A Full-Duplex Bidirectional Amplifier With Low DC Power Consumption Using Tunnel Diodes

Seiran Khaledian,Besma Smida,Farhad Farzami,Danilo Erricolo

doi:10.1109/lmwc.2017.2754341

Seiran Khaledian, Besma Smida + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1109/lmwc.2017.2754341

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Abstract

A low-power, switchless, full-duplex bidirectionalamplifier operating in the 915 MHz (ISM band) is proposed.It is composed of two identical reflection amplifiers and one90◦,−3dB Branch Line Coupler (BLC). The reflection ampli-fiers are designed using low DC power consumption tunnel diodesand provide a measured reflection gain of 13 dB with consumedpower of only 178μW for -30 dBm of incident signal power. Thesereflection amplifiers are integrated with a miniaturized BLC toform a bidirectional amplifier that provides 9 dB of measuredtransmission gain and 22 dB of measured return loss.

Highlights

B IDIRECTIONAL amplifiers have found many applications in wireless systems including half-duplex and fullduplex radio transceivers [1]–[3], retro-directive antenna arrays [4], [5], and read/write smart RFID tags [6]
Half-duplex bidirectional amplifiers amplify the input signal in one direction each time. They can be implemented using a unilateral amplifier in each direction and selecting the path by RF switches [8] or transistor network configuration [1], [2], [4], [9]
We present a low-power consumption and simple design bidirectional amplifier adequate for RFID applications

Summary

INTRODUCTION

B IDIRECTIONAL amplifiers have found many applications in wireless systems including half-duplex and fullduplex radio transceivers [1]–[3], retro-directive antenna arrays [4], [5], and read/write smart RFID tags [6]. Half-duplex bidirectional amplifiers amplify the input signal in one direction each time They can be implemented using a unilateral amplifier in each direction and selecting the path by RF switches [8] or transistor network configuration [1], [2], [4], [9]. Full-duplex bidirectional amplifiers, on the contrary, amplify the incoming signal in both directions simultaneously They can be realized by using two identical one-port reflection amplifiers and a BLC [5], using two identical unilateral amplifiers and two RF circulators [7] or by implementing a network of amplifiers in MMIC technology [10]. We present a low-power consumption and simple design bidirectional amplifier adequate for RFID applications.

REFLECTION AMPLIFIER

BIDIRECTIONAL AMPLIFIER