{"id":{"repo_id":"washington","oai_identifier":"oai:digital.lib.washington.edu:1773/22556"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/washington/oai:digital.lib.washington.edu:1773/22556","repository":{"repo_id":"washington","name":"University of Washington","base_url":"https://digital.lib.washington.edu/server/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"A Robust Power-Scalable Transmitter Architecture for Wireless Body Area Networks","abstract":"In this dissertation, an RF transmitter is presented that uses closed-loop PLL- based BFSK modulation and is reconfigurable for both the MedRadio and 433 MHz ISM bands. A power efficient class-C amplifier is utilized and the design methodologies for designing a highly efficient and low-power amplifier are discussed in detail. The mediocre PVT performance of the classical implementation of the class-C power amplifiers is a major cause of concern that inhibits widespread usage of these types of amplifiers. An open-loop ultra-low power calibration loop is designed to deal with process, temperature and voltage drifts. Also introducing for the first time, a digitally tunable power amplifier core with a single reconfigurable matching network is able to vary the output power level from -12 dBm to -2dBm while maintaining similar efficiency numbers. A completely integrated PLL is used in the frequency synthesis. BFSK modulation is performed by switching the divide ratio of a dual modulo divider and a low-power NMOS delay-based ring-VCO acts as the oscillator. Several performance records are achieved: (1) The PA realizes a peak efficiency of 47% in the high-power (ISM) (-2 dBm) mode and 43% (33%) in the MedRadio -12 dBm (-16 dBm backoff) modes. (2) The PLL dissipates only 72 &muW with a phase noise of -111 dBc/Hz @ 1 MHz. (3) The overall transmit efficiencies are 29% and 17% for the -12 dBm and -16 dBm backoff levels for the MedRadio band and 44% for the ISM (433 MHz) bands. (4) The PVT compensation loop reduces the standard deviation by 59% compared to the classical implementations.","abstract_html":"In this dissertation, an RF transmitter is presented that uses closed-loop PLL- based BFSK modulation and is reconfigurable for both the MedRadio and 433 MHz ISM bands. A power efficient class-C amplifier is utilized and the design methodologies for designing a highly efficient and low-power amplifier are discussed in detail. The mediocre PVT performance of the classical implementation of the class-C power amplifiers is a major cause of concern that inhibits widespread usage of these types of amplifiers. An open-loop ultra-low power calibration loop is designed to deal with process, temperature and voltage drifts. Also introducing for the first time, a digitally tunable power amplifier core with a single reconfigurable matching network is able to vary the output power level from -12 dBm to -2dBm while maintaining similar efficiency numbers. A completely integrated PLL is used in the frequency synthesis. BFSK modulation is performed by switching the divide ratio of a dual modulo divider and a low-power NMOS delay-based ring-VCO acts as the oscillator. Several performance records are achieved: (1) The PA realizes a peak efficiency of 47% in the high-power (ISM) (-2 dBm) mode and 43% (33%) in the MedRadio -12 dBm (-16 dBm backoff) modes. (2) The PLL dissipates only 72 &muW with a phase noise of -111 dBc/Hz @ 1 MHz. (3) The overall transmit efficiencies are 29% and 17% for the -12 dBm and -16 dBm backoff levels for the MedRadio band and 44% for the ISM (433 MHz) bands. (4) The PVT compensation loop reduces the standard deviation by 59% compared to the classical implementations.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Natarajan, Karthik"],"institution":null,"degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Allstot, David J"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2013,"date_issued":"2013-04-17","date_published":"2013-04-17","updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:58:07Z","subjects":["PVT Tolerant; RF/Analog Design; Robust; Transmitter; Ultra low power; Wireless Body Area Networks"],"languages":["en_US"],"rights":["Copyright is held by the individual authors."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/1773/22556","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Allstot, David J"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Natarajan, Karthik"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2013-04-17T18:01:18Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2014-04-18T11:05:56Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2013-04-17"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["PVT Tolerant; RF/Analog Design; Robust; Transmitter; Ultra low power; Wireless Body Area Networks"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en_US"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Copyright is held by the individual authors."]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["Natarajan_washington_0250E_11075.pdf"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/1773/22556"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Washington, 2012"]},{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["In this dissertation, an RF transmitter is presented that uses closed-loop PLL- based BFSK modulation and is reconfigurable for both the MedRadio and 433 MHz ISM bands. A power efficient class-C amplifier is utilized and the design methodologies for designing a highly efficient and low-power amplifier are discussed in detail. The mediocre PVT performance of the classical implementation of the class-C power amplifiers is a major cause of concern that inhibits widespread usage of these types of amplifiers. An open-loop ultra-low power calibration loop is designed to deal with process, temperature and voltage drifts. Also introducing for the first time, a digitally tunable power amplifier core with a single reconfigurable matching network is able to vary the output power level from -12 dBm to -2dBm while maintaining similar efficiency numbers. A completely integrated PLL is used in the frequency synthesis. BFSK modulation is performed by switching the divide ratio of a dual modulo divider and a low-power NMOS delay-based ring-VCO acts as the oscillator. Several performance records are achieved: (1) The PA realizes a peak efficiency of 47% in the high-power (ISM) (-2 dBm) mode and 43% (33%) in the MedRadio -12 dBm (-16 dBm backoff) modes. (2) The PLL dissipates only 72 &muW with a phase noise of -111 dBc/Hz @ 1 MHz. (3) The overall transmit efficiencies are 29% and 17% for the -12 dBm and -16 dBm backoff levels for the MedRadio band and 44% for the ISM (433 MHz) bands. (4) The PVT compensation loop reduces the standard deviation by 59% compared to the classical implementations."]},{"key":"dc:format.mimetype","label":"Dc Format Mimetype","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["A Robust Power-Scalable Transmitter Architecture for Wireless Body Area Networks"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Allstot, David J"],"dc:creator":["Natarajan, Karthik"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2013-04-17T18:01:18Z"],"dc:date.available":["2014-04-18T11:05:56Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2013-04-17"],"dc:description":["Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Washington, 2012"],"dc:description.abstract":["In this dissertation, an RF transmitter is presented that uses closed-loop PLL- based BFSK modulation and is reconfigurable for both the MedRadio and 433 MHz ISM bands. A power efficient class-C amplifier is utilized and the design methodologies for designing a highly efficient and low-power amplifier are discussed in detail. The mediocre PVT performance of the classical implementation of the class-C power amplifiers is a major cause of concern that inhibits widespread usage of these types of amplifiers. An open-loop ultra-low power calibration loop is designed to deal with process, temperature and voltage drifts. Also introducing for the first time, a digitally tunable power amplifier core with a single reconfigurable matching network is able to vary the output power level from -12 dBm to -2dBm while maintaining similar efficiency numbers. A completely integrated PLL is used in the frequency synthesis. BFSK modulation is performed by switching the divide ratio of a dual modulo divider and a low-power NMOS delay-based ring-VCO acts as the oscillator. Several performance records are achieved: (1) The PA realizes a peak efficiency of 47% in the high-power (ISM) (-2 dBm) mode and 43% (33%) in the MedRadio -12 dBm (-16 dBm backoff) modes. (2) The PLL dissipates only 72 &muW with a phase noise of -111 dBc/Hz @ 1 MHz. (3) The overall transmit efficiencies are 29% and 17% for the -12 dBm and -16 dBm backoff levels for the MedRadio band and 44% for the ISM (433 MHz) bands. (4) The PVT compensation loop reduces the standard deviation by 59% compared to the classical implementations."],"dc:format.mimetype":["application/pdf"],"dc:identifier.other":["Natarajan_washington_0250E_11075.pdf"],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/1773/22556"],"dc:language.iso":["en_US"],"dc:rights":["Copyright is held by the individual authors."],"dc:subject":["PVT Tolerant; RF/Analog Design; Robust; Transmitter; Ultra low power; Wireless Body Area Networks"],"dc:title":["A Robust Power-Scalable Transmitter Architecture for Wireless Body Area Networks"],"dc:type":["Thesis"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:58:07Z"}