Tapped inductor voltage controlled oscillator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022286086-A1
Application number	US-202117526997-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 15, 2021
Priority date	Mar 16, 2015
Publication date	Sep 8, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A voltage controlled oscillator includes a resonator and an amplifier. The resonator includes a capacitive element and an inductive element. The inductive element has a plurality of conductive segments forming a physical loop. The inductive element has electrical connections on the physical loop to the plurality of conductive segments forming at least one electrical loop disposed within an interior space formed by the physical loop. The amplifier has an input and an output, the input coupled to a first conductive segment forming a first impedance and the output coupled to a second conductive segment forming a second impedance.

First claim

1 . An oscillator circuit comprising:
an amplifier having an input and an output; a resonator having a capacitive element and an inductive element, the inductive element having a tapped inductor having four terminals, namely, first, second, third and fourth terminals; wherein two of the four terminals are coupled to the input of the amplifier, and another two of the four terminals are coupled to the output of the amplifier.

2 . The oscillator circuit of claim 1 , wherein the first and fourth terminals are coupled to the input of the amplifier, and the second and third terminals are coupled to the output of the amplifier.

3 . The oscillator circuit of claim 1 , wherein the tapped inductor having two tapped segments with the second terminal and the third terminal, and these two tapped segments are routed up at the middle of the tapped inductor.

4 . The oscillator circuit of claim 1 , wherein:
the tapped inductor having a plurality of conductive segments forming a single physical loop, wherein the two tapped segments are disposed within an interior space formed by the physical loop.

5 . The oscillator circuit of claim 4 , wherein the input voltage exceeds a supply voltage of the amplifier.

6 . The oscillator circuit of claim 1 , wherein the amplifier comprises CMOS devices.

7 . The oscillator circuit of claim 6 , wherein:
the amplifier comprising a first PMOS transistor, a second PMOS transistor, a first NMOS transistor, and a second NMOS transistor; and the sources of the first PMOS transistor and the second PMOS transistor are both coupled to a positive supply rail, the gate of the first PMOS transistor is coupled to the first terminal, the gate of the second PMOS transistor is coupled to the fourth terminal, the drain of the first PMOS transistor is coupled to the third terminal and the drain of the second PMOS transistor is coupled to the second terminal.

8 . The oscillator circuit of claim 7 , wherein:
the gates of the first PMOS transistor and the first NMOS transistor are both coupled to the first terminal, the gates of the second PMOS transistor and the second NMOS transistor are coupled to the fourth terminal; and the drains of the first PMOS transistor and the first NMOS transistor are both coupled the third terminal, and the drains of the second PMOS transistor and the second NMOS transistor are both coupled the second terminal.

9 . The oscillator circuit of claim 1 , wherein the amplifier comprises PMOS devices.

10 . The oscillator circuit of claim 1 , wherein the amplifier comprises NMOS devices.

Assignees

• Futurewei Technologies Inc

Inventors

• Bushman Michael L
• Duey Charles J
• Caldwell James W

Classifications

• H03B5/1296

  the feedback circuit comprising a transformer · CPC title

• H03B5/1228 Primary

  the amplifier comprising one or more field effect transistors · CPC title

• H03B2200/004

  including a variable capacitance, e.g. a varicap, a varactor or a variable capacitance of a diode or transistor · CPC title

• H03B5/1212

  the amplifier comprising a pair of transistors, wherein an output terminal of each being connected to an input terminal of the other, e.g. a cross coupled pair · CPC title

• H03B2200/0012

  Pierce oscillator · CPC title