Apparatus and methods for generating multiple oscillating signals. An example circuit generally includes a first voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) circuit and a second VCO circuit having a differential bias input coupled to a differential output of the first VCO circuit. At least one of the first VCO circuit or the second VCO circuit generally includes: a pair of cross-coupled transistors comprising a first transistor and a second transistor, a first inductive element coupled between a first node and the drain of the first transistor, a second inductive element coupled between the first node and the drain of the second transistor, a third transistor having a drain coupled to the drain of the first transistor and having a source coupled to a second node, and a fourth transistor having a drain coupled to the drain of the second transistor and having a source coupled to the second node.

The present invention is an electronic circuit, which can also be built into an integrated circuit to create a single electronic component, used to increase voltage levels of electrical signals from sources having low voltage levels for any required application in an electrical system. While the focus is to increase voltage levels, current levels can also be optimized per application requirements. It is built by electronically cascading a clamper circuit with an oscillator circuit. The oscillator circuit generates an AC signal. The basic functionality of a clamper circuit is to raise DC level of an AC signal. With an oscillator circuit feeding an AC signal to the clamper circuit, multiple applications can be achieved economically. Said invention can be used for driving LEDs at low voltage levels, charge capacitors in a circuit to voltage levels higher than applied voltages, low frequency signal amplifiers, low frequency signal generators, AM/FM modulators, etc.

Described is a high Q-factor inductor. The inductor is formed as a unit cell coil, which is copied twice for a dual-coil inductor and copied four times for a quad-coil inductor. For each copy of the unit cell coil, the coil is rotated a subsequent substantially 90 degrees or substantially −90 degrees. The rotation enables the terminals of the inductor to be routed equal-distant to a circuit that is placed in the line of symmetry between the two coils.

An oscillator is provided. The oscillator includes two reverse amplification elements, and each of the reverse amplification elements forms a self-feedback structure by using an inductor. Output ends of the two reverse amplification elements are coupled to each other by using one or more inductors, and input ends of the two reverse amplification elements are coupled to each other by using a capacitor. A capacitance value of the capacitor may be adjusted, to change an oscillation frequency of a differential output oscillation signal output by the oscillator.

Voltage-controlled oscillation circuitry includes multiple cores and multiple mode or gain boosters coupled between the multiple cores. To prevent an undesired operating mode of the voltage-controlled oscillation circuitry from dominating a desired operating mode (e.g., an in-phase operating mode or an out-of-phase operating mode), the mode boosters may increase a desired gain of the desired operating mode and decrease an undesired gain of the undesired operating modes. In particular, mode boosters coupled to terminals of the cores that are associated with the desired operating mode may be enabled, while mode boosters coupled to terminals of the cores that are associated with the undesired operating mode may be disabled.

A voltage-controlled oscillator comprises a varactor. A capacitance of the first varactor is dependent upon a control voltage. The voltage-controlled also comprises an inductor. The inductor is connected to a center-tap connection. The voltage-controlled oscillator also comprises a power source. The power source is configured to provide a bias voltage to the inductor through the center-tap connection. The voltage-controlled oscillator also comprises a coupling capacitor. The coupling capacitor is located between the inductor and the varactor. The voltage-controlled oscillator also comprises a coupling resistor. The coupling resistor is located between the coupling capacitor and the center-tap connection. The center-tap connection provides the bias voltage to the coupling capacitor through the coupling resistor.

An apparatus includes a digitally controlled oscillator (DCO), which includes an inductor coupled in series with a first capacitor. The DCO further includes a second capacitor coupled in parallel with the series-coupled inductor and first capacitor, a first inverter coupled in parallel with the second capacitor, and a second inverter coupled back-to-back to the first inverter. The DCO further includes a digital-to-analog-converter (DAC) to vary a capacitance of the first capacitor.

The multi-modal imaging system, in particular for brain imaging, comprising a pump signal generator which emits at least one pump signal in the radio frequency (RF)-range with a first power P1 and a second power P2, a wireless detection unit, which comprises at least one parametric resonator circuit with multiple resonance modes, wherein the at least one parametric resonator circuit comprises at least two varactors, at least one capacitor and at least one inductance, wherein, in a first detection mode, the pump signal, having a first power P1, induces a first pump current in the at least one parametric resonator circuit, wherein the at least one parametric resonator circuit is operated below its oscillation threshold and generates a first output signal by amplifying a first input signal, which is provided due to a magnetic-resonance (MR) measurement, wherein an external receiving device receives the first output signal, wherein, in a second detection mode, the pump signal, having a second power P2, induces a second pump current in the at least one parametric resonator circuit, wherein the at least one parametric resonator circuit is operated above its oscillation threshold and generates a second output signal, wherein the second output signal is modulated with a second input signal, wherein the second input signal is provided by at least one neuronal probe device, connected to the at least one parametric resonator circuit, wherein the external receiving device receives the second output signal.

Transformer based voltage controlled oscillator circuitry for phase-locked loop circuitry includes upper band circuitry and lower band circuitry. The upper band circuitry operates in a first frequency range and includes a first capacitor array having a variable capacitance. The lower band circuitry operates in a second frequency range and includes a second capacitor array having a variable capacitance. The first frequency range higher than the second frequency range. In a first operating mode, the first capacitor array has a first capacitance value and the second capacitor array has a second capacitance value. In a second operating mode, the second capacitor array has a third capacitance value different than the second capacitance value.

A voltage controlled oscillator includes a resonator and an amplifier. The resonator includes a capacitive element and an inductive element. The inductive element has a plurality of conductive segments forming a physical loop. The inductive element has electrical connections on the physical loop to the plurality of conductive segments forming at least one electrical loop disposed within an interior space formed by the physical loop. The amplifier has an input and an output, the input coupled to a first conductive segment forming a first impedance and the output coupled to a second conductive segment forming a second impedance.