Title :
Ultra low power low noise amplifiers for wireless communications
Author :
Heaney, E. ; McGrath, F. ; O´Sullivan, Pat ; Kermarrec, C.
Author_Institution :
M/A-COM IC Design Center, Lowell, MA, USA
Abstract :
The authors present the design and performance results of surface mount plastic packaged, ultra low power, GaAs monolithic low noise amplifiers, for cordless phone receivers at 1.9 GHz and spread spectrum receivers at 2.4 GHz. The results for the 1.9 GHz amplifier show a small-signal gain of 14.5 dB and noise figure of 1.5 dB with a 4 V supply while drawing only 3 mA. The LNA was also tested with a 3 V supply and with a current of 2 mA the measured gain and noise figure were 13.5 dB and 1.75 dB, respectively. Thus the LNA is compatible with the voltage requirements of the latest generation of 3 V CMOS logic circuits. The results for the 2.4 GHz LNA show a small-signal gain of 15 dB and a noise figure 1.8 dB drawing less than 5 mA from a single +5 volt supply. The LNAs are now being produced in volume in surface mount plastic packages for custom wireless communications applications.<>
Keywords :
III-V semiconductors; MMIC amplifiers; UHF amplifiers; UHF integrated circuits; cordless telephone systems; field effect MMIC; gallium arsenide; integrated circuit packaging; mobile radio; plastic packaging; radio receivers; spread spectrum communication; surface mount technology; telephone sets; 1.5 dB; 1.75 dB; 1.8 dB; 1.9 GHz; 13.5 dB; 14.5 dB; 15 dB; 2 mA; 2.4 GHz; 3 V; 3 mA; 4 V; 5 V; 5 mA; GaAs; III-V semiconductor; MMIC; capacitive feedback; cascode configuration; cordless phone receivers; design; inductive feedback; low noise amplifiers; performance; small-signal gain; spread spectrum receivers; surface mount plastic packaged; ultralow power; wireless communications; Circuit testing; Current measurement; Gain measurement; Gallium arsenide; Low-noise amplifiers; Noise figure; Noise measurement; Plastic packaging; Spread spectrum communication; Wireless communication;
Conference_Titel :
Gallium Arsenide Integrated Circuit (GaAs IC) Symposium, 1993. Technical Digest 1993., 15th Annual
Conference_Location :
San Jose, CA, USA
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-1393-3
DOI :
10.1109/GAAS.1993.394502
