Session 21 overview: Frequency generation techniques: RF subcommittee

VCOs and PLLs are at the heart of communication systems. They are critical for almost all RF systems such as receivers, transmitters, imagers, and radars. This session starts with three highly digitized frequency synthesizers, including multiplying DLL/PLLs with fractional-N operation and a direct-digital frequency synthesizer. The fourth paper demonstrates a mm-Wave PLL based on a subsampling technique. Interference-tolerant VCOs and PLLs are presented next, followed by a multichannel receiver whose LO frequencies are generated from a single stable FBAR oscillator without a PLL.