Designing an AM Transmitter on VLSI: Challenges and Considerations

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the design of an AM transmitter for a VLSI project intended for smart dust applications. Participants explore the challenges of translating traditional analog transmitter designs into VLSI simulations and circuit designs, while considering specifications such as low power requirements and frequency ranges for amplitude modulation.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant seeks guidance on implementing an AM transmitter design in VLSI, expressing familiarity with VLSI but uncertainty about translating analog components into a digital framework.
  • Another participant questions whether "several mili-volts" was a typo for "several mili-watts," suggesting implications for the transmitter's range and effectiveness.
  • A third participant provides context about smart dust, referencing its size and the challenges of packaging, including power source and antenna considerations.
  • A later reply clarifies that an AM transmitter is primarily an analog circuit, indicating that while some digital logic may be involved, the majority of the design would utilize analog cells for modulation and transmission amplification.
  • This reply also notes that RF dust typically operates at GHz frequencies, contrasting with the 1MHz frequency mentioned, and poses a question regarding this discrepancy.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express varying levels of understanding about the requirements and feasibility of designing an AM transmitter for smart dust, with some uncertainty about power specifications and frequency ranges. There is no consensus on the best approach to the design or the implications of the specifications provided.

Contextual Notes

Participants highlight limitations in understanding the relationship between analog and digital components in VLSI design, as well as the implications of low power and frequency requirements on the transmitter's functionality.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in VLSI design, RF communication, and the development of compact electronic devices, particularly in the context of emerging technologies like smart dust.

hananl
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Hi,
I need to design an AM transmitter as a vlsi project (it needs to be
located on smart dust later on).
Does anyone have any good suggestions were to start from? I am familiar
with vlsi, but don't really know how to implement such a big idea, into
a vlsi simulation and circuit design.
Looking on trasmitter's schemes didn't help, 'cause that's all
resistors, amplifiers and capacitors. How do I translate it into vlsi
design?
some words about specifications:
generally, it's for smart dust, so the power is very low, around
several mili volts, frequecny:
An amplitude modulated signal for typical AM broadcasts consists of a
sinusoid with a frequency in a range from 0.535 MHz to 1.604 MHz having
an amplitude
that is varied (modulated) by an audio signal with frequencies of 20 Hz
to 5KHz.
Be very glad to any guidance...
Thanks
 
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hananl said:
so the power is very low, around several mili volts

Is several mili-volts a typo of several mili-watts? As in 1s of mW?

I admit I have no idea what smart dust is but I hope your transmitter either has a very short range requirement or is paired with one fine receiver. :)
 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smartdust

Are you going to try to build a device that is the size of a grain of sand!

Bagnold defines sand as any particle between .02 mm and 1.0 mm in diameter, while Ahlbrandt (1979) uses the range of .1 mm to 1.6 mm.
http://www.nps.gov/archive/whsa/Sand%20Dune%20Geology.htm

That is a challenging package requirment, even if it doesn't include the power source and antenna.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
hananl said:
Hi,
I need to design an AM transmitter as a vlsi project (it needs to be
located on smart dust later on).
Does anyone have any good suggestions were to start from? I am familiar
with vlsi, but don't really know how to implement such a big idea, into
a vlsi simulation and circuit design.
Looking on trasmitter's schemes didn't help, 'cause that's all
resistors, amplifiers and capacitors. How do I translate it into vlsi
design?
An AM transmitter is an analog circuit, not a Very Large Scale Integrated circuit (VLSI). You might have a little digital logic involved in the encoder, but you'd generally use analog cells for the modulator and TX amp. You should be able to make a 1MHz AM transmitter with only a few dozen transistors on your ASIC.

BTW, RF dust uses frequencies in the GHz, not 1MHz. Quiz question -- why?
 

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