A Low-Power Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Receiver with Quadrature Bandpass Continuous-Time Delta-Sigma...

Area of Science:

• Electrical Engineering
• Integrated Circuit Design
• Wireless Communication

Background:

• Internet of Things (IoT) devices require energy-efficient wireless communication solutions.
• Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) is a key standard for low-power IoT connectivity.
• High-performance analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) are crucial for reliable wireless receivers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel low-power CMOS receiver architecture for 2.4 GHz IoT applications.
• To optimize a complex continuous-time delta-sigma ADC for BLE standards.
• To demonstrate superior energy efficiency and performance metrics for battery-powered IoT devices.

Main Methods:

• Design and implementation of a quadrature bandpass continuous-time delta-sigma ADC.
• Integration of the ADC with a 2.4 GHz RF front-end in 28 nm CMOS technology.
• Performance evaluation including sensitivity, image rejection, dynamic range, and power consumption.

Main Results:

• Achieved an Effective Number of Bits (ENOB) of 10.9 bits with 0.81 mW power consumption.
• Demonstrated receiver sensitivity of -95 dBm and image rejection of 54.2 dBc.
• Obtained a Figure of Merit (FOM_W) of 103.2 fJ/conv, indicating high energy efficiency.

Conclusions:

• The developed low-power CMOS receiver is highly suitable for battery-powered IoT sensor nodes.
• The optimized delta-sigma ADC architecture enables efficient BLE communication.
• The design offers a compelling balance of performance, power efficiency, and small form factor for IoT applications.