Low noise and low power voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) using transconductance (gm) degeneration

• US 10,050,586 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2017
• Issued: 08/14/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Nguyen, Thinh Cat, Yang, Jeongsik, Brockenbrough, Roger Thomas, Bicakci, Ara, Savla, Anup, Wang, Shen
• Primary Examiner(s): West, Lewis
• Application Number:
  US15/438,138
• Publication Number:
  US 20170163214A1
• Time in Patent Office: 539 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 2200/0038 including a current mirror
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 2200/0082 Lowering the supply voltage and saving power
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 2200/009 Reduction of phase noise
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 2200/0094 Measures to ensure starting of oscillations
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 5/1212 the amplifier comprising a pair of transistors, wherein an output terminal of each being connected to an input terminal of the other, e.g. a cross coupled pair
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 5/1215 the current source or degeneration circuit being in common to both transistors of the pair, e.g. a cross-coupled long-tailed pair
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 5/1228 the amplifier comprising one or more field effect transistors
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 5/1237 comprising means for varying the frequency of the generator
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 5/1262 the means comprising switched elements
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 5/1278 the parameter being an amplitude of a signal, e.g. maintaining a constant output amplitude over the frequency range
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 5/1287 the parameter being a quality factor, e.g. Q factor of the frequency determining element
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/40 Circuits

Abstract

Certain aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to voltage-controlled oscillators (VCOs) using a lowered or an adjustable negative transconductance (−g_m) compared to conventional VCOs. This −g_m degeneration technique suppresses the noise injected into an inductor-capacitor (LC) tank of the VCO, thereby providing lower signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for a given VCO voltage swing, lower power consumption, and decreased phase noise. One example VCO generally includes a resonant tank circuit, an active negative transconductance circuit connected with the resonant tank circuit, and a bias current circuit for sourcing or sinking a bias current through the resonant tank circuit and the active negative transconductance circuit to generate an oscillating signal. The active negative transconductance circuit includes cross-coupled transistors and an impedance connected between the cross-coupled transistors and a reference voltage.

Claims

1. A voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) comprising:

a resonant tank circuit;

an active negative transconductance circuit connected with the resonant tank circuit, comprising a plurality of transistors, and having a variable transconductance, the plurality of transistors comprising an array of transistors varying in effective size to implement the variable transconductance; and

a bias current circuit for sourcing or sinking a bias current through the resonant tank circuit and the active negative transconductance circuit to generate an oscillating signal.

2. The VCO of claim 1, wherein the variable transconductance is adjusted by varying the effective size of at least one of the plurality of transistors in the active negative transconductance circuit.

3. The VCO of claim 1, wherein the plurality of transistors comprises cross-coupled transistors.

4. The VCO of claim 3, wherein the cross-coupled transistors comprise n-channel metal oxide semiconductor (NMOS) field effect transistors.

5. The VCO of claim 3, wherein at least one of a body or a source of each of the cross-coupled transistors is connected with a reference voltage.

6. The VCO of claim 3, wherein the cross-coupled transistors comprise cross-coupled p-channel metal oxide semiconductor (PMOS) field effect transistors and cross-coupled n-channel metal oxide semiconductor (NMOS) field effect transistors.

7. The VCO of claim 1, wherein the bias current circuit comprises a current mirror.

8. The VCO of claim 1, wherein the resonant tank circuit comprises an inductor-capacitor (LC) tank circuit.

9. The VCO of claim 2, wherein the plurality of transistors comprises multiple transistors selectively connected in parallel and wherein the effective size of the at least one of the plurality of transistors is varied by selecting which of the multiple transistors are connected in parallel in the active negative transconductance circuit.

10. The VCO of claim 3, wherein a body of each of the cross-coupled transistors is connected to a reference potential node.

11. The VCO of claim 10, wherein a source of each of the cross-coupled transistors is coupled to a node having a different potential than the reference potential node.

12. The VCO of claim 1, wherein the plurality of transistors comprise cross-coupled transistors, at least one of the cross-coupled transistors having a bulk terminal connected to a reference potential node.

13. The VCO of claim 12, wherein the at least one of the cross-coupled transistors has a source terminal coupled to a node having a different potential than the reference potential node.

14. The VCO of claim 12, wherein the cross-coupled transistors comprise cross-coupled p-channel metal oxide semiconductor (PMOS) field effect transistors and cross-coupled n-channel metal oxide semiconductor (NMOS) field effect transistors.

15. The VCO of claim 12, wherein the cross-coupled transistors comprise n-channel metal oxide semiconductor (NMOS) field effect transistors.

16. The VCO of claim 12, wherein the variable transconductance is adjusted by varying the effective size of the cross-coupled transistors in the active negative transconductance circuit.

17. The VCO of claim 16, wherein the cross-coupled transistors comprise multiple transistors selectively connected in parallel and wherein the effective size of the cross-coupled transistors is varied by selecting which of the multiple transistors are connected in parallel in the active negative transconductance circuit.

18. An apparatus for wireless communications, comprising:

at least one antenna; and

at least one of a receiver configured to receive, or a transmitter configured to send, a radio frequency (RF) signal via the at least one antenna, the at least one of the receiver or the transmitter having a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) comprising;

a resonant tank circuit;

an active negative transconductance circuit connected with the resonant tank circuit, comprising a plurality of transistors, and having a variable transconductance, the plurality of transistors comprising an array of transistors varying in effective size to implement the variable transconductance; and

a bias current circuit for sourcing or sinking a bias current through the resonant tank circuit and the active negative transconductance circuit to generate an oscillating signal.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the variable transconductance is adjusted by varying the effective size of at least one of the plurality of transistors in the active negative transconductance circuit.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the plurality of transistors comprises multiple transistors selectively connected in parallel and wherein the effective size of the at least one of the plurality of transistors is varied by selecting which of the multiple transistors are connected in parallel in the active negative transconductance circuit.