An 8mA, 3.8dB NF, 40dB gain CMOS front-end for GPS applications

A fully differential 0.35μm CMOS LNA plus mixer, tailored to a double conversion architecture, for GPS applications has been realized. The LNA makes use of an inductively degenerated input stage and a resonant LC load, featuring 12% frequency tuning, accomplished by an MOS varactor. The mixer is a Gilbert cell like, in which an NMOS and a PMOS differential pair, shunted together, realize the input stage. This topology allows to save power, for given mixer gain and linearity. The front-end measured performances are: 40dB gain, 3.8dB NF, -25.5dBm IIP3, 1.3GHz input frequency, 140MHz output frequency, with 8mA from a 2.8V voltage supply.

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