Noise and Sensitivity in RF Envelope Detection Receivers

RF envelope detection receivers (RXs) are largely used in low-power and short-range wireless applications because of their low power consumption. However, such RXs suffer from poor sensitivity. In this brief, the noise characteristic of the RX is analyzed via a nonlinear approach. It identifies the noise contributors in the RX and evaluates their impact on the sensitivity. The proposed method is extended to the synchronized-switching envelope detection RX, and the analysis is verified by the measurement results.