Systematic Design Methodologies for RF Blocks

Abstract

In the previous chapter, the accuracy of two different inductor modeling techniques was assessed. It was concluded that surrogate models present higher accuracy when compared to analytical models. However, the influence of such accuracy on circuit performances was not yet studied. Therefore, the impact of such passive modeling techniques in systematic circuit design methodologies must be examined. This is performed in Sect. 4.1, where an LNA design case study is adopted, in order to study the impact of using different inductor models on the overall circuit performances. Both the physical and the surrogate models will be integrated in optimization-based approaches in order to design the inductors presented in the adopted LNA topology. In Sect. 4.2, a hierarchical bottom-up design methodology is used in order to design the same LNA as in the previous section. Afterwards, performance and efficiency comparisons are performed between an optimization-based methodology which does not consider hierarchical decomposition versus a bottom-up design methodology which considers hierarchical decomposition. Therefore, it will be possible to conclude which is the most efficient methodology and, also, which one obtains superior results.