High Input Impedance Voltage-Mode Biquad Filter Using VD-DIBAs

This paper deals with a single-input multiple-output biquadratic filter providing three functions (low-pass, high-pass and band-pass) based on voltage differencing differential input buffered amplifier (VD-DIBA). The quality factor and pole frequency can be electronically tuned via the bias current. The proposed circuit uses two VD-DIBAs and two grounded capacitors without any external resistors, which is suitable to further develop into an integrated circuit. Moreover, the circuit possesses high input impedance, providing easy voltage-mode cascading. It is shown that the filter structure can be easily extended to multi-input filter without any additional components, providing also all-pass and band-reject properties. The PSPICE simulation and experimental results are included, verifying the key characteristics of the proposed filter. The given results agree well with the theoretical presumptions

Nonlinearity and noise modeling of operational transconductance amplifiers for continuous time analog filters

A general framework for performance optimization of continuous-time OTA-C (Operational Transconductance Amplifier-Capacitor) filters is proposed. Efficient procedures for evaluating nonlinear distortion and noise valid for any filter of arbitrary order are developed based on the matrix description of a general OTA-C filter model . Since these procedures use OTA macromodels, they can be used to obtain the results significantly faster than transistor-level simulation. In the case of transient analysis, the speed-up may be as much as three orders of magnitude without almost no loss of accuracy. This makes it possible to carry out direct numerical optimization of OTA-C filters with respect to important characteristics such as noise performance, THD, IM3, DR or SNR. On the other hand, the general OTA-C filter model allows us to apply matrix transforms that manipulate (rescale) filter element values and/or change topology without changing its transfer function. The above features are a basis to build automated optimization procedures for OTA-C filters. In particular, a systematic optimization procedure using equivalence transformations is proposed. The research also proposes suitable software implementations of the optimization process. The first part of the research proposes a general performance optimization procedure and to verify the process two application type examples are mentioned. An application example of the proposed approach to optimal block sequencing and gain distribution of 8th order cascade Butterworth filter (for two variants of OTA topologies) is given. Secondly the modeling tool is used to select the best suitable topology for a 5th order Bessel Low Pass Filter. Theoretical results are verified by comparing to transistor-level simulation withCADENCE. For the purpose of verification, the filters have also been fabricated in standard 0.5mm CMOS process. The second part of the research proposes a new linearization technique to improve the linearity of an OTA using an Active Error Feedforward technique. Most present day applications require very high linear circuits combined with low noise and low power consumption. An OTA based biquad filter has also been fabricated in 0.35mm CMOS process. The measurement results for the filter and the stand alone OTA have been discussed. The research focuses on these issues

Utilizing Unconventional CMOS Techniques for Low Voltage Low Power Analog Circuits Design for Biomedical Applications

Tato disertační práce se zabývá navržením nízkonapěťových, nízkopříkonových analogových obvodů, které používají nekonvenční techniky CMOS. Lékařská zařízení na bateriové napájení, jako systémy pro dlouhodobý fyziologický monitoring, přenosné systémy, implantovatelné systémy a systémy vhodné na nošení, musí být male a lehké. Kromě toho je nutné, aby byly tyto systémy vybaveny baterií s dlouhou životností. Z tohoto důvodu převládají v biomedicínských aplikacích tohoto typu nízkopříkonové integrované obvody. Nekonvenční techniky jako např. využití transistorů s řízeným substrátem (Bulk-Driven “BD”), s plovoucím hradlem (Floating-Gate “FG”), s kvazi plovoucím hradlem (Quasi-Floating-Gate “QFG”), s řízeným substrátem s plovoucím hradlem (Bulk-Driven Floating-Gate “BD-FG”) a s řízeným substrátem s kvazi plovoucím hradlem (Bulk-Driven Quasi-Floating-Gate “BD-QFG”), se v nedávné době ukázaly jako efektivní prostředek ke zjednodušení obvodového zapojení a ke snížení velikosti napájecího napětí směrem k prahovému napětí u tranzistorů MOS (MOST). V práci jsou podrobně představeny nejdůležitější charakteristiky nekonvenčních technik CMOS. Tyto techniky byly použity pro vytvoření nízko napěťových a nízko výkonových CMOS struktur u některých aktivních prvků, např. Operational Transconductance Amplifier (OTA) založené na BD, FG, QFG, a BD-QFG techniky; Tunable Transconductor založený na BD MOST; Current Conveyor Transconductance Amplifier (CCTA) založený na BD-QFG MOST; Z Copy-Current Controlled-Current Differencing Buffered Amplifier (ZC-CC-CDBA) založený na BD MOST; Winner Take All (WTA) and Loser Take All (LTA) založený na BD MOST; Fully Balanced Four-Terminal Floating Nullor (FBFTFN) založený na BD-QFG technice. Za účelem ověření funkčnosti výše zmíněných struktur, byly tyto struktury použity v několika aplikacích. Výkon navržených aktivních prvků a příkladech aplikací je ověřován prostřednictvím simulačních programů PSpice či Cadence za použití technologie 0.18 m CMOS.This doctoral thesis deals with designing ultra-low-voltage (LV) low-power (LP) analog circuits utilizing the unconventional CMOS techniques. Battery powered medical devices such as; long term physiological monitoring, portable, implantable, and wearable systems need to be small and lightweight. Besides, long life battery is essential need for these devices. Thus, low-power integrated circuits are always paramount in such biomedical applications. Recently, unconventional CMOS techniques i.e. Bulk-Driven (BD), Floating-Gate (FG), Quasi-Floating-Gate (QFG), Bulk-Driven Floating-Gate (BD-FG) and Bulk-Driven Quasi-Floating-Gate (BD-QFG) MOS transistors (MOSTs) have revealed as effective devices to reduce the circuit complexity and push the voltage supply of the circuit towards threshold voltage of the MOST. In this work, the most important features of the unconventional CMOS techniques are discussed in details. These techniques have been utilized to perform ultra-LV LP CMOS structures of several active elements i.e. Operational Transconductance Amplifier (OTA) based on BD, FG, QFG, and BD-QFG techniques; Tunable Transconductor based on BD MOST; Current Conveyor Transconductance Amplifier (CCTA) based on BD-QFG MOST; Z Copy-Current Controlled-Current Differencing Buffered Amplifier (ZC-CC-CDBA) based on BD MOST; Winner Take All (WTA) and Loser Take All (LTA) based on BD MOST; Fully Balanced Four-Terminal Floating Nullor (FBFTFN) based on BD-QFG technique. Moreover, to verify the workability of the proposed structures, they were employed in several applications. The performance of the proposed active elements and their applications were investigated through PSpice or Cadence simulation program using 0.18 m CMOS technology.

Performance enhancement in the desing of amplifier and amplifier-less circuits in modern CMOS technologies.

In the context of nowadays CMOS technology downscaling and the increasing demand of high performance electronics by industry and consumers, analog design has become a major challenge. On the one hand, beyond others, amplifiers have traditionally been a key cell for many analog systems whose overall performance strongly depends on those of the amplifier. Consequently, still today, achieving high performance amplifiers is essential. On the other hand, due to the increasing difficulty in achieving high performance amplifiers in downscaled modern technologies, a different research line that replaces the amplifier by other more easily achievable cells appears: the so called amplifier-less techniques. This thesis explores and contributes to both philosophies. Specifically, a lowvoltage differential input pair is proposed, with which three multistage amplifiers in the state of art are designed, analysed and tested. Moreover, a structure for the implementation of differential switched capacitor circuits, specially suitable for comparator-based circuits, that features lower distortion and less noise than the classical differential structures is proposed, an, as a proof of concept, implemented in a ΔΣ modulator