• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SD
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• v.40 no.9
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• pp.673-684
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• 2003

A degenerated differential pair has been widely used as a standard topology for digitally programmable CMOS VGAs. A variable degeneration resistor has been implemented using a resistor string or R-2R ladder with MOSFET switches. However, in the VGAs using these conventional methods, low-voltage and high-speed operation is very hard to achieve due to the dc voltage drop over the degeneration resistor. To overcome this problem a new variable degeneration resistor is proposed where the dc voltage drop is almost removed. Using the proposed gain control scheme, a low-voltage and high-speed CMOS VGA is designed. HSPICE simulation results using a 0.25${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ CMOS process parameters show that the designed VGA provides a 3dB bandwidth of 360MHz and a 80dB gain control range in 2dB step. Gain errors are less than 0.4dB at 200MHz and less than l.4dB at 300MHz. The designed circuit consumes 10.8mA from a 2.5V supply and its die area is 1190${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$${\times}$360${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$.