An integrated closed-loop polar transmitter with saturation prevention and low-IF receiver for quad-band GPRS/EDGE

• Published in: 2009 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference - Digest of Technical Papers pp. 112 - 113,113a
• Main Authors: Pullela, R., Tadjpour, S., Rozenblit, D., Domino, W., Obkircher, T., El Said, M., Ramachandran, B., Sowlati, T., Agahi, D., Wei-Hong Chen, Badillo, D.A., Kahrizi, M., Komaili, J., Wloczysiak, S., Seckin, U., Yun-Young Choi, Akyol, H., Vadkerti, M., Mahjoob, A., Firouzkouhi, H., Shum, D., Suhanthan, R., Vakilian, N., Valencia, T., Dantec, C., Paff, A., Ahooie, M.
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: IEEE 01.02.2009
• Subjects: CMOS process; Feedback; Ground penetrating radar; Power amplifiers; Radio frequency; SAW filters; Switches; Topology; Transceivers; Transmitters
• ISBN: 9781424434589; 1424434580
• ISSN: 0193-6530; 2376-8606
• DOI: 10.1109/ISSCC.2009.4977333

This paper describes a 2.5G cellular transceiver with standard DigRF interface, implemented in a low-cost 0.13mum CMOS process. This is the first CMOS single-chip, polar closed-loop transmitter, excluding the power amplifier (PA). This transmitter achieves an efficiency of 26% in EDGE mode by linearizing a saturated PA in a closed-loop feedback system. This is much higher than the typical 15-to-18% efficiency of systems using a linear PA. Typical high-band/low-band performance of -62/-64Bc in 30 kHz for 400 kHz offset spectral mask and 1.4/1.7% EVM in EDGE mode are significantly better than those reported earlier. Using a low-noise quadrature mixer topology, the receiver, including T/R switch and SAW filters, achieves a sensitivity of -110 dBm. The RF solution, consisting of PAs in a multi-chip integrated antenna switch module, SAW filters with integrated matching components and the transceiver is the smallest form factor available in the market today.