A Gaussian Pulse Generator for Millimeter-Wave Applications

A millimeter wave (MMW) pulse generator with Gaussian-like envelope is presented. The pulse generator is based on a Gaussian-envelope signal which modulates a sinusoidal carrier. Besides providing spectral purity at high frequency, the proposed circuit also exhibits high flexibility. Indeed, it is suitable for the 57-66-GHz frequency band, but also for the UWB applications in 3-10 GHz, thanks to its performance of spectral efficiency. Moreover, both single-channel and multi-channel approaches can be covered. The pulse generator has been theoretically analyzed and accurate design equations have been derived. As final validation, a design has been carried out using a high performance BiCMOS technology with fT/f_MAX of 160 GHz/175 GHz . The simulations show the effectiveness of the proposed solution for the 60-GHz frequency band for both single-channel and multi-channel applications. A 9-GHz bandwidth pulse spectrum at -20 dB has been achieved which exhibits a 38% spectral efficiency without appreciable spurious side lobes. The simulations also demonstrate the accuracy of the theoretical analysis on the prediction of the pulse features.