ECEN474: (Analog) VLSI Circuit Design

Fall 2010
Lecture 25: Variable Gain Amplifiers (VGAs)

Sam Palermo
Analog & Mixed-Signal Center
Texas A&M University

Announcements
Project
Preliminary report due Nov 19

No Class on Monday 11/15

Agenda
Variable Gain Amplifiers
Material is related primarily to Project #4

Variable Gain Amplifier (VGA) Applications

Variable gain amplifiers (VGAs) are
employed in many applications in order to
maximize the overall system dynamic range
Critical component of automatic-gain
control (AGC) systems

VGA

[Pandey]
Hard-Disk Drive Receiver Front-End

Typical VGA Design Goals

Constant bandwidth across wide gain range
Exponential gain control (linear in dB) preferred
in many applications
Low noise, low distortion, low power
[Gilbert]
Poor Performance

Desired Performance

VGA Techniques
Multipliers
Transconductance ratio amplifiers
Source degeneration

Multiplier-Based VGA
[Razavi]

Av = g m1 RD
W
g m1 = Cox I 3
L 1
How is I 3 affected by Vcont?
I3 =
g m1 =

Cox W

(Vcont VT )
2 L 3

(Cox )2 W W (V V )2
cont T
2

L 1 L 3

Av = Cox (Vcont VT )

= Cox (Vcont VT )

1 W W

2 L 1 L 3

1 W W
RD
2 L 1 L 3

Gain can be linearly controlled by Vcont

Circuit only operates with positive Vcont (2-quadrant),
which is generally OK for VGA applications
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4-Quadrant Multiplier
[Razavi]

Allows multiplication in all 4quadrants

Differential Vcont allows the sign of
the gain to be inverted
Can also use for VGAs, although
4-quadrant operation is not
necessary
Often used in RF transceivers as a
frequency translator (mixer)
Also called the Gilbert Cell, after
Barrie Gilbert who is the inventor
of the bipolar version

Transconductance Ratio VGA #1

M3

M2

M2

M3

Vb
Ix

Ix
vo-

vo+

vi+

viM1

M1

IB

Av

g m1
gm2

Diode-load
transconductance (gm2) can
Vb
be altered by stealing
current with a parallel
current source M3, thus
altering the gain
Issues
Gain is a ratio of nmos and
pmos transconductance,
which can be sensitive to
process variations
Bandwidth changes with gain
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Transconductance Ratio VGA #2

ISSCC 1997

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Transconductance Ratio VGA #2

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Transconductance Ratio VGA #2

gmi is from M1
gmo is from M2
M4 source-follower
output buffers
Both the gmi and gmo
transistors are
segmented into multiple
parallel transistors
Gain is controlled by
switching off bias current
to these segments

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Transconductance Ratio VGA #2

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Source Degeneration VGA

ISSCC 1999

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Source Degeneration VGA

Gm-OpAmp-C Integrator

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Source Degeneration VGA

Bandwidth and group delay display consistent

performance over gain range

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Digitally Controlled VGA

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VGA Based on Analog Multiplier

& Current Mirror Amplifiers

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Analog Multiplier

iout

W
= 4 Cox v y v x
L

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VGA Based on Analog Multiplier

& Current Mirror Amplifiers

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Low-Voltage Cascode Current Mirrors

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Basic Current Amplifier Frequency Response

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Frequency Compensation Scheme

Parallel transconductance
transistor MC with capacitive
degeneration introduces a zero
which provides frequency
compensation
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Measurement Results

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Next Time
Analog Applications
Switch-Cap Filters, Broadband Amplifiers

Bandgap Reference Circuits

Distortion

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