Low‐voltage CMOS RF Frequency Synthesizers

Citation

Ellis, B. (2005), "Low‐voltage CMOS RF Frequency Synthesizers", Microelectronics International, Vol. 22 No. 1, pp. 54-54. https://doi.org/10.1108/mi.2005.22.1.54.2

A wee while back, I read Lee's The Design of CMOS Radio‐frequency Integrated Circuits, from the same stable as this one. The first chapter of Lee's work was an excellent introduction to Radio Engineering, written in quite a humourous and interesting style. This one is a more typical textbook, but a good one.

RF synthesizers are an every‐day part of life, found in radios, televisions, computers, everywhere! They have replaced variable frequency oscillators for almost everything. This book specialises in their use for portable UHF and SHF applications with power voltages in the 1‐2 V range. It starts with a survey of different types, particularly the ubiquitous phase‐locked loop varieties. It then discusses how the various components can be designed onto a single CMOS chip, despite their very different functions, while minimising phase noise. The last four chapters detail the design of practical chips for different applications to meet design specifications. Comparisons are made with other designs.

As is usual with this series of books, it is well written and produced with a judicious mix of equations and text. As with its stable‐mates, the circuit schematics use non‐preferred symbols, such as a zig‐zag for resistors and, in this case, of a slightly poorer presentation.

This book is an essential reading for all engineers in the fields such as mobile telephony, wireless data transfer and similar, as well as for students, although the price is rather on the high side.