Tejasvi Das

Abstract

An R.F. circuit that recognizes its faults, and then corrects its performance in real-time has been the holy-grail of RFIC design. This work presents, for the first time, a complete architecture and successful implementation of such a circuit. It is the first step towards the grand vision of fault-free, package independent, integrated R.F. Front End circuitry. The performance of R.F. front-end circuitry can degrade significantly due to process faults and parasitic package inductances at its input. These inductances have wide tolerances and are difficult to co-design for. A novel methodology, which overcomes current obstacles plaguing such an objective, is proposed wherein the affected performance metric of the circuit is quantified, and the appropriate design parameter is modified in real-time, thus enabling self-correction. This proof of concept is demonstrated by designing a cascode LNA and the complete self-correction circuit in IBM 0.25 µm CMOS RF process. The self-correction circuitry ascertains the input match frequency of the circuit by measuring its performance and determines the frequency interval by which it needs to be shifted to restore it to the desired value. It then feeds back a digital word to the LNA which adaptively corrects its input-match. It offers the additional flexibility of using different packages for the front-end since it renders the circuitry independent of package parasitics, by re-calibrating the input match on-the-fly. The circuitry presented in this work offers the advantages of low power, robustness, absence of DSP cores or processors, reduction in design cycle times, guaranteed optimal performance under varying conditions and fast correction times (less than 30 µs).

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Amplifiers, Radio frequency; Integrated circuits--Reliability

Publication Date

2004

Document Type

Thesis

Student Type

Graduate

Degree Name

Electrical Engineering (MS)

Department, Program, or Center

Electrical Engineering (KGCOE)

Advisor

P. R. Mukund

Advisor/Committee Member

James Moon

Advisor/Committee Member

Syed Islam

Comments

Physical copy available from RIT's Wallace Library at TK6565.A55 D37 2004

Campus

RIT – Main Campus

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