An integrated 8-12 GHz fractional-N frequency synthesizer in SiGe BiCMOS for satellite communications

We present an integrated fractional-N low-noise frequency synthesizer for satellite applications. By using two integrated VCOs and combining digital and analog tuning techniques, a PLL lock range from 8 to 12 GHz is achieved. Due to a small VCO fine tuning gain and optimized charge pump output biasing, the phase noise is low and almost constant over the tuning range. All 16 sub-bands show a tuning range above 900 MHz each, allowing temperature compensation without sub-band switching. This makes the synthesizer robust against variations of the device parameters with process, supply voltage, temperature and aging. The measured phase noise is ?87 dBc/Hz and ?106 dBc/Hz at 10 kHz and 1 MHz offset, respectively. In integer-N mode, phase noise values down to ?98 dBc/Hz at 10 kHz and ?111 dBc/Hz at 1 MHz offset, respectively, were measured.     

An integrated 0.38–6 GHz, 9–12 GHz fully differential fractional-N frequency synthesizer for multi-standard reconfigurable MIMO communication application

A wide-band fully differential fractional-N frequency synthesizer for multi-standard application is presented. The single fully differential LC–VCO with 28.5 % tuning rang and a set of dividers, quadrature self-mixer are designed to accomplish the multi-frequency bands with the frequency band from 0.38 to 6 GHz and from 9.0 to 12 GHz. It covers several wireless standards. A novel high isolation multiplexer is presented to achieve the frequency band selection. This chip was implemented with 65 nm CMOS technology and the maximum consumption is 20.05 mA from 1.2 V power supply. It occupies an active area of 1.5 mm². The measured typical phase noise of the frequency synthesizer is ?114.6 dBc/Hz from 1 MHz offset for 4.85 GHz output.     

高性能小数频率合成器的研究与设计

小数频率合成技术是实现高分辨率低噪声频率合成器的重要技术手段之一。在分析研究小数频率合成的基本原理及其杂散抑制技术方法上,基于通用灵活的设计思想,采用FPGA集成技术设计了一种基于-Δ调制技术的高性能小数分频器,利用该分频器实现的频率合成器,频率范围800~1 200 MHz,频率分辨率达到nHz量级,偏离主频10 kHz处单边带相位噪声优于-105 dBc/Hz,应用于某高纯微波合成信号发生器中,获得了令人满意的效果。     

U波段小数分频锁相环型频率综合器

使用0.18μm1.8VCMOS工艺实现了U波段小数分频锁相环型频率综合器,除压控振荡器(VCO)的调谐电感和锁相环路的无源滤波器外,其他模块都集成在片内。锁相环采用了带有开关电容阵列(SCA)的LC-VCO实现了宽频范围,使用3阶MASHΔ-Σ调制技术进行噪声整形降低了带内噪声。测试结果表明,频率综合器频率范围达到650～920MHz;波段内偏离中心频率100kHz处的相位噪声为-82dBc/Hz,1MHz处的相位噪声为-121dBc/Hz;最小频率分辨率为15Hz;在1.8V工作电压下,功耗为22mW。     

A highly linear and fully-integrated FMCW synthesizer for 60 GHz radar applications with 7 GHz bandwidth

A highly linear and fully-integrated frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) generator based on a fractional-N phase-locked loop (PLL) that is able to synthesize modulation schemes in 57–64 GHz range is proposed in this paper. The fractional-N PLL employs Colpitts voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) at 60 GHz with 13.5% tuning range. Automatic amplitude and frequency calibrations are implemented to avoid drifts due to process, voltage and temperature variations and to set the center frequency of the VCO. Five-stage multi-modulus divider is used for division ratio switching, controlled by the sigma-delta (\(\Sigma \Delta\)) modulator MASH 1-1-1. The frequency sweep (chirp) bandwidth and duration are fully programmable via serial peripheral interface allowing up to 16 different chirps in complex modulation scheme. The PLL reference signal is 250 MHz provided by external low-noise signal generator which is also used for digital modules clock. The overall PLL phase noise is lower than ?80 dBc/Hz at 10 kHz offset and the chirp linearity is better than 0.01%. The complete FMCW synthesizer is implemented and verified as a stand-alone chip in a commercially available SiGe HBT 130 nm BiCMOS technology. The total chip area is \(2.04\,\text {mm}^2\), and the total power consumption is 280 mW.     

A 0.13μm CMOS △∑ fractional-N frequency synthesizer for WLAN transceivers

A fractional-N frequency synthesizer fabricated in a 0.13 μm CMOS technology is presented for the application of IEEE 802.11 b/g wireless local area network (WLAN) transceivers.A monolithic LC voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) is implemented with an on-chip symmetric inductor.The fractional-N frequency divider consists of a pulse swallow frequency divider and a 3rd-order multistage noise shaping (MASH) △ ∑ modulator with noise-shaped dithering techniques.Measurement results show that in all channels,phase noise of the synthesizer achieves -93 dBc/Hz and -118 dBc/Hz in band and out of band respectively with a phase-frequency detector (PFD) frequency of 20 MHz and a loop bandwidth of 100 kHz.The integrated RMS phase error is no more than 0.8°.The proposed synthesizer consumes 8.4 mW from a 1.2 V supply and occupies an area of 0.86 mm2.     

A technique to improve the linearization of frequency–voltage characteristic of LC-VCO

This paper presents a very low-power linearization technique to improve the linearity of frequency-voltage characteristic of LC-VCO (voltage controlled oscillator) using MOS varactor. This reduces the VCO gain (K _VCO) variation and its required value over the tuning voltage range. Low K _VCO improves noise and reference spur performances at the output of phase lock loop/frequency synthesizer (FS). Low K _VCO variation reduces FS loop stability problem. Using this VCO circuit, a fully on-chip integer-N frequency synthesizer has been fabricated in 0.18 μm epi-digital CMOS technology for 2.45 GHz ZigBee application. The measured VCO phase noise is ?115.76 and ?125.23 dBc/Hz at 1 and 3 MHz offset frequencies, respectively from 2.445 GHz carrier and the reference spur of the frequency synthesizer is ?68.62 dBc. The used supply voltage is 1.5 V.     

UHF RFID阅读器中低噪声Σ小数频率综合器的设计

采用0.18μmRF CMOS工艺结合EPC C1G2协议和ETSI规范要求,实现了一种应用于CMOS超高频射频识别阅读器中的低噪声ΔΣ小数频率综合器。基于三位三阶误差反馈型ΔΣ解调器,采用系数重配技术,有效提高频率综合器中频段噪声性能;关键电路VCO的设计过程中采用低压差调压器技术为VCO提供稳定偏压,提高了VCO相位噪声性能。多电源供电模式下全芯片偏置电流为9.6mA,测得在中心频率频偏200kHz、1MHz处,相处噪声分别为-108dBc/Hz和-129.8dBc/Hz。     

A 8.75-11.2-GHz,low phase noise fractional-N synthesizer for 802.11a/b/g zero-IF transceiver

An ultra broadband fractional-N frequency synthesizer for 802.11a/b/g zero-IF transceiver application is presented.The mathematical models for the behavior of the synthesizer’s spur and phase noise are analyzed,and the optimization methodology is proposed.Measurement results exhibits that the frequency synthesizer’s integrated phase noise is less than 1°(1 kHz to 100 MHz)with a 4.375 GHz carrier(after divide-by-2),and the reference frequency spur is below-60 dBc operating with a 33 MHz reference clock.The frequency synthesizer is fabricated on a standard 0.13μm RF CMOS process and consumes 39.6 mW from a 1.2 V supply voltage.     

A constant loop bandwidth in delta sigma fractional-N PLL frequency synthesizer with phase noise cancellation

This work presents the design of a new and unique design technique of constant loop bandwidth and phase-noise cancellation in a wideband ΔΣ fractional-N PLL frequency synthesizer. Phase noise performance of the proposed ΔΣ fractional-N PLL frequency synthesizer has been verified using CppSim simulator with the help of transistor level simulation results in Cadence SpecctreRF. Transient response of the proposed ΔΣ fractional-N PLL has been verified in transistor level simulation using Cadence SpectreRF in 0.13 μm standard CMOS process. The proposed phase-noise cancellation and constant loop bandwidth in wideband ΔΣ fractional-N PLL reduces the out of band phase noise by 18 dBc/Hz at 2 MHz offset frequency for a closed loop bandwidth of 1 MHz, when I_CP,max is equal to 2.6 mA. PLL locking time has been reduced with phase-noise cancellation and a constant loop bandwidth calibration circuits using the proposed CP unit current cell for the mismatch compensated PFD/DAC in wideband ΔΣ fractional-N PLL frequency synthesizer. Optimum phase noise performance can be achieved with the help of proposed design technique. Proposed ΔΣ fractional-N PLL frequency synthesizer is locked within 14.0 μs with an automatic frequency control circuit of the LC VCO and a constant loop bandwidth calibration circuit through the use of proposed CP unit current cell for the mismatch compensated PFD/DAC for the phase-noise cancellation in worst case condition of K_VFC = 10 and K_LBC = 150. Our new design technique can be extensively integrated for wideband fractional-N PLL for new type of wireless communication paradigm using the thinnest channel subharmonic transistor and low power devices, and it has the potential to open a new era of fractional-N PLLs for wideband application.     

A multi-band CMOS PLL-based frequency synthesizer for DRM/DRM+/DAB systems

A wideband frequency synthesizer is designed and fabricated in a 0.18 μm CMOS technology. It is developed for DRM/DRM+/DAB systems and is based on a programmable integer-N phase-locked loop. Instead of using several synthesizers for different bands, only one synthesizer is used, which has three separated divider paths to provide quadrature 8-phase LO signals. A wideband VCO covers a frequency band from 2.0 to 2.9 GHz, generates LO signals from 32 to 72 MHz, and from 250 to 362 MHz. In cooperation with a programmable XTAL multi-divider at the PLL input and output dividers at the PLL output, the frequency step can be altered from 1 to 25 kHz. It provides an average output phase noise of ?80 dBc/Hz at 10 kHz offset, ?95 dBc/Hz at 100 kHz offset, and ?120 dBc/Hz at 1 MHz offset for all the supported channels. The output power of the LO signals is tunable from 0 dBm to +3 dBm, and the phase of quadrature signals can also be adjusted through a varactor in the output buffer. The power consumption of the frequency synthesizer is 45 mW from a 1.8 V supply.     

UHF RFID阅读器中优化小数频率综合器设计

给出了一个采用0.18μm CMOS工艺实现,基于三阶、三比特增量-总和调制技术,用于单片超高频射频识别阅读器的小数分频频率综合器。根据所采用的直接变频收发机结构特点及EPCglobal C1G2、ETSI协议的射频部分规范,确定阅读器本地振荡源相位噪声指标要求。测试结果表明:通过配置调制器的噪声传递函数零点,可使该频率综合器200 kHz频偏处的相位噪声得到有效抑制;当从1.8 V电源电压上抽取9.6 mA电流时,距离900 MHz测试中心频率200 kHz、1 MHz频偏处的相位噪声分别为-103与-132 dBc/Hz。     

A voltage-controlled oscillator with an ultra-low supply voltage and its application to a fractional-N phase-locked loop

With feature size scaling, the supply voltage of digital circuits is becoming lower and lower. As a result, the supply voltage of analogue and RF circuits must also be reduced for system on chip (SoC) realisation. This article proposes an ultra-low-supply voltage-controlled oscillator (ULSVCO) and designs a sigma–delta fractional-N frequency synthesiser which adopts such ULSVCO. A mathematical phase-noise model is built here to describe the noise performance of the low-supply voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO). The substrate of the cross-coupled NMOSFETs in the proposed ULSVCO is not grounded but connected to the supply to further reduce the supply voltage. Implemented in 0.18 μm CMOS technology, the proposed ULSVCO can be operated at a supply voltage as low as 0.41 V, the central frequency is set to 1.55 GHz, the phase noise is ?116 dBc/Hz@1.0 MHz. The minimum supply voltage is decreased by about 11% after our idea is adopted and the power consumption of the ULSVCO is only 1.04 mW. With the proposed ULSVCO, we design a sigma–delta-modulator (SDM) fractional-N phase-locked loop frequency synthesiser, which has a 1.43–1.75 GHz frequency tuning range. When the loop bandwidth is set to 100 KHz, the phase noise of our PLL is ?110 dBc/Hz@1.0 MHz.     

Low power fast settling multi-standard current reusing CMOS fractional-N frequency synthesizer

正A low power fast settling multi-standard CMOS fractional-N frequency synthesizer is proposed.The current reusing and frequency presetting techniques are adopted to realize the low power fast settling multi-standard fractional-N frequency synthesizer.An auxiliary non-volatile memory(NVM) is embedded to avoid the repetitive calibration process and to save power in practical application.This PLL is implemented in a 0.18μm technology. The frequency range is 0.3 to 2.54 GHz and the settling time is less than 5μs over the entire frequency range.The LC-VCO with the stacked divide-by-2 has a good figure of merit of-193.5 dBc/Hz.The measured phase noise of frequency synthesizer is about-115 dBc/Hz at 1 MHz offset when the carrier frequency is 2.4 GHz and the reference spurs are less than -52 dBc.The whole frequency synthesizer consumes only 4.35 mA @ 1.8 V.     

使用三位三阶Δ∑调制器的集成1GHz小数频率合成器

本文实现了一个采用三位三阶Δ∑调制器的高频谱纯度集成小数频率合成器.该频率合成器采用了模拟调谐和数字调谐组合技术来提高相位噪声性能,优化的电源组合可以避免各个模块之间的相互干扰,并且提高鉴频鉴相器的线性度和提高振荡器的调谐范围.通过采用尾电流源滤波技术和减小振荡器的调谐系数,在片压控振荡器具有很低的相位噪声,而通过采用开关电容阵列,该压控振荡器达到了大约100MHz的调谐范围,该开关电容阵列由在片数字调谐系统进行控制.该频率合成器已经采用0.18μm CMOS工艺实现,仿真结果表明,该频率频率合成器的环路带宽约为14kHz,最大带内相位噪声约为-106dBc/Hz;在偏离载波频率100kHz处的相位噪声小于-120dBc/Hz,具有很高的频谱纯度.该频率合成器还具有很快的反应速度,其锁定时间约为160μs.     

A 35-mW 3.6-mm/sup 2/ fully integrated 0.18-/spl mu/m CMOS GPS radio

A single-chip CMOS Global Positioning System (GPS) radio has been integrated using only a couple of external passive components for the input matching network and one external reference for the synthesizer. The receiver downconverts the GPS L1 signal at 1575.42 MHz to an IF of 9.45 MHz. The complete front-end and frequency synthesizer section have been integrated: low noise amplifier, image rejection mixer, IF active filter, and the full phase-locked loop synthesizer, including voltage-controlled oscillator and loop filter. The front-end measured performances are 81-dB maximum gain, 5.3-dB noise figure, and >30-dB image rejection. The synthesizer features a phase noise of -95 dBc/Hz at 1-MHz offset and a total integrated phase noise of less than 7/spl deg/ rms in the 500-Hz-1.5-MHz band. The front-end and the synthesizer draw, respectively, 11 and 9 mA from a 1.8-V supply. The architecture of the front-end and synthesizer has been geared to high level of integration and reduction of silicon area at the lowest possible power consumption. Consequently, the one reported here is the smallest and most integrated CMOS GPS receiver reported so far.     

数字高阶△-∑调制频率合成器的分析与实现

由小数分频频率合成器中相位累加器与数字一阶△-∑调制器的等效性出发，用ADS软件仿真证实了高阶数字△-∑调制对量化相位噪声的高通整型功能，从而有效地解决了小数分频的杂散问题。最后硬件电路实现了基于△-∑调制的小数分频跳频频率合成器，频率范围为590～1000MHz，在偏离主频10KHz时相噪优于-93．76dBc／Hz，频率分辨率可以小于100Hz，转换时间小于50μs，在跳频频率间隔1MHz时每秒可达2万跳。     

An 18-mW 2.5-GHz/900-MHz BiCMOS dual frequency synthesizer with<10-Hz RF carrier resolution

A 2.5-GHz/900-MHz dual fractional-N/integer-N frequency synthesizer is implemented in 0.35-μm 25-GHz BiCMOS. A ΔΣ fractional-N synthesizer is employed for RF channels to have agile switching, low in-band noise, and fine frequency resolution. Implementing two synthesizers with an on-chip ΔΣ modulator in a small package is challenging since the modulator induces substantial digital noise. In this work, several design aspects regarding noise coupling are considered. The fractional-N synthesizer offers less than 10-Hz frequency resolution having the in-band noise contribution of -88 dBc/Hz for 2.47-GHz output frequency and -98 dBc/Hz for 1.15-GHz output frequency, both measured at 20-kHz offset frequency. The prototype dual synthesizer consumes 18 mW with 2.6-V supply     

A frequency multiplier for reference frequency in frequency synthesizer systems

A low jitter frequency multiplier, which requires less power, area, and design complexity than reference multiplying PLL or DLL circuits can be used to generate the reference frequency for a low phase noise frequency synthesizer. This paper proposes a mixed signal solution based on the fact that the average DC value of a signal is proportional to its duty cycle. The solution uses a feedback loop with coarse and fine delay resolution to generate a \(90^{\circ }\) phase shifted clock that is used to produce a doubled frequency signal with 50% duty cycle. This method can be used to multiply the input frequency of 40 MHz by multiples of 2, up to 16. The design is implemented in 65 nm UMC CMOS process. Operating from 1.2-V supply, it dissipates 0.46 to 1.2 mA at output frequencies 80–640 MHz, achieving ? 162.3 and ? 139 dBc/Hz phase noise at 1 MHz offset, respectively.     

具有量化噪声抑制的小数分频器

介绍了一款用于分数分频频率综合器的具有量化噪声抑制功能的小数分频器。使用4/4.5双模预分频器,将分频步长降为0.5,使带外相位噪声性能提高6 dB。ΣΔ调制器和分频器的配合使用一种非常简单的编程方式。采用同步电路消除异步分频器的抖动。采用该分频器的频率综合器在SMIC 0.18μm RF工艺下实现,芯片面积为1.47 mm×1 mm。测试结果表明,该频率综合器可以输出1.2～2.1 GHz范围的信号。测试的带内相位噪声小于-97 dBc/Hz,在1 MHz频偏处的带外相位噪声小于-124 dBc/Hz。在1.8 V的电源电压下,消耗的电流为16 mA。