A High-Linearity Low-Noise Reconfiguration-Based Programmable Gain Amplifier

Abstract

Abstract-This paper presents a high-linearity lownoise small-size programmable gain amplifier (PGA) based on a new low-noise low-distortion differential amplifier and a proposed reconfiguration technique. The proposed differential amplifier combines an inverter-based differential pair with an adaptive biasing circuit to reduce noise and distortion. The reconfiguration technique saves the chip size by half by utilizing the same differential pair for the input transconductance and load-stage, interchangeably. Fabricated in 0.18-µm CMOS, the proposed PGA shows a dB-linear control range of 21dB in 16 steps from -11 dB to 10 dB with a gain error of less than ±0.33 dB, an IIP3 of 7.4~14.5 dBm, a P1dB of -7~1.2 dBm, a noise figure of 13dB, and a 3-dB bandwidth of 270MHz at the maximum gain, respectively. The PGA occupies a chip area of 0.04 mm 2 and consumes only 1.3 mA from the 1.8 V supply.

An X-Ku Band Distributed GaN LNA MMIC with High Gain

“…1. The gain of the LNA can be controlled easily through the gate voltage of the mid-stage common source amplifier, and thus receiver dynamic range can be extended [7].…”