A new architecture for modular scalable phased array transmitters is presented. In this configuration, a vector summation technique is implemented within the array’s parallel feed network to allow the control of signal phase and magnitude by a reduced number of tunable phase shifters and control circuitry. An eight-element phased array module is developed based on the proposed architecture at K-band using a 130-nm CMOS process. The phased array, controlled by eight analog and sixteen digital inputs, provides ±90° of continuous scan range with measured sidelobe levels of smaller than -8 dB within its 3-dB power gain bandwidth. The phased array module occupies 6.64 mm2of die area and consumes 682 mW from a 1.8 V power supply. Several of such eight-element modules can be connected to form larger arrays. As a proof of concept, the performance of 16-element and 32-element arrays, created by connecting these modules, is tested, and their array factors are presented. Based on the results, the 16-element and 32-element arrays achieve a ±90° scan range with sidelobe levels below −9 dB at 24 GHz.

This work presents a new signaling method operating based on a Nyquist-rate orthogonal pulse amplitude modulation (NOPAM) scheme for high-speed wireline communication systems. The proposed signaling approach provides a 2 bit/symbol throughput like PAM-4 signaling while requiring only three voltage levels for data transmission. Thus, it is less sensitive to non-idealities of the lossy interfaces in long/medium reach links. A transceiver (TRx) architecture using NOPAM signaling is presented and realization of its main blocks is described. A 56 Gbps NOPAM TRx using a medium-reach link with 20 dB loss at 14 GHz is modeled and simulated in MATLAB. Performance of the system is provided and compared with a conventional PAM-4 TRx, verifying the advantages of the proposed NOPAM signaling.

A new technique for measurement of the resonant frequency and Q-factor of resonators is presented. In this technique, the derivative of the insertion phase with respect to frequency of resonators are measured and used for the calculation of their resonance frequency and Q-factor. A slow-rate chirp signal is passed through a resonator, and the output signal is amplified and equally divided into two signals which are delayed by different amounts. The two delayed signals are fed to a phase detector measuring their phase difference. The derivative of the insertion phase with respect to frequency of the resonator can be simply found from the phase difference between the two delayed signals. The proposed measurement technique is realized using low-cost components and utilized for measuring the resonant frequency and Q-factor of several L-band resonators. Compared with the resonators' performance measured by a vector network analyzer, the introduced approach measures the resonant frequency and Q factor by less than 0.6% and 4% error, respectively.