Receiver Front-end Research Articles

Analyzing the Indirect Effects of Lightning on Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Navigation Receivers

To investigate the interference effects of lightning on unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) navigation receivers, an analytical approach for the evaluation of indirect lightning effects is suggested. The blocking mechanism of lightning pulses on the receiver is analyzed using the vector method. A behavioral-level simulation model of the receiver’s radio frequency (RF) front-end is constructed, and a lightning pulse injection simulation is performed based on the advanced design system (ADS). The simulation results indicate that lightning pulses induce blocking interference on the RF front-end of the navigation receiver, reducing its sensitivity and dynamic range. This interference is attributed to gain compression and degradation of the noise figure in the low-noise amplifier (LNA). To further validate the simulation results, a pin injection test is carried out to examine the influence of lightning pulses with different peak voltages on receiver sensitivity. The test results indicate a notable reduction in the receiver sensitivity when the lightning pulse peak reaches 250 V. The sensitivity trends across various test panels are consistent, and the damage thresholds are similar. These findings confirm the accuracy of the simulation results.

K/Ka-Band Hybrid-Packaged Four-Element Four-Beam Phased-Array Transmitter and Receiver Front-Ends With Optimized Beamforming Passive Networks

K/Ka-Band Hybrid-Packaged Four-Element Four-Beam Phased-Array Transmitter and Receiver Front-Ends With Optimized Beamforming Passive Networks

Asymmetric CMOS switch for Dicke radiometer in millimeter-wave imaging system

An asymmetric Dicke switch implemented in bulk complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology is proposed to achieve high isolation and low insertion loss in the D-band. A Dicke switch eliminates the noise in the signal transmitted from the antenna, providing a high signal-to-noise ratio at the receiver front end. The proposed Dicke switch employs an asymmetric configuration for the signal transmission path and the reference noise incidence path, which overcomes the trade-off relationship between the insertion loss and isolation characteristics. The proposed asymmetric structure presents an optimum impedance in the reference component to achieve the same characteristics as those of the noise incident from the antenna port. The Dicke switch is fabricated using the 65-nm RFCMOS process with a chip size of 350 × 490 μm2, including all the pads. The measurement results in the D-band present an insertion loss below 2.8 dB in the on-state and isolation above 22 dB in the off-state. The minimum insertion loss and maximum isolation were measured to be 1.7 dB at 155 GHz and 29 dB at 122 GHz, respectively.

Ultra-low power, high-data rate, fully on-chip radio frequency on-off keying receiver for internet-of-things applications

Despite the enormous potential of energy-efficient receivers for wireless sensor networks, the large power consumption or limited data rate support impedes its extensive applications. Here, we present an energy-efficient, ultra-low power, higher data rate supporting, completely on-chip radio-frequency receiver frontend for on-off keying modulated signals in the 2.4 GHz industrial, scientific, and medical band. This compact-sized receiver is achieved by implementing temperature-resilient oscillator, pseudo-differential mixer, and a wideband detector while avoiding bulky external components such as bulk-acoustic wave resonators, crystal oscillators. Measurement results demonstrate that the proposed on-off keying receiver can decode low power level radio-frequency signals up to 5 Mbps data rate while consuming only 178 µW power. This work also demonstrates support for lower data rates at reduced power. Since the proposed receiver operates in different power modes, it can be integrated in diverse applications including internet-of-things devices and continuously monitoring biomedical/wearable implants.

Adaptive composite bandwidth and automatic gain control receiver for 6G wireless optical communication

The advent of 6G communication promises a transformative leap in wireless connectivity, ushering in an era of unprecedented data rates, ultra-low latency, and pervasive connectivity. To harness the full potential of 6G networks, it is imperative to address the unique challenges posed by evolving communication environments. In this context, we present a novel framework that integrates Adaptive Composite Bandwidth and Automatic Gain Control techniques into the 6G communication paradigm. Optical wireless receivers experience large input current difference due to the large transmitted power, noise from ambient light and the varying efficiencies of different photodiode receivers. With its large dynamic range of μA to mA, transimpedance amplifiers are suitable to handle photodiode efficiency with a large dynamic range. The receiver design proposed in this article incorporates two characteristic parameter adjustments, namely, bandwidth and automatic gain. By adjusting the bandwidth the signal-to-noise ratio of the incoming signal is automatically controlled. By controlling the bandwidth, the unwanted noise is reduced and amplifier output is liable to low noise and enhances the dynamic range without extra filtering. The automatic gain control adapts its gain based on slight change in the input signal at the receiver front-end. This optimization technique ensures low photo-detection and amplification noise to achieve better quality of service. The results indicate that the bootstrap transimpedance amplifier gain is around 53.3 dB and frequency cut-off at 109.7 MHz. Thus, when gain control capacitance is varied between 50 pF to 1 nF, the bandwidth adjustment falls in the range 7.5–104.1 MHz, and the amplifier’s second stage gain becomes 10.4 dB. The overall gain of the proposed configuration with automatic gain control integrated into the transimpedance amplifier increases up to 31.1 dB, while the bandwidth increases from 9.4 to 60.7 MHz. Consequently, the gain bandwidth product is optimized from 10.4 to 31.1 dB. The main contribution of this work is optimizing the product by selecting a capacitance value within the given range that maximizes the gain-bandwidth product. This optimization paradigm is predicated on identifying a capacitance value that minimizes the gain-bandwidth product, thereby effectuating effective noise mitigation. This proposed framework embodies a significant contribution to the domain of 6G communications, heralding a new epoch in the optimization of wireless connectivity through the strategic integration of adaptive bandwidth and automatic gain control mechanism.

A High Gain Concurrent Dual-band Low-Noise Amplifier in 130-nm BiCMOS Technology

This paper presents a fully integrated concurrent 15/30-GHz dual-band low-noise amplifier (LNA). The proposed concurrent LNA IC is designed and simulated in 130-nm BiCMOS technology. The new passive LC notch filter is proposed to realize high gain and low noise figure over dual-band frequency, simultaneously. The simulated BiCMOS LNA IC has exhibited peak gains of 30.1/23.7 dB at 15/30-GHz, respectively, with 20-mW power consumption from 1-V supply. The concurrent dual-band LNA achieves noise figure of 2.2/2.9-dB and IIP3 of -18.2/-8.8 dBm at the respective passbands. Therefore, the proposed dual band concurrent LNA IC is applicable to front-end RF receivers for Ku-Band and Ka-Band systems.

A novel digital intermediate frequency module for hyperspectral microwave radiometers based on the parallel fast Fourier transform algorithm.

Microwave radiometers, possessing all-day and all-weather operational capabilities, are extensively utilized in the exploration of planetary atmospheres and surfaces. The potential of the hyperspectral detection technology to enhance the precision and resolution of microwave radiometer detection has made it a crucial research focus. This paper introduces an intermediate frequency (IF) module for hyperspectral microwave radiometers. The IF module is constructed with two 6.4 gigabit samples per second sampling-rate analog-to-digital converter (ADC) chips and a Xilinx Virtex-7 field programmable gate array. By implementing a parallel fast Fourier transform algorithm and a pipeline architecture, the IF module can efficiently process all ADC sampling data in real-time, generating 512 channels of output for each ADC. The test results, including linearity, sensitivity, and flatness, are presented and thoroughly analyzed for the IF module. Furthermore, the module is interfaced with the radio frequency front-end of the microwave radiometer to measure hot and cold calibration sources and assess its sensitivity. When combined with a suitable front-end receiver, the IF module can form a radiometer system suitable for various applications of microwave remote sensing.

Improvement in the photothermal conversion performance of a solar cavity receiver with concave spherical windows

Photothermal conversion parameters are key indicators for measuring the operational performance of solar cavity receivers. By utilizing the redistributive ability of a functional surface in an optical concave lens to transmit solar radiation, previous studies have shown that installing a concave spherical quartz window at the front end of a solar cavity receiver can homogenize the flux distribution on the receiver wall. On this basis, research has been conducted on the impact of solar cavity receivers with concave spherical windows on their photothermal conversion performance. Based on the finite volume method, a coupling model for photothermal conversion in the receiver is established to calculate the heat transfer efficiency and temperature distribution of the receiver for different windows. The results indicate that, compared with a receiver with a flat quartz window, a receiver with a concave spherical quartz window can significantly reduce the peak temperature and peak temperature gradient of the spiral tube in the receiver, effectively improving the temperature distribution of the tube. When DNI = 1000 W/m2, the flow velocity at the inlet is 2.5 m/s, and the temperature at the inlet is 650 K. The receiver with a concave spherical quartz window has a reduced temperature peak from 868.09 K to 834.23 K and a temperature gradient from 2.46 K/mm to 1.27 K/mm relative to the receiver with a flat quartz window. This study provides ideas for the design of cavity receivers and improves their photothermal conversion performance.

IIP2-Calibration-Free Receiver Front End With Notch-Filtered Low-Noise Transconductance Amplifier for 5G New Radio Cellular Applications

IIP2-Calibration-Free Receiver Front End With Notch-Filtered Low-Noise Transconductance Amplifier for 5G New Radio Cellular Applications

Theory and Design of Quadrature-Balanced GaN Power Amplifier as Magnetic-Less Simultaneous Transmit and Receive (STAR) Front-End

Theory and Design of Quadrature-Balanced GaN Power Amplifier as Magnetic-Less Simultaneous Transmit and Receive (STAR) Front-End

Design and Analysis of Balun for 3-4 GHz Ultra-Wide Band Receiver Front End for Wireless Communication

Design and Analysis of Balun for 3-4 GHz Ultra-Wide Band Receiver Front End for Wireless Communication

A 2.7-dB NF 55-dBm IIP2 Blocker-Tolerant Receiver Front End Employing Dual RF and BB $N$-Path Filters for 5G New Radio Cellular Applications

A 2.7-dB NF 55-dBm IIP2 Blocker-Tolerant Receiver Front End Employing Dual RF and BB $N$-Path Filters for 5G New Radio Cellular Applications

Compact Single-Ended Transceivers Demonstrating Flexible Generation of 1/N-Rate Receiver Front-Ends for Short-Reach Links

Compact Single-Ended Transceivers Demonstrating Flexible Generation of 1/N-Rate Receiver Front-Ends for Short-Reach Links

A 26/28/39-GHz Reconfigurable Phased-Array Receiver Front-End With Built-In Calibration Technique for 5G New Radio

A 26/28/39-GHz Reconfigurable Phased-Array Receiver Front-End With Built-In Calibration Technique for 5G New Radio

A 0.5-8GHz Reconfigurable CMOS RF Receiver Front-end for CR and DPA Applications

A 0.5-8GHz Reconfigurable CMOS RF Receiver Front-end for CR and DPA Applications

Realizing Joint Communication and Sensing RF Receiver Front-Ends: A Survey

Realizing Joint Communication and Sensing RF Receiver Front-Ends: A Survey

A 112-Gb/s, -10 dBm Sensitivity, +5 dBm Overload, and SiPh-Based Receiver Frontend in 22-nm FDSOI

A 112-Gb/s, -10 dBm Sensitivity, +5 dBm Overload, and SiPh-Based Receiver Frontend in 22-nm FDSOI

A wideband low power RF Receiver Front-End for Internet-of-Things applications

This paper presents a broadband RF receiver front-end circuit that offers advantages in both area and power consumption. The design features an innovative dual-path noise-canceling Low-Noise Amplifier (LNA) circuit, achieving impedance matching and balun functionality without the need for on-chip inductors. The RF receiver front-end circuit comprises a I and Q doublebalanced quadrature passive mixers and an 25% duty-cycle LO generator. The circuit’s broadband characteristics enable it to operate across a wide range of frequency bands. It is implemented using a 65 nm CMOS process. The core circuit, including both RF and baseband signal paths, consumes a mere 12 mW of power. Test results demonstrate that the RF receiver front-end circuit achieves a conversion gain of 35–40 dB, a noise figure (NF) below 4.8 dB, and a minimum third-order intercept point (IIP3) exceeding −6.8 dBm over the 0.1–3.1 GHz frequency range. The chip’s overall footprint is compact at 0.9 mm2, with the entire RF signal path powered by a 1 V supply, offering clear advantages in terms of compactness and low power consumption.

Dual-tuned high-swing variable-gain amplifier with enhanced dB-linear control

In this work, an analog-controlled variable gain amplifier (VGA) is proposed that demonstrates high linearity across a wide range of control voltages and low noise for analog front-end receivers. This work presents a dual-tuning technique utilizing diode-connected P-MOS load and pseudo-exponential approximation based source degeneration (DCPL-PESD), which enables simultaneous tuning of different control voltages to achieve the required dB-linear characteristic. The gain is increased by cross-coupling the input transistors of the differential pair. To extend the gain range, three single-stage VGAs are cascaded. The design and implementation of this VGA were carried out using the Cadence Virtuoso tool in 180 nm CMOS technology. Post-layout results indicate that the 3-stage cascaded VGA offers a gain range of 67.5 dB, of which 55 dB is dB-linear. By tuning the control voltage VC, it provides a continuous 18 dB dB-linear gain. The overall VGA consumes 0.232 mA from a 1.8 V power supply, with a power consumption of 417 μW. The bandwidth of 3-stage VGAs is measured as 46 MHz. The minimum input-referred noise (IRN) of this VGA is 4.158 nVHz. The total area, including the bias circuit and buffer, is 0.0054 mm2, and the output 1 dB compression point is −2.83 dBm at the gain of −1 dB.

Reconfigurable MIMO antenna: previous advancements and the potential for future wireless communication

Abstract Future smart reconfigurable antennas (RAs) (Haupt R-L and Lanagan M (2013) Reconfigurable antennas. IEEE Antennas and Propagation Magazine 55, 49–61) will likely be fully multipurpose and controlled by software and equipped with machine learning skills that can discern and respond to alterations in the radio frequency environment. Cognitive radio utilizations will be accomplished using a new generation of antenna technology and communication protocols. The effective use of frequencies and the use of polarization diversity and radiation pattern reconfigurability to send data over existing congested frequencies will be major advantages for such applications. The usage of antennas that can be reconfigured in multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) channels will enhance channel capacity while simultaneously improving channel efficiency and lowering costs (Christodoulou C-G, Tawk Y, Lane S-A and Erwin S-R (2012) Reconfigurable antennas for wireless and space applications. Proceedings of the IEEE 100, 2250–2261). There are a lot of antennas used both at the transmitter and at the receiver front end in a MIMO system. The benefit of employing such arrangements is that different types of information can be conveyed at a similar time, boosting the spectral efficiency of communication in a multipath situation. The coding rate, modulation level, and transmission signaling method of a MIMO system can all be changed in response to changing channel circumstances and user needs. In a MIMO context, polarization reconfigurable/frequency-reconfigurable/radiation pattern RA increase the degree of freedom and enhancing the system’s performance. The usage of such antennas greatly enhances capacity by enabling a choice of various polarization configurations and pattern diversity. Antenna arrays that can be reconfigured are also an appealing MIMO system solution that needs to retain robust communication channels, particularly in portable gadgets where the area is limited.