An Direct Digital RF Quadrature Modulator

Yijun Zhou and Jiren Yuan

Competence Center for Circuit Design
Department of Electroscience
Lund University, Sweden

Yijun Zhou, Department of Electroscience, Lund University, Sweden

Overview
1. The purposes of this design.
2. The traditional direct-conversion modulator and the
Gilbert cell mixer.
3. The proposed direct digital RF quadrature modulator
architecture and design.
4. Measurement results.
5. Conclusion.

Yijun Zhou, Department of Electroscience, Lund University, Sweden

LPF
I
DAC
cos(ct)

Out

sin(ct)
Q
DAC
LPF

direct-conversion modulator

The traditional direct-conversion modulator.

Yijun Zhou, Department of Electroscience, Lund University, Sweden

Data

Linear
Interpolation DAC
RF

The block diagram of the direct digital RF amplitude modulator.

Linear Interpolation
DAC
cos(ct)

Out

sin(ct)
Q

Linear Interpolation
DAC
The direct digital RF quadrature modulator.

Yijun Zhou, Department of Electroscience, Lund University, Sweden

R1

R2

Vout

RF+

Vb+

RF-

Vb-

Bias

The Gilbert cell mixer.

Yijun Zhou, Department of Electroscience, Lund University, Sweden

R1

R2
Vout

Ib+

RF+

RF-

Ib-

Yijun Zhou, Department of Electroscience, Lund University, Sweden

R1

Vout

R2

RF+ RF-

Vbias
I+

Linear Interpolation
Current Steering DAC

Gilbert
cell

Vbias
I-

The direct digital RF amplitude modulator.

Yijun Zhou, Department of Electroscience, Lund University, Sweden

R1

R2

RFQ+ RFQ-

RFI+ RFIVIbias

VQbias

I+

Linear Interpolation
Current Steering
DAC

I-

I+ Linear Interpolation
Current Steering
DAC

I-

The direct digital RF quadrature modulator.

Yijun Zhou, Department of Electroscience, Lund University, Sweden

X(f)

Zero-order hold
Linear interpolation

-fs

fs

The spectrum of the sampled digital signal, the frequency response of a

zero-order-hold DAC and a linear interpolation DAC.

Yijun Zhou, Department of Electroscience, Lund University, Sweden

C16
C15
C14
C13
C12
C11
C10
C9
C8
C7
C6
C5
C4
C3
C2
C1
Clk

B0

B1

2x0.5I

B2

B3

4I
2I

Clock Delay Unit

B4

B5

16I
8I

B6

B7

16x16I

16x4I
16x2I

Sub-Current Source Unit

B8

16x8I

B9
Load
16x32I

I One LSB Current

The 10-Bit, 16-tap linear interpolation DAC.

Yijun Zhou, Department of Electroscience, Lund University, Sweden

Yijun Zhou, Department of Electroscience, Lund University, Sweden

Yijun Zhou, Department of Electroscience, Lund University, Sweden

Yijun Zhou, Department of Electroscience, Lund University, Sweden

Yijun Zhou, Department of Electroscience, Lund University, Sweden

Yijun Zhou, Department of Electroscience, Lund University, Sweden

Yijun Zhou, Department of Electroscience, Lund University, Sweden

Yijun Zhou, Department of Electroscience, Lund University, Sweden

Yijun Zhou, Department of Electroscience, Lund University, Sweden

CONCLUSION
1. The direct digital RF quadrature modulator can be
realized without LPF using the linear interpolation
DAC.
2. The direct digital RF quadrature modulator can
simplify the RF transmitter design and be scalable
easily.

Yijun Zhou, Department of Electroscience, Lund University, Sweden