Measurement technique for high precision and noise sensitive ICs using multiple output-bias board with low baseband Noise

A DC bias board with 9 separate output voltages is proposed for high precision and noise sensitive measurements. The measured results demonstrated an improved baseband noise up to 30 dB at 20 kHz compared with the laboratory power supplier. A voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) in CMOS is used to benchmark the impact of power supply noise on circuit performance. The proposed bias board achieves a great agreement with the signal source analyzer (SSA) built-in DC source for phase noise measurement at the frequency offset from 3 kHz to 10 MHz, while results based on the typical power suppliers directly show significant spurs and noises as expected. The proposed technique provides an effective and practical solution for the characterization of noise sensitive integrated circuits with the need of multiple biases.