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| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Preprint |
| Published: |
2025
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.02687 |
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| _version_ | 1866909721589448704 |
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| author | Hao, Yijia Strackx, Maarten Gandara, Miguel Cochran, Sandy Liu, Bo |
| author_facet | Hao, Yijia Strackx, Maarten Gandara, Miguel Cochran, Sandy Liu, Bo |
| contents | Traditionally, the output noise and power supply rejection of low-dropout regulators (LDOs) are optimized to minimize power supply fluctuations, reducing their impact on the low-frequency noise of target voltage-controlled oscillators (VCOs). However, this sequential design approach does not fully address the trade-offs between high-frequency and LDO-induced low-frequency phase noise. To overcome this limitation, this paper presents a co-design method for low phase-noise LC-tank VCOs powered by LDOs. It is difficult to carry out the co-design using traditional manual design techniques. Hence, an efficient AI-driven EDA algorithm is used. To validate the proposed method, a 5.6 GHz LC-tank VCO with an integrated LDO is designed using a 65 nm CMOS process. Simulations show that the co-design method improves phase noise by 1.2 dB at a 1 MHz offset and reduces dynamic power consumption by 28.8%, with FoM increased by 2.4 dBc/Hz compared to the conventional sequential design method. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2508_02687 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | An AI-driven EDA Algorithm-Empowered VCO and LDO Co-Design Method Hao, Yijia Strackx, Maarten Gandara, Miguel Cochran, Sandy Liu, Bo Signal Processing Traditionally, the output noise and power supply rejection of low-dropout regulators (LDOs) are optimized to minimize power supply fluctuations, reducing their impact on the low-frequency noise of target voltage-controlled oscillators (VCOs). However, this sequential design approach does not fully address the trade-offs between high-frequency and LDO-induced low-frequency phase noise. To overcome this limitation, this paper presents a co-design method for low phase-noise LC-tank VCOs powered by LDOs. It is difficult to carry out the co-design using traditional manual design techniques. Hence, an efficient AI-driven EDA algorithm is used. To validate the proposed method, a 5.6 GHz LC-tank VCO with an integrated LDO is designed using a 65 nm CMOS process. Simulations show that the co-design method improves phase noise by 1.2 dB at a 1 MHz offset and reduces dynamic power consumption by 28.8%, with FoM increased by 2.4 dBc/Hz compared to the conventional sequential design method. |
| title | An AI-driven EDA Algorithm-Empowered VCO and LDO Co-Design Method |
| topic | Signal Processing |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.02687 |