Complementary LNA Circuit for Low-Power Low-Noise Wireless Reception
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional low noise amplifiers (LNAs) in wireless receivers consume substantial power and occupy valuable real estate while attempting to achieve high gain and low noise figure, making them unsuitable for low power consumption and compact design requirements in Bluetooth and Bluetooth Low Energy applications.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a low noise amplifier circuit using either a complementary common-gate or complementary cross-coupled capacitor design, which boosts effective transconductance to efficiently amplify signals with minimal power consumption and reduced noise figure, allowing for a more compact integrated circuit layout by sharing inductor area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional LNA designs are used to achieve high gain and low noise figure, then signal amplification performance is improved, but power consumption increases substantially
Solution Approach 1:
The LNA is divided into two separate amplification stages: a first LNA providing initial amplification and a second LNA providing additional amplification. This segmentation allows each stage to operate at optimized power levels, achieving cumulative gain without requiring one high-power amplifier to handle the entire amplification burden.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the functionality of multiple LNAs into a unified two-stage amplification system where the output of the first LNA feeds directly into the second LNA. This merging approach achieves high overall gain and low noise figure while distributing power consumption across multiple lower-power components.
2Reliability
If conventional LNA designs are used to achieve high gain and low noise figure, then signal amplification performance is improved, but occupied area on integrated circuit increases
Solution Approach 1:
The LNA is divided into two separate amplification stages: a first LNA providing initial amplification and a second LNA providing additional amplification. This segmentation allows each stage to operate at optimized power levels, achieving cumulative gain without requiring one high-power amplifier to handle the entire amplification burden.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a temporal dimension to the amplification process by using two-stage amplification, where signals are amplified in sequence through different circuit stages rather than requiring a single high-capacity amplifier. This dimensional approach allows compact area utilization while achieving high overall gain.
3Power
If conventional LNA designs are used, then signal amplification is achieved, but noise figure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The LNA is divided into two separate amplification stages: a first LNA providing initial amplification and a second LNA providing additional amplification. This segmentation allows each stage to operate at optimized power levels, achieving cumulative gain without requiring one high-power amplifier to handle the entire amplification burden.
Data Source
AI summary
A low noise amplifier (LNA) includes a pair of n-type transistors, each configured to provide a first transconductance; a pair of p-type transistors, each configured to provide a second transconductance; a first pair of coupling capacitors, cross-coupled between the pair of n-type transistors, and configured to provide a first boosting coefficient to the first transconductance; and a second pair of coupling capacitors, cross-coupled between the pair of p-type transistors, and configured to provide a second boosting coefficient to the second transconductance, wherein the LNA is configured to use a boosted effective transconductance based on the first and second boosting coefficients, and the first and second transconductances to amplify an input signal.