"Frequency Synthesis for VSAT/P2P"

- Domine Leenaerts, NXP

In wireless infrastructure like VSAT satellite communication and point-to-point cellular backhaul communication, the (phase noise and purity) requirements on the local oscillators (LO) and the associated PLLs are more stringent than on the consumer equivalents. For example, the phase noise performance is defined at 10 and 100kHz offset from the carrier rather than at 1 or 3 MHz offset. A typical value is -100dBc/Hz @ 100kHz offset from a Ku-band frequency.
As a consequence, the majority of these frequency generators is realized in III-V compound technologies. However, very recently first attempts have been taken to realize the oscillators in silicon-based technologies.
This tutorial will highlight the requirements on the LO generations and will explain different approaches in the design of the (Colpitts) oscillators and PLLs in silicon-based technologies for these demanding applications.