure of merit (FoM) and FoMT of −158.9 and −175.6 dBc/Hz, respectively.

Originality/value

The proposed design uses programmable current topology without introducing parasitic capacitance, hence achieving wideband operation. It also occupies a tiny area and achieves a good phase noise performance.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

This research is supported by the Foundation Grant PV001-2014 from Motorola Solutions.

Citation

Awais, M., Ramiah, H., Lim, C.-C. and Chuah, J.H. (2018), "A 0.079 mm2 2.1-to-4.2 GHz ring-VCO employing programmable current topology", Microelectronics International, Vol. 35 No. 2, pp. 85-91. https://doi.org/10.1108/MI-02-2017-0003

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited

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