CMOS LNA Co Design
CMOS LNA Co Design
CMOS LNA Co Design
DOI 10.1007/s11277-015-2814-3
Abstract The proposed work presents a co-design approach for a new asymmetric
rectangular cross shaped slotted patch antenna with low noise amplifier that occupies
17.225.8 GHz wide-band for SDR applications. This co-design approach minimizes the
chip area and noise and also improves integration system over the bandwidth of 8.6 GHz.
Three different architectures have been designed in this work. Firstly, a two stage CMOS
CGCS LNA is designed using a technique of seriesparallel resonant network as an input
matching network and as inter-stage matching network between CG and CS LNA. In
second architecture stage, a rectangular shaped microstrip antenna is designed and a slot of
asymmetric cross shape is cut on the patch antenna. In third architecture the slotted antenna
is integrated with low noise amplifier in order to form a co-design approach in which
seriesparallel resonant network is used as a band pass filter between slotted patch antenna
and LNA. A two-stage CMOS LNA design is simulated and layout is made using foundry
design kit for the TSMC 65 nm CMOS process in ADS.v.12. A simulation result of LNA
achieves S11 of -21.4 dB with gain ranging from 7.4 to 21.3 dB over the wide-band of
19.128.8 GHz. The slotted antenna achieves S11 of -19 dB at 26 GHz and covers
& Binod Kumar Kanaujia
bkkanaujia@yahoo.co.in; bkkanaujia@ieee.org
Sandeep Kumar
fedrer.engg@gmail.com
Santanu Dwari
santanu_dwari@rediffmail.com
Ganga Prasad Pandey
ganga.mait@gmail.com
Dinesh Kumar Singh
dinesh12dk@gmail.com
1
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frequency range of 20.127.8 GHz with good radiation and receiving patterns. This codesign approach is analysed considering the 50 X impedance matching throughout the
design and simulated on the platform of ADS.v.12. The best achievement of proposed codesign approach is reduced noise figure which is most suitable for SDR applications.
Keywords Software defined radio (SDR) Low noise amplifier (LNA) Complementary
metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) Microstrip antenna
1 Introduction
In Last few years, a fastest growth for the wide range of wireless networks is continuously
finding a new solution, which often comes either with new frequency bands or with new
modulation schemes. Recently, the hardware and software system design have been done
individually for every standard which overcomes the drawback of redesigning of hardware
modules for every new standard. This suggests the integration of many communication
devices into a single chip [1]. Moreover, there have been researchers for the already
available spectrum for their efficient use e.g., cognitive radio. It is desirable to have a
universal programmable hardware which gives the flexibility in designing the system by
using software-defined radio (SDR) technique [2]. The first proposed idea of an SDR,
developed by Mitola [3], is to perform all RF and baseband signal processing designs in
both analog and digital domains. It brings the flexibility, cost efficiency and enhanced
power in order to carry forward communication, resulting in benefits to the service providers [4]. The extensive progress of CMOS technology has enabled its application in SDR
wireless networks. At present, the CMOS technology is one of the most attractive choices
in implementing receiver due to its low cost and high level of integration [5]. In spite of
having several advantages, the design of CMOS receiver in SDR applications exhibit
various challenges and difficulties to which the designers should take care off. Although by
using the integrated patch antenna with LNA, most of the performances parameters have
been improved but SDR applications are not yet considered.
The most difficult task for the wide band co-design of low noise amplifier (LNA) with
microstrip antenna are: (1) To take care of the performance parameters like impedance
matching and noise over a wider range (2) To take care of size an effect of miniaturization
and (3) Low power consumption for long lasting battery. Several authors have devoted
their research about the many LNAs and different shaped slotted antennas which offered
wider bandwidth [6, 7]. But the wide band co-design approach of slotted antenna with
LNA concept is still needs exploration.
In [8], the return loss of filter degrades the noise figure (NF) when LC ladder filter has
been placed at the input of a common source (CS) amplifier. Another inter-stage LC
network is added to CGCS stage that increase the power gain, but the NF is 6 dB at
around 10 GHz [9]. In [10], coupled resonators have been used to design a wideband interstage matching network for a V-band cascaded CS amplifier. A wideband LNA operating
in 2332 GHz has been proposed in which coupled resonators are used as a load for the
common-emitter stage [11]. In [12], design of wideband LNAs using parallel-series resonant matching network between CG and CS stages at 310 and 1429 GHz achieved
9.612.7 and 8.251.65 dB gain but sacrificed NF. In [13], analysis of LNA-antenna co-
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design for UWB system achieved 13 dB gains on the 3.255 GHz bandwidth but noise
performances has not been discussed.
In this paper, a new approach of co-design of wide band asymmetric cross shaped
microstrip antenna with LNA is proposed. Three architectures operating in the frequency
ranges of 20.1327.8, 19.128.8 and 17.225.8 GHz respectively are executed to verify
this co-design approach. The designing of asymmetric cross shaped antenna is discussed in
section II. Section III, presents the analysis of Wide band CMOS CGCS topology using
seriesparallel resonant network. A co-design approach over wide band range is addressed
in **Sect. 4. Finally, simulated results are discussed in Sect. 5 and are followed by
conclusion in Sect. 6.
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Table 1 Dimensions of patch
antenna with cross shaped cutslot
Dimensions
Values (mm)
9.2
4.6
W1
2.2
W2
0.9
W3
0.7
W4
0.7
W5
0.7
Ws
0.7
9.4
3.1
L1
1.6
L2
0.4
L3
1.2
L4
0.5
L5
1.1
Ls
1.1
d1
1.9
d2
1.9
d3
0.4
d4
2.2
d5
1.8
2.33, and 0.0012 respectively. The width of the smaller rectangular patch section (W1) is
adjusted to provide a 50 X microstrip line. By cutting a cross slot on the patch, additional
resonances are created and much wider impedance bandwidth is produced. The 3D
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isometric view of asymmetric shape slotted antenna is shown in Fig. 2. The simulated
return loss and radiation at 26 GHz of the antenna is shown in Figs. 3 and 4 respectively.
The return loss plot clearly shows two resonances eparated appropriately to create a
wideband response. The bandwidth of the antenna ranges from 20.1 to 27.8 GHz providing
a fractional bandwidth of 32.15 %. Figure 4 illustrates the simulated radiation pattern at
resonant frequency of 26 GHz when phi rotates 90. This plot shows electric field components of co and cross polarization.
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Zp
1
1
jwC1
R1
jwL1
Zs R2 jwL2 j
1
1
wC2
1
2
Here, the concept implies that different values of source and load impedances
R1 = 250 X and R2 = 40 X in parallel to series resonant network offered dual band
response with a dip in the middle. A wide band response is achieved when parallel-series
network is used as inter-stage matching network between CG and CS LNA. The same
concept is used in this work. However parallel-series resonant network is inverted as
seriesparallel resonance network which is used as matching network between CG and CS
LNA for improving performance parameters like impedance matching, NF and gain over
wider range of operating frequencies. A proposed two stage CMOS CGCS LNA using
inverted parallel-series resonant network is discussed in subsection B.
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WM1
3 cgs
2 Lmin cox
g2m Lmin
2Kn ID
WM2
where, L is channel length, Kn is transconductance parameters, Cox is gate oxide capacitance, ID is the drain current, gm is transconductance of device and Cgs is the gate to source
capacitance. In this design, a more difficult task is to maintain an output impedance of
Fig. 6 Proposed schematic of CMOS CGCS LNA using series to parallel network
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250 X of CG stage and input impedance of 40 X of CS stage for obtaining wide band
operation. The designed circuit of CGCS LNA is simulated and reflection coefficient of
-21.4 and -21 dB at operating frequency of 20.5 and 26.2 GHz is obtained respectively.
This return loss shows a frequency band from 19.1 to 28.8 GHz with a fractional bandwidth of 40.5 % as shown in Fig. 7. It also shows transmission gain S21 of the circuit. The
CMOS LNA provides a gain in the range of 7.421.3 dB for the entire band of operation
with relatively constant NF of around 2.8 dB as shown in Figs. 7 and 8 respectively. The
forward gain (S21) shows a high gain over the bandwidth of 9.7 GHz ranging from 19.1 to
28.8 GHz as shown in Fig. 7. Using seriesparallel networks a wideband impedance
matching is obtained as shown in Fig. 9. It clearly indicates that the imaginary part of input
impedance remains near zero value while real part is matched around 50 X within the band
of operation. The total power consumption for two stage CGCS LNA is 11.2 mW from
1.6-V power supply. Figure 10 shows layout of CGCS LNA with final area of 0.74 mm2.
Table 2. Show the comparison of previous works with present one on various parameters.
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is essential for amplification (3) To minimize the chip area and (4) To achieve less power
dissipation [1618]. To predict the received signal, one port of RF signal with 50 X is
attached on the slotted patch and the received signal is passed via series to parallel resonant
network to the LNA for the amplification. Keeping above goals in mind, a strategy is
adopted to combine the structure of slotted patch antenna and LNA that provides good
results as per design specifications and that would be discussed in next section.
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[19]
[20]
[12]
[12]
Present work
Technology
0.18 lm
0.18 lm
0.18 lm
0.18 lm
.065 lm
12.4
12.9
12.7
8.95
21.3
NF (dB)
4.46.5
3.74.7
2.53.9
4.35.8
2.92.7
B.W (GHz)
0.410
1.511.7
3.110.3
1429 GHz
19.228.8
Power (mW)
12
10.34
13.4
13.9
11.2
Area (mm2)
0.42
0.536
0.68
0.54
0.74
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Fig. 12 Return loss and forward gain behavior for co-design strategy
range of 19.128.8 GHz with fractional bandwidth of 40.15 %. The obtained bandwidths
of both the devices are approximately same and give the wide band when co-design
approach is applied. Using above discussed strategy the two structures are combined,
analyzed and simulated on ADS platform. The simulated result of co-design structure
obtains the S11 of -18 dB at three different frequencies 19.8, 21 and 23.4 GHz with a wide
band ranging from 17.2 to 25.8 GHz with fractional bandwidth of 40 % as shown in
Fig. 12. The band of operation of the complete design shifts downward while the impedance matching of antenna and LNA remains within the acceptable limit. The best
achievement of this co-design is to improve the performance parameters like gain and NF
that is required for receiver system. The new band of operation is 17.225.8 GHz with gain
ranging from 3.413 dB. The NF varies between 2.91.9 dB which is shown in Fig. 13.
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6 Conclusions
The proposed method of co-design of asymmetric cross shaped patch antenna with LNA is
discussed in the paper with achieving a wider bandwidth of 17.225.8 GHz. It is also found
that the proposed antenna design exhibits an extremely wideband impedance by new type
of slot cut in the cross shaped and also LNA design revealed an wideband by using series to
parallel resonant network as a input and inter-stage matching network. The state of the art
of this co-design work achieves S11 of -18 dB by proper impedance matching with wider
gain variation from 3.1 to 13 dB and NF from 2.9 to 1.9 dB. Moreover, the proposed
method of co-design system for SDR applications, increase the level of system integration,
reducing chip area size thus, escalating the overall system performance.
References
1. Brandolini, M., Rossi, P., Manstretta, D., & Svelto, F. (2005). Towards multistandard mobile terminalsFully integrated receiver requirements and architectures. IEEE Transactions on Microwave
Theory and Techniques, 53(3), 10261038.
2. Abidi, A. A. (2007). The path to the software-defined radio receiver. IEEE Journal of Solid-State
Circuits, 42(5), 954967.
3. Mitola, J. (1995). The software radio architecture. IEEE Communications Magazine, 33(5), 2638.
4. Osmany, S. A., Herzel F., & Scheytt, J. C. (2009). An integrated 0.64.6 GHz, 57 GHz, 1014 GHz,
and 2028 GHz frequency synthesizer for software-defined radio applications. In Proceedings of the
IEEE bipolar/BiCMOS circuits and technology meeting (BCTM 2009), Capri, Italy (pp. 3942).
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Binod Kumar Kanaujia (M 04) joined Ambedkar Institute of
Technology (AIT), Govt. of N.C.T. Delhi, Geeta colony Delhi -31 as
Assistant Professor in Jan. 2008 in the Department of Electronics and
Communication Engineering after getting selected by Union Public
Service Commission, New Delhi. Before joining AIT, Dr. Kanaujia
has served in the M.J.P Rohilkhand University in the capacity of
Reader in Electronics and Communication Engineering Department
from 26/02/2005 to 30/01/2008 and lecturer in ECE Department from
25/06/1996 to 25/02/2005. While working with MJP Rohilkhand
University Dr. Kanaujia has been a active Member of Academic
council and Executive council of the university and played a vital role
in the academic reforms. He has also served as Head of Department of
E&C Department of the university for the period from 25th July 2006
to 30th Jan 2008. Prior to his career in the academics, Dr. Kanaujia has
been working as Executive Engineer in the R&D division of M/s
UPTRON India Ltd. Dr. Kanaujia, presently working as Associate
Professor in ECE Department of AIT has served various key portfolios i.e. he has been Head of Department
of E&C Department of the Ambedkar Institute of Technology from 21 February 2008 to 05 Aug 2010, and
17 Aug. 2012 to till now, As Library In-charge of Central Library of AIT from March 2008 to 05 Aug 2010
and responsible for upgrading the Library with the introduction of Fully Automatic Book issue and
receiving, on-line journal, on-line retrieval of catalogue of the Library, Establishment of E-Library. Apart
from it, he has been holding the Charge of Head of office of Ambedkar Institute of Technology since 09
Aug. 20083rd May 2013 and responsible for day to day administration of the institute. Dr. Kanaujia has
done his B.Sc. from Agra University Agra U.P. in 1989 and B.Tech. in Electronics Engineering from KNIT
Sultanpur U.P. in 1994. He did his M.Tech. and Ph.D. from Electronics Engineering Department of IIT
Banaras Hindu University,Varanasi in 1998 and 2004 respectively. He has been awarded Junior Research
fellow by UGC Delhi in 20012002 for his outstanding work in his field. His keen research interest in design
and Modeling of Microstrip Antenna, Dielectric Resonator Antenna, Left handed Metamaterial Microstrip
Antenna, Shorted Microstrip Antenna Wireless Communication, Wireless Communication and Microwave
Engineering etc. Till date he has been credited to publish more than 80 research papers in peer-reviewed
journals and International/national conferences. Dr. Kanaujia is a Member of IEEE and Life members of the
Institution of Engineers (India), Indian Society for Technical Education and The Institute of Electronics and
Telecommunication Engineers of India.
Santanu Dwari was born in Howrah, West Bengal, India. He received
his B.Tech. and M.Tech. degree in Radio Physics and Electronics from
University of Calcutta, Kolkata, West Bengal, India in the year of 2000
and 2002 respectively and PhD degree from Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, West Bengal, India in the year of 2009. He joined
Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad, Jharkhand, India in 2008 where he
is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Electronics
Engineering. He has published seven research papers in referred
International Journals. He is carrying out two sponsored research
project as Principal Investigator. His research interest includes
Antennas, RF planar circuits, Computational Electromagnetic.
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Dinesh Kumar Singh received B.E. in Electronics and Communication Engineering from Kumaon University, Nainital, in 2003. He is
done M. Tech. in Digital Communication from RGPV University,
Bhopal, India. Currently, he is pursuing PhD from ISM, Dhanbad. His
area of interest is microwave Engineering.
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