LOW NOISE AND LOW POWER VOLTAGE-CONTROLLED OSCILLATOR (VCO) USING TRANSCONDUCTANCE (gm) DEGENERATION

A voltage controlled oscillator (VCO), comprising:

• a resonant tank circuit;
• an active negative transconductance circuit connected with the resonant tank circuit and having a variable transconductance;
• and
• a bias current circuit for sourcing or sinking a bias current through the resonant tank circuit and the active negative transconductance circuit to generate an oscillating signal.

An apparatus for wireless communications, comprising:

• at least one antenna;
• and
• at least one of a receiver configured to receive, or a transmitter configured to send, a radio frequency (RF) signal via the at least one antenna, the at least one of the receiver or the transmitter having a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) comprising:
• a resonant tank circuit;
• an active negative transconductance circuit connected with the resonant tank circuit, comprising:
• cross-coupled transistors;
• and
• an impedance connected between the cross-coupled transistors and a reference voltage;
• and
• a bias current circuit for sourcing or sinking a bias current through the resonant tank circuit and the active negative transconductance circuit to generate an oscillating signal.

An apparatus for wireless communications, comprising:

• at least one antenna;
• and
• at least one of a receiver configured to receive, or a transmitter configured to send, a radio frequency (RF) signal via the at least one antenna, the at least one of the receiver or the transmitter having a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) comprising:
• a resonant tank circuit;
• an active negative transconductance circuit connected with the resonant tank circuit and having a variable transconductance;
• and
• a bias current circuit for sourcing or sinking a bias current through the resonant tank circuit and the active negative transconductance circuit to generate an oscillating signal.