Design Techniques for High Performance Integrated Frequency Synthesizers for Multi-Standard Wireless Communication Applications
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Design Techniques for High Performance Intgrated Frequency Synthesizers for Multi-standard Wireless Communication Applications by Li Lin B.S. (Portland State University, Portland) 1994 M.S. (University of California, Berkeley) 1996 A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering-Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences in the GRADUATE DIVISION of the UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY Committee in charge: Professor Paul R. Gray, Chair Professor Robert G. Meyer Professor Kjell Doksum Fall 2000 The dissertation of Li Lin is approved: Professor Paul R. Gray, Chair Date Professor Robert G. Meyer Date Professor Kjell Doksum Date University of California, Berkeley Fall 2000 Design Techniques for High Performance Integrated Frequency Synthesizers for Multi-standard Wireless Communication Applications Copyright 2000 by Li Lin 1 Abstract Design Techniques for High Performance Intgrated Frequency Synthesizers for Multi-standard Wireless Communication Applications by Li Lin Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering - Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences University of California, Berkeley Professor Paul R. Gray, Chair The growing importance of wireless media for voice and data communications is driving a need for higher integration in personal communications transceivers in order to achieve lower cost, smaller form factor, and lower power dissipation. One approach to this problem is to integrate the RF functionality in low-cost CMOS technology together with the baseband transceiver functions. This in turn requires integration of the frequency synthesizer with enough isolation from supply noise to allow the synthesizer to coexist with other on-chip transceiver circuitry and still meet the phase noise performance requirements of the application. This research proposes a differential synthesizer for block-down-convert receivers that achieves improved levels of phase noise and supply rejection performance through the use of fully differential architecture and a wide- 2 bandwidth PLL. Analytical relationships for such a system relating output phase noise to system design parameters and internal noise sources are developed. A prototype systems embodying the design principles, and also embodying new differential circuit configurations which minimize supply coupling is designed, laid out and fabricated. The performance of the prototype synthesizer as a stand alone device is evaluated. The synthesizer is embodied in a complete integrated radio system and the performance of the synthesizer in the complete radio system is also evaluated. Paul R. Gray, Chairman of Committee iii Chap. 1 Introduction ............................................................1 1.1 Motivation.......................................................................................1 1.2 Summary of Research Results ........................................................5 1.3 Thesis Organization ........................................................................6 Chap. 2 Fundamentals of Frequency Synthesis ..................8 2.1 Role of Frequency Synthesizer.......................................................8 2.2 Key Parameters in Frequency Synthesizer’s Performance ...........10 2.2.1 Introduction.......................................................................................10 2.2.2 Mathematical Model of Phase Noise and Spurious Tones................10 2.2.3 Effect of Phase Noise and Spurious Tones on Transceiver Perfor- mance13 2.3 Synthesizer Alternatives ...............................................................14 2.3.1 Introduction.......................................................................................14 2.3.2 Direct Digital Frequency Synthesizer...............................................16 2.3.3 Phase-Locked-Loop Frequency Synthesizer.....................................18 2.3.4 Fractional-N Frequency Synthesizer.................................................23 2.3.5 Delay-Locked Loop Frequency Synthesizer.....................................25 Chap. 3 Wideband PLL Frequency Synthesizer...............27 3.1 Introduction...................................................................................27 3.2 Noise Shaping of the Wideband PLL ...........................................29 3.3 Loop Bandwidth Optimization .....................................................34 3.4 Effect of the Wideband PLL on Receiver Architecture ................36 Chap. 4 Design Techniques for Low Noise Synthesizers.39 4.1 Introduction...................................................................................39 4.2 Low-Noise Integrated VCO Design..............................................40 iv 4.2.1 On-chip Inductors .............................................................................43 4.2.2 On-chip Varactor...............................................................................45 4.2.3 Fully-Integrated VCO with Tuned Element......................................48 4.2.4 Differentially-Controlled VCO.........................................................52 4.3 Low-Noise Loop Filter and Phase/Frequency Detector................54 4.3.1 Loop Filter Design ............................................................................55 4.3.2 Phase/Frequency Detector Design ....................................................61 4.4 Low-Noise Latch ..........................................................................63 4.5 Frequency Divider ........................................................................65 Chap. 5 Experimental Prototype........................................67 5.1 Design Specifications....................................................................67 5.1.1 Blocking Characteristics ...................................................................68 5.1.2 Spurious Response Characteristics ...................................................69 5.1.3 Phase Noise Specification.................................................................70 5.2 Prototype Design ..........................................................................72 5.2.1 Frequency Plan..................................................................................74 5.2.2 Loop Parameter Design.....................................................................76 5.2.3 VCO Design......................................................................................78 5.2.4 Charge Pump Design ........................................................................79 5.2.5 Frequency Divider Design ................................................................82 5.3 Simulations Results ......................................................................85 5.4 Measurement Results....................................................................86 Chap 6. Conclusion............................................................94 Reference ..........................................................................97 v Acknowledgments It has been a great privilege to be a graduate student in the EECS department at the University of California, Berkeley and work closely with my advisor Professor Paul R. Gray. His keen insight into system and integrated circuit design is the key factor in the success of this research. Professor Gray will always be my role model as a person who has the highest degree of professionalism and integrity. I would also like to thank Professor Robert G. Meyer for the numerous technical discussions. Professor Meyer’s invaluable guidance was especially important in the absence of Professor Paul R. Gray due to his administrative responsibilities. I also thank Professor Joseph M. Khan and Professor Kjell Doksum for serving on my qualifying examination committee and reviewing this thesis. I greatly appreciate the help from my colleagues in Professor Gray’s group as well as peers from other research groups. I would like to thank Luns Tee who has worked closely with me in the past five years. He is a person who would never run out of ideas. Many thanks to Chris Rudell for his leadership in both technical and managerial aspects of this immense transceiver project that involved more than fifteen people and lasted more than four years. Without him, we would not have pulled the project through. My cubical-mates, George Chien and Martin Tsai have made the working environment a lot more enjoyable. I also vi thank other colleagues Jeff Ou, Keith Onodera, Sekhar Narayanaswami, Andrew Abo, Jeff Weldon, Todd Weigandt, Arnold Feldman and David Cline for their support and friendship. I am deeply grateful to my parents Jiade Lin and Biru Wang for their love and support in my whole life. Their confidence in me and their high expectation of me are the driving forces of my completion of one of the best and toughest graduate programs in the world. I am also grateful to my husband Dr. Minggui Pan who can always lift up my spirit even in the worst time. Being a busy doctor himself, he helps out as much as possible in taking care of our baby daughter Judy and the house chores. I also thank my sister Lan Lin who is always an inspiration and comfort to me. I would like to thank my colleagues at Broadcom, Haideh Khorramabadi and Arya Behzad for their support while I was finishing my testing and thesis. I would like to thank National Semiconductor Wireless Communication Group for providing testing equipment. Specifically, I thank Steve Lo, Wai Lau, Edwin Chan and Catsten Anderson for their support. This project was supported by the National