@article {5104, title = {Optimal LC-VCO design through evolutionary algorithms}, journal = {Analog Integrated Circuits and Signal Processing}, volume = {78}, year = {2014}, note = {

DOI: 10.1007/s10470-013-0212-x
Print ISSN
0925-1030
Online ISSN
1573-1979

}, pages = {99-109}, publisher = {Springer US}, abstract = {

The need for implementing low cost, fully integrated RF wireless transceivers has motivated the widespread use CMOS technology. However, in the particular case for voltage-controlled oscillators (VCO) where ever more stringent specifications in terms of phase-noise must be attained, the design of the on-chip LC tank is a challenging task, where fully advantage of the actual technologies characteristics must be pushed to nearly its limits. To overcome phase-noise limitations arising from the low quality factor of integrated inductors, optimization design methodologies are usually used. In this paper a model-based optimization approach is proposed. In this work the characterization of the oscillator behaviour is guaranteed by a set of analytical models describing each circuit element performance. A set of working examples for UMC130 technology, aiming the minimization of both VCO phase noise and power consumption, is addressed. The results presented, illustrate the potential of a GA optimization procedure design methodology yielding accurate and timely efficient oscillator designs. The validity of the results is checked against HSPICE/RF simulations.

}, keywords = {Design methodology, Discrete-variable optimization, Evolutionary algorithms, LC-VCO}, issn = {0925-1030}, doi = {10.1007/s10470-013-0212-x}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10470-013-0212-x}, author = {P Pereira and Helena Fino, M. and Ventim-Neves, M.} }