A 2.4-GHz Low-Power Superregenerative RF Front-End for High Data Rate Applications

This paper describes the design and implementation of a low-power superregenerative receiver front-end operating in the 2.4-GHz ISM band. Specifically, the design is conceived to support high quench frequencies and, consequently, high data rates. The front-end is evaluated as a part of a novel architecture in which the superregenerative oscillator is quenched synchronously with the received data. This mode of operation allows higher data rates to be obtained and significantly overcomes the traditional problem of poor selectivity in this type or receivers. The implemented front-end achieves 10 Mbit/s, an RF bandwidth of 37 MHz and a total supply current of 870 ?A at 3-V supply voltage, offering an excellent trade-off between performance, simplicity and power consumption.