Apparatus and methods of automatically trimming a PCB-based LC circuit. The apparatus may comprise an interface to a printed circuit board (PCB). The PCB may include a PCB inductor and a PCB capacitor to form an LC circuit. The LC circuit may have an LC circuit frequency. The apparatus may comprise a variable capacitor communicatively coupled to the interface and configured to adjust an effective capacitance of the LC circuit.

A voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) has a VCO core and a tuning bank. The tuning bank includes first and second tuning capacitors. A main switch is coupled between the first and second tuning capacitors. The tuning bank also includes control switches that receive a control signal to selectively activate the tuning bank. The main switch receives a level-shifted control signal to activate the tuning bank.

An active feedback RF resonator has a signal loop having a signal input and a signal output. The signal loop has a variable gain stage and at least one variable resonator, each variable resonator comprising an inductance element and a variable capacitance element comprising a number of switched fixed value capacitors and a variable capacitor. A phase noise of the active feedback RF signal has a maximum value for an operating frequency of the variable resonator that is based on an operating range of the variable capacitor.

Apparatus and methods of automatically trimming a PCB-based LC circuit. The apparatus may comprise an interface to a printed circuit board (PCB). The PCB may include a PCB inductor and a PCB capacitor to form an LC circuit. The LC circuit may have an LC circuit frequency. The apparatus may comprise a variable capacitor communicatively coupled to the interface and configured to adjust an effective capacitance of the LC circuit.

A circuit device includes an oscillation circuit and a processing circuit that generates capacitance control data. The oscillation circuit includes a variable capacitance circuit whose capacitance value is variably controlled based on the capacitance control data, and an oscillation frequency thereof is controlled based on the capacitance value of the variable capacitance circuit. The variable capacitance circuit includes a capacitor array. The capacitor array includes a plurality of capacitors each having a binary-weighted capacitance value, and a plurality of switches that are on-off controlled based on the capacitance control data. The processing circuit outputs the capacitance control data, which is subjected to dithering, so as to switch the capacitance value of the variable capacitance circuit between a first capacitance value and a second capacitance value in a time division manner.

A semiconductor device and a communication circuit capable of reducing the effect of a noise generated in an inductor are provided. A semiconductor device according to an embodiment includes a substrate, a first circuit disposed in a first area of the substrate, a second circuit disposed in a second area of the substrate, the second circuit being configured to operate selectively with the first circuit, a first inductor disposed in the second area and connected to the first circuit, and a second inductor disposed in the first area and connected to the second circuit.

An oscillator circuit includes an oscillating circuit coupled to a vibrator, and a control circuit that controls the oscillating circuit. The oscillator circuit has a normal operation mode in which the oscillating circuit oscillates in a state where a negative resistance value is a first value, and a start mode in which the oscillator circuit shifts from a state where oscillation is stopped to the normal operation mode. In the start mode, the control circuit controls the negative resistance value to increase from a second value which is smaller than the first value.

Certain aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) that is configurable (e.g., in a dynamic manner) in multiple modes of operation (e.g., low/high-band modes). The VCO may include a resonant circuit coupled to a plurality of switches that may be used to adjust current flow within one or more inductive elements of the resonant circuit. By adjusting the current flow within the inductive elements, an inductance of the resonant circuit may be adjusted, which in turn adjusts a band of the VCO.

A voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) has a VCO core and a tuning bank. The tuning bank includes first and second tuning capacitors. A main switch is coupled between the first and second tuning capacitors. The tuning bank also includes control switches that receive a control signal to selectively activate the tuning bank. The main switch receives a level-shifted control signal to activate the tuning bank.

An oscillator circuit includes an oscillating circuit coupled to a vibrator, and a control circuit that controls the oscillating circuit. The oscillator circuit has a normal operation mode in which the oscillating circuit oscillates in a state where a negative resistance value is a first value, and a start mode in which the oscillator circuit shifts from a state where oscillation is stopped to the normal operation mode. In the start mode, the control circuit controls the negative resistance value to increase from a second value which is smaller than the first value.