Design and analysis of a current-reuse transmitter for ultra-low power applications

A CMOS current-reuse transmitter for ultra-low power (ULP) applications is presented. It can provide up to 10.2dBm of output power with a total efficiency of 30% at 2.4GHz. By utilizing the stacking technique, the average current of a class-E power amplifier is reused by the accompanying VCO and an optional RX block. The breakdown issue associated with the class-E PA is mitigated. A detailed analysis of the current-reuse structure is demonstrated. Practical design issues are discussed and appropriate design guidelines are provided.