Component-Related Phase Noise Evaluation Method for the LC Oscillators

This research paper presents a circuit-based phase noise model of a cross-coupled LC tank oscillator. The effect of the Oscillator’s noise is one of the most critical items in designing modern RF communication systems. The noise factor necessitates a more thorough comprehension of design tradeoffs in RF VCO IC implementations. This research paper introduces a new analytical derivation to produce a well-bounded third-order polynomial equation accurately representing the LC oscillator’s phase noise behaviour. The third-order polynomial equation includes circuit parameters such as capacitance, inductance and quality factors to understand the phase noise characteristics. The proposed method determines the amplitude and phase noise and forms a link with the circuit operating point, and phase noise is produced as a direct result of the circuit parameters. The advantage of the proposed resulting equation is that it avoids the need for complex simulations to identify the noise characteristics in such a process. The proposed equation was validated by comparing the tank circuit simulation results. The simulation results verify the applicability of the third-order polynomial equation representing the noise characteristics of the LC oscillator.