A Novel Broadband Linear-in-Magnitude RF Envelope Detector With Enhanced Detection Speed and Accuracy

In this letter, a novel linear-in-magnitude RF envelope detector is presented which features high detection speed, low detection error and covers a wide range of carrier frequencies. The proposed detector topology employs a voltage-mode input stage which is AC-coupled to a full-wave rectifier. A prototype was implemented in a 0.13 μm CMOS process. Experimental results demonstrated a 3 dB operating frequency of up to 4.2 GHz and a maximal detection speed equal to 190 MHz. The input dynamic range ( ± 1 dB linear error) was 35.5 dB at 1 GHz and 25.3 dB at 3.5 GHz, respectively.