Belén Calvo Lopez

This book develops voltage-to-frequency converter (VFC) solutions integrated in standard CMOS technology to be used as a part of a microcontroller-based, multisensor interface in the environment of portable applications, particularly within a WSN node. Coverage includes the total design flow of monolithic VFCs, according to the target application, as well as the analysis, design and implementation of the main VFC blocks, revealing the main challenges and solutions encountered during the design of such high performance cells. Four complete VFCs, each temperature compensated, are fully designed and evaluated: a programmable VFC that includes an offset frequency and a sleep/mode enable terminal; a low power rail-to-rail VFC; and two rail-to-rail differential VFCs.

This book describes optical receiver solutions integrated in standard CMOS technology, attaining high-speed short-range transmission within cost-effective constraints. These techniques support short reach applications, such as local area networks, fiber-to-the-home and multimedia systems in cars and homes. The authors show how to implement the optical front-end in the same technology as the subsequent digital circuitry, leading to integration of the entire receiver system in the same chip. The presentation focuses on CMOS receiver design targeting gigabit transmission along a low-cost, standardized plastic optical fiber up to 50m in length. This book includes a detailed study of CMOS optical receiver design – from building blocks to the system level.

This book analyzes automatic gain control (AGC) loop circuits and demonstrates AGC solutions in the environment of wireless receivers, mainly in wireless receivers with stringent constraints in settling-time and wide dynamic range, such as WLAN and Bluetooth receivers. Since feedforward AGCs present great advantages in this context, as an alternative to conventional feedback AGCs, this book includes a detailed study of feedforward AGCs design –at the level of basic AGC cells, as well as the system level, including their main characteristics and performance.

This book develops voltage-to-frequency converter (VFC) solutions integrated in standard CMOS technology to be used as a part of a microcontroller-based, multisensor interface in the environment of portable applications, particularly within a WSN node. Coverage includes the total design flow of monolithic VFCs, according to the target application, as well as the analysis, design and implementation of the main VFC blocks, revealing the main challenges and solutions encountered during the design of such high performance cells. Four complete VFCs, each temperature compensated, are fully designed and evaluated: a programmable VFC that includes an offset frequency and a sleep/mode enable terminal; a low power rail-to-rail VFC; and two rail-to-rail differential VFCs.

This book describes optical receiver solutions integrated in standard CMOS technology, attaining high-speed short-range transmission within cost-effective constraints. These techniques support short reach applications, such as local area networks, fiber-to-the-home and multimedia systems in cars and homes. The authors show how to implement the optical front-end in the same technology as the subsequent digital circuitry, leading to integration of the entire receiver system in the same chip. The presentation focuses on CMOS receiver design targeting gigabit transmission along a low-cost, standardized plastic optical fiber up to 50m in length. This book includes a detailed study of CMOS optical receiver design – from building blocks to the system level.

This book analyzes automatic gain control (AGC) loop circuits and demonstrates AGC solutions in the environment of wireless receivers, mainly in wireless receivers with stringent constraints in settling-time and wide dynamic range, such as WLAN and Bluetooth receivers. Since feedforward AGCs present great advantages in this context, as an alternative to conventional feedback AGCs, this book includes a detailed study of feedforward AGCs design –at the level of basic AGC cells, as well as the system level, including their main characteristics and performance.