Low-frequency noise analysis and minimization in Gilbert-cell-based mixers for direct-conversion (zero-IF) low-power front-ends

  • Authors:

  • U. Alvarado;R. Berenguer;I. Adín;I. Mayordomo;A. Vaz;G. Bistué

  • Affiliations:

  • Electronics and Communications Department, CEIT and Tecnun (University of Navarra), Manuel de Lardizábal 15, 20018 San Sebastián, Spain;Electronics and Communications Department, CEIT and Tecnun (University of Navarra), Manuel de Lardizábal 15, 20018 San Sebastián, Spain;Electronics and Communications Department, CEIT and Tecnun (University of Navarra), Manuel de Lardizábal 15, 20018 San Sebastián, Spain;Electronics and Communications Department, CEIT and Tecnun (University of Navarra), Manuel de Lardizábal 15, 20018 San Sebastián, Spain;Electronics and Communications Department, CEIT and Tecnun (University of Navarra), Manuel de Lardizábal 15, 20018 San Sebastián, Spain;Electronics and Communications Department, CEIT and Tecnun (University of Navarra), Manuel de Lardizábal 15, 20018 San Sebastián, Spain

  • Venue:
  • International Journal of Circuit Theory and Applications
  • Year:
  • 2010

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Abstract

Low-frequency (flicker) noise is one of the most important issues in the design of direct-conversion zero-IF front-ends. Within the front-end building blocks, the direct-conversion mixer is critical in terms of flicker noise, since it performs the signal down-conversion to baseband. This paper analyzes the main sources of low-frequency noise in Gilbert-cell-based direct-conversion mixers, and several issues for minimizing the flicker noise while keeping a good mixer performance in terms of gain, noise figure and power consumption are introduced in a quantitative manner. In order to verify these issues, a CMOS Gilbert-cell-based zero-IF mixer has been fabricated and measured. A flicker noise as low as 10.4 dB is achieved (NF at 10 kHz) with a power consumption of only 2 mA from a 2.7 V power supply. More than 14.6 dB conversion gain and noise figure lower than 9 dB (DSB) are obtained from DC to 2.5 GHz with an LO power of -10 dBm, which makes this mixer suitable for a multi-standard low-power zero-IF front-end. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.