A silicon BiCMOS direct up-conversion transmitter IC for CDMA2000 with linear-in-dB power optimized RF level control

A direct up-conversion transmitter design for CEL and PCS band CDMA cellular radio is presented. Linear-in-dB power control gives reduced supply consumption at low output levels. Current from the 2.85 V supply is 68 mA at +8 dBm and 38 mA at minimum power including both TX and RX synthesizers and TX VCO.