Patent · US Active

Ultra-low voltage-controlled oscillator with trifilar coupling

US8957739B2 · kind B2 · utility

7Cited by
6References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJan 18, 2013
Grant dateFeb 17, 2015
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 11, 2033

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10T29/4902
  • WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a device and method to reduce voltage headroom within a voltage-controlled oscillator by utilizing trifilar coupling or transformer feedback with a capacitive coupling technique. In some embodiments of trifilar coupling, a VCO comprises cross-coupled single-ended oscillators, wherein the voltage of first gate within a first single-ended oscillator is separated from the voltage of a second drain within a second single-ended oscillator within the cross-coupled pair. A trifilar coupling network is composed of a drain inductive component, a source inductive component, and a gate inductive component for a single-ended oscillator, wherein a coupling between drain inductive components and gate inductive components between single-ended oscillators along with a negative feedback loop within each single-ended oscillator forms a cross-coupled pair of transistors which reduces the drain-to-source voltage headroom to approximately a saturation voltage of a transistor within the cross-coupled pair. Other devices and methods are also disclosed.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.