Efficient current reuse for low-power transceivers

• DOI: 10.1007/s10470-008-9191-8
• Publication Date: 2008-06-11T20:06:31Z
• Authors: Jouni Kaukovuori; Jere A. M. Järvinen; Jarkko Jussila; Jussi Ryynänen
• Keywords: Transceiver; Constant current; Current source; Boosting; Biasing; Current mirror

Current boosting is a method where the performance of an active circuit block is optimized by placing a constant current source in parallel with the active signal path to provide optimal biasing for different components. In this paper, a technique to replace the constant dc current source with active building blocks typically required in transceivers is proposed. By using this method the total current consumption of the transceiver can be efficiently reduced without modifying its performance. A design example where the proposed technique reduces the receiver current consumption by 45% is given.