Documents about variable gain amplifier at RF frequency

[peterVM]

Variable gain amplifier

Does anyone know about a good book or article about designing a variable gain amplifier at RF frequency ?

And perhaps with a flat phase response versus gain variation ?

/Peter

 

[wee_liang]

Re: Variable gain amplifier

It was pretty difficult to get any books talking about VGA (I wonder why), but I eventually found something to read about in the Paul Horowitz (Art of Electronics .. sorry I can't remember the title well).

 

[peterVM]

Re: Variable gain amplifier

Thanks a lot. I will try to get a hold of the book. If others should be interested the book is : "The Art of Electronics, by Paul Horowitz, from Cambridge University Press, from 1989 and reprinted in 1993".

Have you (wee_liang) by any chance designed a VGA ?

 

[wee_liang]

Re: Variable gain amplifier

Yes.

But you can post your queries on the forum, you'll be surprise at the number of people who have done it ( I think).

 

[rongli]

Variable gain amplifier

I found that IEEE has many topic about this,you can find it there.

 

[Vamsi Mocherla]

Re: Variable gain amplifier

I am also interested to get some information about VGA. I tried NATSem, they have some good info

 

[strabush]

Re: Variable gain amplifier

What frequency range are you talking about?
For HF frequencies (0 to 50MHz) you can check application notes about the Analog Device AD60x series of IC's.

 

[MLR67]

Re: Variable gain amplifier

I remember a good article from B.Gilbert about this topic , but i can't remeber the title.
Maybe someone knows this article.

 

[andy2000a]

Variable gain amplifier

as I know ,
1 use High gain OPA + switch resistor
2 use GM amp and tunning current

 

[peterVM]

Re: Variable gain amplifier

I am talking about a frequency of about 1.6 GHz, so application notes about VGA's for 0 - 50 MHz is probably not really going to help me, but thanks anyway.

I have actually been simulating a gilbert cell in cadence with good results. With the right trimming it has a high dynamic range (large variable gain) while maintaining a low phase variation with varying gain, which I need.

Has anyone had luck with another configuration than a gilbert cell for a VGA at more than 1 GHz ?

 

[FANT]

Re: Variable gain amplifier

I have used with good results the following IC:

PM 2701 from Pacific Monolithics.
It is working from 800 to 4500 MHz.

30 dB max attenuation.

Mandi