A 23-GHz TX/LNA Front-End Module for Inter-Satellite Links With 27.8% Peak Efficiency in the TX Path and 3.1-dB NF in the RX Path

This article presents a 23-GHz transmitter/low-noise amplifier (TX/LNA) front-end module (FEM) in 130-nm SiGe BiCMOS for inter-satellite links (ISLs) in the system of orbiting low-frequency antenna array (OLFAR). The FEM consists of an LNA, a power amplifier (PA), a variable-gain amplifier (VGA), a phase shifter (PS), and a TX/receiver switch (T/R SW). By applying the combination of different techniques: 1) multi-function block design strategy; 2) current reuse and ${\mathrm { g}}_{\mathrm { m}}$ boosting implemented by a triple-coil transformer in the LNA; 3) dual-LC-tank-based integrated T/R SW, a compact FEM is achieved, simultaneously with an advanced-state-of-the-art efficiency in the TX path and a competitive noise figure (NF) in the receiver (RX) path. In the TX path, it demonstrates a measured saturated output power ( $\mathrm {P}_{\mathrm {sat}}$ ) of 16.8 dBm, a peak TX efficiency of 27.8%, and a 34.1-dB gain. It supports 900-Mbps 64-QAM signals with 4.9% error vector magnitude (EVM) and −27.5-dBc adjacent channel power ratio (ACPR), at 9.0-dBm output power ( $\mathrm {P}_{\mathrm {out}}$ ) with 8.8% TX efficiency. In the RX path, an NF of 3.1 dB and an input 1-dB compression point (IP $_{\mathrm {1~dB}}$ ) of −19.4 dBm are achieved with a 19.3-dB gain and a 10-mW power consumption. The core chip area is $1.11\times 0.48$ mm.