Low power consumption high speed CMOS dual-modulus 15/16 prescaler for optical and wireless communications

Frequency synthesizer is an important part of optical and wireless communication system. Low power comsumption prescaler is one of the most critical unit of frequency synthesizer. For the frequency divider, it must be programmable for channel selection in multi-channel communication systems. A dual-modulus prescaler (DMP) is needed to provide variable division ratios. DMP is considered as a critical power dissipative block since it always operates at full speed. This paper introduces a high speed and low power complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) 15/16 DMP based on true single-phase-clock (TSPC) and transmission gates (TGs) cell. A conventional TSPC is optimized in terms of devices size, and it is resimulated. The TSPC is used in the synchronous and asynchronous counter. TGs are used in the control logic. The DMP circuit is implemented in 0.18 μm CMOS process. The simulation results are provided. The results show wide operating frequency range from 7.143 MHz to 4.76 GHz and it comsumes 3.625 mW under 1.8 V power supply voltage at 4.76 GHz.

Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces for 6G:Nine Fundamental Issues and One Critical Problem

Thanks to the recent advances in metamaterials,Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface(RIS)has emergedas a promising technology for future 6G wireless communications.Benefiting from its high array gain,low cost,and low power consumption,RISs are expected to greatly enlarge signal coverage,improve system capacity,andincrease energy efficiency.In this article,we systematically overview the emerging RIS technology with the focuson its key basics,nine fundamental issues,and one critical problem.Specifically,we first explain the RIS basics,including its working principles,hardware structures,and potential benefits for communications.Based on thesebasics,nine fundamental issues of RISs,such as“What’s the differences between RISs and massive MIMO?”and“Is RIS really intelligent?”,are explicitly addressed to elaborate its technical features,distinguish it from existingtechnologies,and clarify some misunderstandings in the literature.Then,one critical problem of RISs is revealedthat,due to the“multiplicative fading”effect,existing passive RISs can hardly achieve visible performance gains inmany communication scenarios with strong direct links.To address this critical problem,a potential solution calledactive RISs is introduced,and its effectiveness is demonstrated by numerical simulations.