• Journal of IKEEE
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• v.7 no.1 s.12
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• pp.43-55
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• 2003

A degenerated differential pair has been widely used as a standard topology for digitally programmable CMOS VGAs. A variable degeneration resistor has been implemented using a resistor string or R-2R ladder with MOSFET switches. However, in the VGAs using these conventional methods, low-voltage and high-speed operation is very hard to achieve due to the dc voltage drop over the degeneration resistor. To overcome the problem a new variable degeneration resistor is proposed where the dc voltage drop is almost removed. The proposed gain control scheme makes it easy to implement a low-voltage and high-speed VGA. This paper describes the problems existed in conventional methods, the principle and advantages of the proposed scheme, and their performance comparison in detail. A CMOS VGA cell is designed using the proposed degeneration resistor. The 3dB bandwidths are greater than 650㎒ and the gain errors are less than 0.3dB in a gain control range from -12dB to +12dB in 6dB steps. It consumes 3.1㎃ from a 2.5V supply voltage.