An integrated high voltage digital-to-analog converter for a reconfigurable antenna array

Abstract

This paper presents an integrated high voltage digital-to-analog converter, which is fabricated in a 0.35 $${\upmu }$$ μ m high voltage CMOS technology (AMS H35), and can be applied in high voltage applications up to 115 V. The high voltage output is controlled by 8-bit digital input code. In order to improve the accuracy and decrease the required area, it is implemented by a low voltage DAC and a high voltage amplifier for boosting the controllable output voltage. Since the current consumption from the high voltage power supply is only 80 $${\upmu }$$ μ A, it can be powered by a charge pump which generates 115 V from a battery with 3.7 V DC. Combining with a 8*8 external high voltage switch array, the proposed high voltage digital-to-analog converter can drive up to 64 individual channels of antenna array with a voltage from 0 to 115 V. It will greatly reduce the complexity and cost of mobile applications which use tunable microwave devices and require high voltages. The feasibility is proved by post-simulation result and experimental test result. The proposed concept of the high voltage ASIC is also proved by a demonstrator.