Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- 1 Introduction
- 2 High-frequency and high-data-rate communication systems
- 3 High-frequency linear noisy network analysis
- 4 High-frequency devices
- 5 Circuit analysis techniques for high-frequency integrated circuits
- 6 Tuned power amplifier design
- 7 Low-noise tuned amplifier design
- 8 Broadband low-noise and transimpedance amplifiers
- 9 Mixers, switches, modulators, and other control circuits
- 10 Design of voltage-controlled oscillators
- 11 High-speed digital logic
- 12 High-speed digital output drivers with waveshape control
- 13 SoC examples
- Appendix 1 Trigonometric identities
- Appendix 2 Baseband binary data formats and analysis
- Appendix 3 Linear matrix transformations
- Appendix 4 Fourier series
- Appendix 5 Exact noise analysis for a cascode amplifier with inductive degeneration
- Appendix 6 Noise analysis of the common-emitter amplifier with transformer feedback
- Appendix 7 Common-source amplifier with shunt–series transformer feedback
- Appendix 8 HiCUM level 0 model for a SiGe HBT
- Appendix 9 Technology parameters
- Appendix 10 Analytical study of oscillator phase noise
- Appendix 11 Physical constants
- Appendix 12 Letter frequency bands
- Index
- References
10 - Design of voltage-controlled oscillators
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 March 2013
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- 1 Introduction
- 2 High-frequency and high-data-rate communication systems
- 3 High-frequency linear noisy network analysis
- 4 High-frequency devices
- 5 Circuit analysis techniques for high-frequency integrated circuits
- 6 Tuned power amplifier design
- 7 Low-noise tuned amplifier design
- 8 Broadband low-noise and transimpedance amplifiers
- 9 Mixers, switches, modulators, and other control circuits
- 10 Design of voltage-controlled oscillators
- 11 High-speed digital logic
- 12 High-speed digital output drivers with waveshape control
- 13 SoC examples
- Appendix 1 Trigonometric identities
- Appendix 2 Baseband binary data formats and analysis
- Appendix 3 Linear matrix transformations
- Appendix 4 Fourier series
- Appendix 5 Exact noise analysis for a cascode amplifier with inductive degeneration
- Appendix 6 Noise analysis of the common-emitter amplifier with transformer feedback
- Appendix 7 Common-source amplifier with shunt–series transformer feedback
- Appendix 8 HiCUM level 0 model for a SiGe HBT
- Appendix 9 Technology parameters
- Appendix 10 Analytical study of oscillator phase noise
- Appendix 11 Physical constants
- Appendix 12 Letter frequency bands
- Index
- References
Summary
What is an oscillator?
Oscillators are critical building blocks in both wireline and wireless systems and, along with synthesizers and clock and data recovery circuits (CDR), ensure that the synchronization of all receive and transmit functions is correctly carried out.
In most practical applications, the frequency of the signal generated by the oscillator must be controllable over some range. This is typically realized with a voltage-controlled reactance element in the oscillator circuit, hence the name voltage-controlled-oscillator or, in short, VCO.
The most important design considerations for VCOs refer to their:
oscillation frequency,
frequency tuning range and VCO gain, specified in GHz/V or MHz/V,
output power, specified in mW or dBm,
phase noise, measured in dBc/Hz and specified usually at 100KHz or 1MHz offset from the carrier frequency,
frequency stability over temperature (in ppm/̊C).
VCO FUNDAMENTALS
An oscillator can generally be described as a non-linear circuit that converts DC power to an AC waveform. In most RF, microwave, mm-wave, and fiber-optic communication systems, the oscillator must provide a purely sinusoidal waveform. Therefore, the design effort is focussed on minimizing the undesired harmonics and the phase noise, and on ensuring the long-term and short-term stability of the oscillation frequency and amplitude.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- High-Frequency Integrated Circuits , pp. 621 - 697Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2013