Volume 3, Issue 5, May-2016, pp.

273-278 ISSN (O): 2349-7084

International Journal of Computer Engineering In Research Trends

Available online at: www.ijcert.org

A Low Voltage Tuned Colpitts Oscillator Using

CDTA
1
NAWAZ SHAFI, 2SHREYA GUPTA
1,2
School of Electrical, Electronics & Communication Engineering
Galgotiyas University ,Agra, Uttar Pradesh

[email protected], [email protected]

Abstract-In this paper by using current differencing trans-conductance amplifier (CDTA) as an active building block COLPITTs
oscillator has been proposed. The oscillator is realized by a single block of CDTA, two capacitors and an inductor. The resistor is
replaced by a NMOS transistor connected to z terminal of the CDTA. The frequency of the oscillation can be controlled by the tank
circuit. The oscillator can produce oscillation of frequency ranging from 10KHz to 100MHz. The operation of the proposed Colpitts
oscillator has been verified using SPICE. The CDTA was implemented on 350nm CMOS technology.

Index Terms Colpitts oscillator, active building block, CDTA, positive feedback, tank circuit.

1. INTRODUCTION rate, bandwidth etc. It must be noted that even if the

circuits are classified into current mode and voltage mode
In past decade active building blocks have widely been
the definition that differentiates between the two classes of
investigated and used for implementation of various analog
circuits is still blurred as suggested by Barrie Gilbert in
signal processing circuits such as filters, oscillators,
2003. This work focuses on the development of Colpitts
rectifiers especially in current mode operation. Low voltage
oscillator based in CDTA with minimum usage of passive
operating devices have always been a priority of analog
elements. The CMOS configuration of CDTA used is
circuit designers for making the portability of devices more
presented in section II. The CDTA operates at voltages of
feasible. The goal of low power devices can be achieved by
0.75V. Section IV presents the topology of the Colpitts
making the devices to operate in current mode. Hence there
oscillator.
is a strong drive for using the current mode active building
blocks for signal generation and processing [1]. The circuits
2. CURRENT DIFFERENCING
that operate in current mode rather than voltage mode have
TRANSCONDUCTANCE AMPLIFIER (CDTA)
many advantages which include low gain errors, high
dynamic range, higher bandwidth, high linearity, simple This active building block for ICs was proposed in 2003
implementation and less power consumption. Various by D. Biolek. It is a five terminal block that can be
current mode circuits have been proposed so far that are considered to work in real current mode. Hence it can be
much advantageous to that of their counterparts that also called as a current operational amplifier. The CDTA
include operational trans-conductance amplifier (OTA), consists of a current differencing unit (CDU) in the input
current conveyors (CCI, CCII), current feedback operational stage much like that of current differencing buffered
amplifier (CFOA), current differencing trans-conductance amplifier (CDBA). This CDU is followed by a dual output
amplifier (CDTA) and many more. Using these new current operational trans-conductance amplifier (OTA). The CDU
mode active building blocks and implementing them in takes the current signals (Ip, In), differences them and
CMOS technology the designers have solved the problems transfers this difference current to the intermediate
associated with classical operational amplifier such as slew terminal (z) of CDTA where it is converted to voltage by

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NAWAZ SHAFI et al., International Journal of Computer Engineering In Research Trends
Volume 3, Issue 05, May-2016, pp. 273-278

externally connected impedance. The voltage developed bias currents or bias voltages.
over this impedance (Vz) is converted into output currents
(IX+, IX-) by the trans-conductance amplifier stage with 3. CMOS IMPLEMENTATION OF CDTA AND
trans-conductance gm for the positive output and gm for SIMULATION RESULTS
negative output. The symbol and equivalent circuit of The transistor level CMOS implementation is shown in
CDTA can be shown as figure 4. Transistors M1 to M10 constitute the input stage of
CDTA. The input stage consists of a current differencing
unit formed by current mirrors and flipped voltage
followers (FVF). The FVF is a sort of source follower circuit
where the source current of one transistor is held constant.
Unlike to that of conventional voltage follower circuit, a
FVF can source a large amount of current however its
current sinking capacity is limited. Due to very little
impedance at output of FVF which is of the order of 20-
Figure 1: Circuit symbol of CDTA 100ohms it has large current sourcing capability. To
provide very low input impedance to current mirrors FVFs
are used at the input stage. Since FVFs are connected in
feedback to current mirrors the output impedance of FVFS
gives the input impedance of current mirrors i.e.
impedance of p and n terminals. In this CMOS
configuration of CDTA transistors M2, M3, M8, and M9
form the voltage follower circuits. Transistors M11, M15,
M12, M16, M13, M17, M14, and M18 all transistors form a
differential amplifier at the output stage.

Figure 2: Equivalent circuit of the CDTA

Since the outputs and input of the CDTA are in the form
of currents (Ip, In, Ix), the circuit operates as a true current
mode amplifier. The gain of CDTA is given by the product
of external impedance and the trans-conductance of OTA
stage. In order to make the circuit to work in ideal current
mode the voltage of z terminal is maintained low. The
characteristic matrix of CDTA that define its behavior is
given as:

Figure 4: CMOS Implementation of CDTA

The aspect ratios for the MOS transistors used in

implementation of CDTA are given in the table no. 1.

According to the equations from the characteristic matrix

a current (Ip-In) flows through the z terminal into the
external impedance. The matrix equations are verified by
the equivalent circuit shown in figure 2. This difference of
current is transferred into the output currents by
transconductance gain of gm. The gain can be controlled by
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NAWAZ SHAFI et al., International Journal of Computer Engineering In Research Trends
Volume 3, Issue 05, May-2016, pp. 273-278

Table No. 1: Aspect Ratios OF Transistors Used IN

Figure 6: Variation of z terminal current with respect to n
CDTA
terminal current

The current mirror transistors in the implementation of a

CDTA are chosen to have larger channel lengths in order to
compensate the DC offset at the input stage which is caused
due to the channel length modulation effect (lambda
parameter of transistors). However it suffers from the
limitation that the bandwidth obtained in the transfer of
current from the input terminals (p and n) to z terminal
gets reduced to a considerable value. Hence trade-off
values are to be set the appropriate DC offset and
bandwidth. The DC offset can be further reduced by
Figure 7: Variation of z terminal current with respect of p
selection of appropriate current mirrors but using such
terminal current
configuration will cause higher power dissipation due to
increase in the supply voltage. The various SPICE
It can be seen in figure 6 & figure 7, it is due to
simulation results are shown in figures:
biasing current the offset is low and DC current remains
constant. This range of current linearity can be easily
extended by using higher supply currents for current
mirror transistors but at the cost of higher power
dissipation. The plot showing the variation of transfer of
current between n and p terminals is shown in figure 8. The
operating bandwidth of the CDTA can be increased by
employing the use of small sized current mirror transistors
while a trade-off is to be done for the current mirror
accuracy as it may not replicate the current exactly due to
channel length modulation factor (lambda).

Figure 5: Variation of Input Impedance with Frequency

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NAWAZ SHAFI et al., International Journal of Computer Engineering In Research Trends
Volume 3, Issue 05, May-2016, pp. 273-278

oscillations which includes that the loop gain (product of

the gain of the amplifier and the gain of the feedback
network) should be unity and the phase shift around the
loop must be 00. The oscillating circuits that consist of
inductors and capacitors, the frequency of oscillation is
inversely depends on the values of L and C (higher is the
frequency when smaller are the values of L and C). LC
oscillators generate a very good shape of sine wave and
have quite good frequency stability. That is, the frequency
does not change very much for changes in D.C. supply
Figure 8: Variation of input terminal current with
voltage or in ambient temperature.
frequency
The Colpitts oscillator involves the use of a tank
circuit much like that of Hartleys oscillator. The used tank
To make the dual output stage in CDTA inverters are
circuit consists of a resonant circuit which involves two
employed. The inverted output (x+ terminal) is fetched
capacitors connected in series and an inductor. The tapping
from the output of the first inverter, the same current is
is done on the capacitor. It is the value of L and C that
replicated by using a current mirror of same corresponding
determine the frequency of oscillation produced and thus is
aspect ratio and is fed to another inverter which in
also referred as a tuned circuit. The proposed Colpitts
connected in unit gain configuration. The positive output
oscillator is designed using single CDTA which is an active
current is produced by the last inverter. This configuration
building block. The configuration used in realizing the
connected all together consists of dual output trans-
Colpitts oscillator is shown in figure 11.
conductance amplifier and the trans-conductance value
(gm) is equal to the sum total of trans-conductance values
of inverter transistors.
gm = gm11+ gm15 (5)
The variation of trans-conductance values of both
positive and negative output with frequency is shown in
figure 9. Due a considerably higher value of trans-
conductance than its counterparts, CDTA is more suitable
for high frequency operations.

Figure 11: Proposed Colpitts Oscillator

The approximate value of frequency of the established
oscillation is given by the frequency of the tank circuit
given as:
fr = 1/ (2*pi*sqrt(LCT))
where Ct is the series equivalent capacitance of C1 and
C2..
Feedback fraction:
Figure 9: Trans-conductance of CDTA
mv = vf / vout
mv = IXC1 / IXC2
IV.PROPOSED COLPITTS OSCILLATOR mv = XC1 / XC2
CONFIGURATION mv = (1/2frC1) / (1/2frC2)
Oscillator basically can be defined as an electronic mv = C2/C1
amplifier with positive feedback that generates periodic,
oscillating signal of any desired shape (square, sinusoidal For oscillation:
etc.) and frequency. An oscillator must necessarily satisfy Av mv= 1
the Barkhausens criterion in order to produce sustained Av = C1/C2

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NAWAZ SHAFI et al., International Journal of Computer Engineering In Research Trends
Volume 3, Issue 05, May-2016, pp. 273-278

V.CONCLUSION
In this study, a low voltage compact CMOS current
differencing trans-conductance amplifier is used to form an
improved Colpitts oscillator. Using flipped voltage
followers enable the CDTA element to have very low input
resistances (25 ohms @1MHz). The proposed Colpitts
oscillator configuration is able to give a very near to perfect
sine wave. This can be advantageous feature for different
active circuit design which used in analog signal
processing. This research has focused on the minimum
Figure 12: Simulation result of the proposed usage of passive components.
oscillator
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