A multimode, multicore inductor-capacitor (LC) oscillator having an increased oscillation frequency tuning range, and related method, are provided. The oscillation frequency tuning range of existing oscillators is limited. LC oscillators are known to have very low phase noise but a narrow frequency tuning range. The present oscillator has at least two LC oscillator cores and is capable of operating in multiple different modes of oscillation thereby increasing its overall oscillation frequency tuning range. A set of programmable amplifier pairs is used to force particular relative oscillation phases at the nodes of the multiple cores of the oscillator to realize one or more additional modes of oscillation for the oscillator. The additional oscillation mode increases the frequency tuning range of the oscillator.

A circuit may comprise a first node, a ring oscillator, a regulator, and a Kvcc compensation circuit. The first node may be a supply node to provide a supply voltage for the circuit. The ring oscillator may be formed from inverters. The regulator may use a single transistor between the first node and a second node for powering the oscillator. The K compensation circuit may be used to provide to the oscillator a variable capacitive load that is dependent on the supply at the first supply node, and it may drag oscillator frequency down when the first node supply goes up.

A circuit may comprise a first node, a ring oscillator, a regulator, and a Kvcc compensation circuit. The first node may be a supply node to provide a supply voltage for the circuit. The ring oscillator may be formed from inverters. The regulator may use a single transistor between the first node and a second node for powering the oscillator. The K compensation circuit may be used to provide to the oscillator a variable capacitive load that is dependent on the supply at the first supply node, and it may drag oscillator frequency down when the first node supply goes up.

A temperature sensor supplying a measurement signal varying linearly to within 10% as a function of the temperature at least over a temperature range, including an oscillator supplied by a supply voltage and supplying a first oscillating signal, said oscillator including first MOS transistors, the voltage at each internal node of the oscillator having a dynamic equal to the supply voltage, the measuring signal corresponding to the supply voltage.

This disclosure provides systems and apparatuses for reducing flicker noise in output signals provided by a radio frequency (RF) amplifier. In some implementations, the RF amplifier may include a bias generator to provide one or more bias signals to control operating points of devices and circuits of the RF amplifier. The bias generator may include a feedback circuit to generate a current to attenuate flicker noise within the bias generator. In some implementations, the feedback circuit may receive a bias voltage and may generate the current based on a frequency of the bias voltage.

A multimode, multicore inductor-capacitor (LC) oscillator having an increased oscillation frequency tuning range, and related method, are provided. The oscillation frequency tuning range of existing oscillators is limited. LC oscillators are known to have very low phase noise but a narrow frequency tuning range. The present oscillator has at least two LC oscillator cores and is capable of operating in multiple different modes of oscillation thereby increasing its overall oscillation frequency tuning range. A set of programmable amplifier pairs is used to force particular relative oscillation phases at the nodes of the multiple cores of the oscillator to realize one or more additional modes of oscillation for the oscillator. The additional oscillation mode increases the frequency tuning range of the oscillator.

An oscillator circuit including a ring oscillator and a reference current source is provided. The ring oscillator includes an odd number of inverter stages. Each inverter stage includes a first transistor having a first reference threshold that varies over temperature. The reference current source is configured to generate a plurality of currents, where a respective current is applied directly to the drain of a respective first transistor of a respective inverter stage. The reference current source includes a reference transistor that has a second reference threshold that varies over temperature; a resistor coupled between a gate and a source of the reference transistor; a second transistor having a source coupled to the gate of the reference transistor for generating a reference current that flows through the resistor to regulate a voltage of the resistor to the second threshold voltage; and a current mirror configured to generate the plurality of currents.

A charge pump method and apparatus is described having various aspects. Noise injection from a charge pump to other circuits may be reduced by limiting both positive and negative clock transition rates, as well as by limiting drive currents within clock generator driver circuits, and also by increasing a control node AC impedance of certain transfer capacitor coupling switches. A single-phase clock may be used to control as many as all active switches within a charge pump, and capacitive coupling may simplify biasing and timing for clock signals controlling transfer capacitor coupling switches. Any combination of such aspects of the method or apparatus may be employed to quiet and/or simplify charge pump designs over a wide range of charge pump architectures.

A spin torque oscillation generator includes a spin reference layer and a spin oscillation layer. The spin reference layer has a first magnetization direction. The spin reference layer is configured to receive a current and generate a spin-polarized current. The spin oscillation layer has a second magnetization direction. The second magnetization direction is different than the first magnetization direction. The spin oscillation layer is configured to receive the spin-polarized current from the spin reference layer. The spin-polarized current generates a spin torque based on the second magnetization direction of the spin oscillation layer. The spin torque generates a spin torque output signal.

A spin torque oscillation generator includes a spin reference layer and a spin oscillation layer. The spin reference layer has a first magnetization direction. The spin reference layer is configured to receive a current and generate a spin-polarized current. The spin oscillation layer has a second magnetization direction. The second magnetization direction is different than the first magnetization direction. The spin oscillation layer is configured to receive the spin-polarized current from the spin reference layer. The spin-polarized current generates a spin torque based on the second magnetization direction of the spin oscillation layer. The spin torque generates a spin torque output signal.