Design and Simulation of Integrated Radio Frequency Transmitter for Wireless Sensor Network Applications

This paper introduces a low-voltage low-power integrated radio frequency (RF) transmitter using GlobalFoundries’ 0.18 m CMOS RF process technology for 2.4 GHz wireless sensor network (WSN) applications. The proposed RF transmitter consists of an LC voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) and a sub-harmonic mixer. The VCO utilizes an LC tank to achieve reduced phase noise and enhanced frequency stability, the sub-harmonic mixer is optimized for lower power consumption and reduced harmonic distortion, addressing limitations observed in previous designs, and the collaboration between the VCO and the sub-harmonic mixer ensures that the RF transmitter operates stably and efficiently. Simulation experiments demonstrate that the integrated RF transmitter operates effectively at 1V supply voltage, and its power consumption is 2.55 mW, showcasing its suitability for low-power applications typical in WSNs where energy efficiency is critical. In terms of linearity, the input-referred third-order intercept point (IIP3) of the transmitter reaches 3.19 dBm, which exhibits its ability to handle third-order nonlinearities and robustness against interference. Additionally, the RF transmitter achieves a conversion gain of approximately 12.5 dB, which demonstrates its effectiveness in signal amplification and ensures that the transmitter is capable of providing sufficient power to the received signals, enabling reliable applications in WSNs.