Abstract:
This paper describes a digitally programmable single-chip feedback ASIC for MEMS-referenced oscillators in the 0.4-15-MHz range. The chip contains a differential-differen...Show MoreMetadata
Abstract:
This paper describes a digitally programmable single-chip feedback ASIC for MEMS-referenced oscillators in the 0.4-15-MHz range. The chip contains a differential-difference low-noise amplifier (DD-LNA), a variable-gain amplifier (VGA) for analog gain control, several programmable-gain amplifiers (PGAs) for digital gain control, two second-order active R - C band-pass filters (BPFs) for band selection, two all-pass filters (APFs) for phase shifting, an automatic level control (ALC) loop, and differential output buffers to allow interfacing with a wide variety of MEMS devices. Many on-chip parameters are digitally programmable via a standard serial peripheral interface (SPI) bus, thus allowing fine-grained optimization of the overall feedback transfer function. In addition, a compensation path with its own PGAs, a programmable attenuator, and an APF is provided for canceling electrical feedthrough within the chosen MEMS resonator. The chip was designed in 180-nm CMOS and consumes 4.6 mW. It was used to realize a ~6.9-MHz low-phasenoise (-105 dBc/Hz at 10 Hz) oscillator based on an ultra-highQ (~3.2 × 106 at a bias voltage of 35 V) wafer-level vacuum-encapsulated Lamé mode single-crystal Silicon (SCS) MEMS resonator. Oven control and active temperature compensation improve the oscillator's frequency stability to ±0.5 ppm with an Allan deviation of 1 × 10-8 at 103 s. Two such oscillators were also electrically coupled to realize a low-phase-noise quadrature reference oscillator suitable for complex-domain PLLs.
Published in: IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems I: Regular Papers ( Volume: 66, Issue: 11, November 2019)