A 7.9-mW 5.6-GHz Digitally Controlled Variable Gain Amplifier With Linearization

Author

Kumar, Thangarasu Bharatha ; Ma, Kaixue ; Yeo, Kiat Seng

Author_Institution

Integrated Circuit Design Centre for Excellence, Nanyang Technol. Univ. (NTU), Singapore, Singapore

Volume

60

Issue

11

fYear

2012

Firstpage

3482

Lastpage

3490

Abstract

This paper presents the design and validation of a compact high-performance digitally controlled variable-gain amplifier (DVGA). By using MOS switches and a linearizer, the designed DVGA demonstrates high linearity and gain flatness over a wide gain control range. The 6-bit DVGA is designed in a commercial 0.18-μm SiGe BiCMOS technology achieving a variable gain range from -16.5 to +6.5 dB, a 3-dB bandwidth from dc to 5.6 GHz, a ± 0.75-dB gain flatness from dc to 4 GHz, both input and output return loss greater than 15 dB, consuming 7.9 mW over the entire gain control range, and has a core circuit area of 170μm×60μm.

Keywords

BiCMOS analogue integrated circuits; Ge-Si alloys; MMIC; MOS analogue integrated circuits; automatic gain control; digital control; linearisation techniques; microwave amplifiers; switches; BiCMOS technology; DVGA; MOS switches; SiGe; bandwidth 5.6 GHz; core circuit; gain 3 dB; high performance digital controlled variable gain amplifier; linearization; power 7.9 mW; size 0.18 mum; wide automatic gain control range; word length 6 bit; Bandwidth; Gain; Gain control; Heterojunction bipolar transistors; Linearity; Transconductance; 60-GHz communication; Digitally controlled; linearizer technique; low power design; millimeter wave; silicon–germanium (SiGe) BiCMOS; variable gain amplifier (VGA);

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Microwave Theory and Techniques, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9480

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/TMTT.2012.2217151

Filename

6319369