Patent ID: 7711339
Filing Date: 2010-05-04
Classification: H03L

Abstract:
1. A circuit for providing a local oscillator (LO) signal, the circuit comprising: a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) configured to (i) operate at a first supply voltage and (ii) produce a VCO signal; an LO generator coupled with the VCO so as to receive the VCO signal, the LO generator being configured to operate at a second supply voltage, the second supply voltage being greater than the first supply voltage, the LO generator comprising one or more resistively loaded circuits for producing the LO signal from the VCO signal; and a resistively loaded signal buffer coupled with the VCO so as to receive the VCO signal, the resistively loaded signal buffer configured to (i) operate at the first supply voltage and (ii) provide a buffered VCO signal to a phase locked loop (PLL) circuit.