An integrated up-converter circuit in 0.8 μm SiGe technology for TV applications

This paper describes an up-converter circuit for a TV tuner chain that can be implemented in both analog and digital TV systems. The circuit is integrated into a low cost standard two metal layer 0.8 μm SiGe technology and is composed with class AB Gilbert cell based active mixer and differential voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO). The use of a high quality balanced inductor in the VCO allows achieving a measured oscillator phase noise of -104.2 dBc/Hz at 100 kHz from the carrier. The frequency conversion is from TV standard IF to RF. The results obtained in a frequency up-conversion from 36 to 1775 MHz are: a conversion gain of -2.25 dB, a noise figure of 14.4 dB and an OIP3 value of 9.1 dBm. The core power consumption is 33 mA from 5 V power supply.