A direct conversion GPS/Galileo receiver front-end for space applications

Current space missions demand to integrate as much functionality as possible. In this paper we present the results of an ongoing research on designing a single chip solution for a reconfigurable multi-band GPS/Galileo receiver front-end to provide flexibility in operation of a spacecraft while minimizing power, mass and cost. This receiver front-end is based on a direct conversion concept and uses inductor-less mixer and oscillator to reduce the chip area. The design uses CMOS Integrated circuit (IC) technology with 130 nm feature size. In this receiver front-end novel circuit design techniques for direct conversion mixer is used. The total power consumption of mixer and analog to digital converter is less than 40 mW.