This paper presents a step down, switched mode power converter for use in multi-standard envelope tracking radio frequency power amplifiers (RFPA). The converter is based on a programmable order sigma delta modulator that can be configured to operate with either 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th order loop filters, eliminating the need for a bulky passive output filter. Output ripple, sideband noise and spectral emission requirements of different wireless standards can be met by configuring the modulator's filter order and converter's sampling frequency. The proposed converter is entirely digital and is implemented in 14nm bulk CMOS process for post layout verification. For an input voltage of 3.3V, the converter's output can be regulated to any voltage level from 0.5V to 2.5V, at a nominal switching frequency of 150MHz. It achieves a maximum efficiency of 94% at 1.5 W output power.
This paper presents a switching DC-DC Buck converter with enhanced light-load efficiency for use in noise-sensitive applications. Low noise, spur free operation is achieved by using a sigma-delta-modulator (ΣΔ) based controller, while light load efficiency is realized through the introduction of fine step frequency scaling (FSFS) which continuously adjusts the switching frequency of the converter with load conditions. Regulation efficiency is further improved by adoption of mode hopping (continuous conduction mode (CCM)/discontinuous conduction mode (DCM)) and utilization of a fully digital implementation. Furthermore, the presented converter maintains low output voltage ripple across its entire load range by reconfiguring the ΣΔ modulator's quantization step and introducing dither to the loop filter. The proposed modulator was implemented in 14nm bulk CMOS process and validated with post layout simulations. It attains a peak efficiency of 95% at heavy load conditions and 79% at light loads with a maximum voltage ripple of 15mV at light loads.
Biomolecular interactions are central to biological processes and typically take place at nanometer scale distances. They often involve molecular motion which is known to affect the accuracy of the parameter estimates. Therefore, in this paper, we consider a case of two closely spaced molecules with planar trajectory and present a general expression of the Fisher information matrix in terms of their trajectory from which the benchmark for the accuracy of the parameter estimates is obtained. Through simulations, we show its application in the case of two moving objects and another case where only one of the two objects is moving. It is shown that the deterioration of the limit of the accuracy is not only dependent on the proximity of their starting position but also on their speed and direction of movement. The effect of differing photon emission intensities on the limit of the accuracy of parameter estimation is also investigated.