Capacitive-degeneration double cross-coupled voltage-controlled oscillator

• US 7,852,165 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2008
• Issued: 12/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: Lee, Sang Heung, Lee, Ja Yol, Yu, Hyun Kyu, Kim, Hae Cheon
• Primary Examiner(s): Pascal; Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Johnson; Ryan
• Application Number:
  US12/114,705
• Publication Number:
  US 20090134944A1
• Time in Patent Office: 956 Days
• Field of Search: 331/117.R, 331/117.FE, 331/167, 331/115, 331/132
• US Class Current: 331/117.00R
• 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 5/1221 the amplifier comprising multiple amplification stages connected in cascade
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 5/1231 the amplifier comprising one or more bipolar transistors
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 5/1253 the transistors being field-effect transistors

Abstract

A capacitive-degeneration double cross-coupled voltage-controlled oscillator is provided. The capacitive-degeneration double cross-coupled voltage-controlled oscillator includes a main cross-coupled oscillating unit including an oscillation transistor pair cross-coupled to first and second output nodes of a resonating unit to perform an oscillation operation; and an auxiliary cross-coupled oscillating unit including a positive-feedback transistor pair cross-coupled to the first and second output nodes and the transistor pair of the main cross-coupled oscillating unit and a degeneration capacitance connected between emitters of the positive-feedback transistor pair so as to increase a negative resistance of the main cross-coupled oscillating unit. Accordingly, it is possible to increase a maximum attainable oscillation frequency and to decrease an input capacitance.

Claims

1. A voltage-controlled oscillator comprising:

a main cross-coupled oscillating unit including first and second transistors cross-coupled to first and second output nodes of a resonating unit to perform an oscillation operation; and

an auxiliary cross-coupled oscillating unit including third and fourth transistors cross-coupled to the first and second output nodes and the first and second transistors and a degeneration capacitor connected between emitters of the first and second transistors so as to form a positive-feedback loop capable of increasing a negative resistance and decreasing an input capacitance by the positive-feedback loop,

wherein the positive-feedback loop is contributed to by the first transistor, the fourth transistor, the degeneration capacitor, the third transistor and the second transistor,

wherein the auxiliary cross-coupled oscillating unit comprises;

the third transistor having a collector connected to the base of the first transistor and a base connected to the emitter of the second transistor;

the fourth transistor having a collector connected to the base of the second transistor and a base connected to the emitter of the first transistor;

the degeneration capacitor connected between emitters of the third and fourth transistors; and

a first current source connected to emitters of the third and fourth transistors.

2. The voltage-controlled oscillator of claim 1, wherein the main cross-coupled oscillating unit comprises:

the first and second transistors of which bases are connected to the respective first and second output nodes of the resonating unit and of which collectors and bases are cross-coupled to each other; and

a second current source connected to emitters of the first and second transistors.

3. The voltage-controlled oscillator of claim 2, wherein the resonating unit comprises:

first and second inductors commonly connected to a supply voltage; and

first and second NMOS varactors of which sources and drains are commonly connected to a tuning voltage and of which gates are connected to the respective first and second inductors.

4. The voltage-controlled oscillator of claim 1, wherein the main cross-coupled oscillating unit comprises:

first and second coupling capacitances connected to the respective first and second output nodes;

the first transistor having a base connected to the second output node of the resonating unit and a collector connected to a supply voltage;

the second transistor having a base connected to the first output node of the resonating unit and a collector connected to the supply voltage; and

a second current source connected to emitters of the first and second transistors.

5. The voltage-controlled oscillator of claim 4, further comprising first and second load impedances connected between the supply voltage and the collector of the first transistor and between the supply voltage and the collector of the second transistor, respectively.

6. The voltage-controlled oscillator of claim 4, wherein the resonating unit comprises:

a bias resistance connected to a bias voltage;

a center-tapped inductor connected to the bias resistance; and

a varactor capacitance connected in parallel to the center-tapped inductor.

7. A voltage-controlled oscillator comprising:

a main cross-coupled oscillating unit including first and second transistors cross-coupled to first and second output nodes of a resonating unit to perform an oscillation operation; and

an auxiliary cross-coupled oscillating unit including third and fourth transistors cross-coupled to the first and second output nodes and the first and second transistors and a degeneration capacitor connected between emitters of the first and second transistors so as to form a positive-feedback loop capable of increasing a negative resistance and decreasing an input capacitance by the positive-feedback loop,

wherein the positive-feedback loop is contributed to by the first transistor, the fourth transistor, the degeneration capacitor, the third transistor and the second transistor, and

wherein the auxiliary cross-coupled oscillating unit comprises;

the third transistor having a collector commonly connected to the base of the first transistor and the second output node and a base connected to the emitter of the second transistor;

the fourth transistor having a collector commonly connected to the base of the second transistor and the first output node and a base connected to the emitter of the first transistor;

a first current source connected to emitters of the third and fourth transistors; and

wherein the degeneration capacitor is connected between emitters of the third and fourth transistors.

8. A voltage-controlled oscillator comprising:

a resonating unit having first and second output nodes;

a main cross-coupled oscillating unit configured to cooperate with the resonating unit and perform an oscillation operation, the main cross-coupled oscillating unit including;

a first transistor having a first base coupled to the first output node and a first collector coupled to the second output node, and

a second transistor having a second base coupled to the second output node and a second collector coupled to the first output node; and

an auxiliary cross-coupled oscillating unit configured to form a positive-feedback loop with the main cross-coupled oscillating unit in order to increase a negative resistance of the main cross-coupled oscillating unit, the auxiliary cross-coupled oscillating unit including;

a third transistor having a third collector coupled to the first base of the first transistor and a third base coupled to a second emitter of the second transistor, wherein the third base is configured to receive a signal from the second emitter, and

a fourth transistor having a fourth collector coupled to the second base of the second transistor and a fourth base coupled to a first emitter of the first transistor, wherein the fourth base is configured to receive a signal from the first emitter.

9. The voltage-controlled oscillator of claim 8, wherein the main cross-coupled oscillating unit further comprises:

a second current source connected to the emitters of the first and second transistors.

10. The voltage-controlled oscillator of claim 9, wherein the auxiliary cross-coupled oscillating unit further comprises:

a first current source commonly connected to the emitters of the third and fourth transistors.

11. The voltage-controlled oscillator of claim 9, wherein the auxiliary cross-coupled oscillating unit further comprises:

a first current source connected to the emitters of the third and fourth transistors, respectively.

12. The voltage-controlled oscillator of claim 8, further comprising:

a degeneration capacitor provided between the third emitter and the fourth emitter.

13. The voltage-controlled oscillator of claim 8, wherein the third base and the second emitter are connected to a common node, and wherein the fourth base and the first emitter are connected to a common node.