A monolithic RF microsystem in SOI CMOS for low-power operation in radiation-intense environments

A monolithic radio-frequency (RF) microsystem has been designed and fabricated in an advanced 0.25-micron SOI CMOS technology. The architecture is comprised of a compact digital core for local program execution and command handling; a 400-MHz RF transceiver for wireless program download and data transfer; and analog baseband circuitry which doubles as an embedded testability network. The IC is intended to support nanosatellite avionics and wireless remote sensing. The motivation of the work was to develop a team design methodology for producing integrated circuit (IC) intellectual property (IP) in the context of a specific application. Another intention is to investigate the suitability of an ultra-low-power digital technology for mixed-signal/RF circuit design. The design was a collaborative effort between UIC and JPL that demonstrates the potential for technology transfer between universities and federal laboratories.