A 24-GHz power-efficient MMIC pulse oscillator for UWB radar applications

Abstract

A 24-GHz power-efficient pulse oscillator for ultrawideband (UWB) radar applications implemented with InGaP HBT MMIC technology is proposed. The oscillator uses a common base inductive feedback topology without output buffers. The bias current is switched on by a pulse-control voltage. The oscillator consumes power only when the 24-GHz pulse is generated, allowing high power efficiency to be obtained. A high output power of 8 dBm and a low phase noise of -120 dBc/Hz at 1 MHz offset frequency are obtained in continuous wave (CW) mode. While in pulse-mode operation, the oscillator shows a 1-ns pulse width with only 5 ps of phase jitter. (c) 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.