A High Frequency Low Noise Amplifier Design for Cellular Applications

Hatim Bukhari, Joshua Duncan, Jonathan Wilson

Low noise amplifiers (LNAs) are ubiquitous in wireless technologies, providing much needed gain to low amplitude input signals as well as a valuable reduction in added noise to the overall receiver block. Noise can seriously degrade system performance by reducing the sensitivity and dynamic range that the receiver can achieve. By introducing an LNA at the front end of the receiver, overall receiver noise figure can be reduced significantly and a great improvement in gain can be achieved. We present a design for a monolithic CMOS high frequency LNA for mobile handset applications. The LNA has a 25 MHz bandwidth corresponding with the band edges for the 850 MHz GSM cellular frequency band (869 – 894 MHz). Introducing our LNA into a receiver block in a modern cellular handset will increase receive sensitivity allowing for larger range connections, reduction of dropped calls, greater resistance to interference, and improved overall call performance.

• Report
• Presentation