Front-end architecture selection

The selection of a front-end architecture is one of the key steps in the multi-standard front-end design flow (see Fig. 1.7). By selecting a suitable front-end architecture for a particular application, some severe problems in the front-end design and implementation (DC-offsets, flicker noise, high power consumption, large chip area and large form factors) can be avoided. Also, the number of iterations in the front-end design flow can be reduced.

In order to select a front-end architecture for a particular application, it is necessary to deal with properties and problems associated with each building block in a front-end. This action involves a great number of parameters. Practically, it is difficult to take them all into account. For this reason, the selection of a suitable front-end architecture is a complex and challenging task. Nevertheless, by applying a systematic approach it is possible to come up with interesting results and considerations that will structure the architecture selection process for designers.

This chapter is organized as follows. In section 2.1, a generic front-end architecture is systematically synthesized. Particular front-end architectures are derived in section 2.2. The selection criteria are discussed in section 2.3, while a suitable front-end architecture for DECT/Bluetooth multi-band front-end is selected in section 2.4. Finally, a summary of this chapter is given in section 2.5.