RFIC s use both fully differential and pseudo-differential signal paths.

If signal swing is not a concern, a fully differential signal path would

be preferred, particularly because of its immunity to noise and its bias
stability. The additional transistors involved in realizing a differential
circuit, however, reduce the available voltage swing, and hence powerhandling
capability. Pseudo-differential signaling uses, in effect, two parallel
paths, each referred to ground but of opposite polarity. The signal on
one of the parallel paths is the mirror image of the signal on the other.
(That is, the signal is not truly differential, which would imply that it was
floating or independent of ground.) Each of the parallel paths is unbalanced,
but together their RF signal appears to be balanced, or pseudo-balanced.
Another consideration is that in working with RFICs it is necessary to
interface (unbalanced) microstrip circuits with the input and output of
RFICs. The necessary functionality here is the need to split and combine
signals, and to convert between balanced and unbalanced signals.
An FDA is shown in Figure 11-35(a). Both the input, Vi = V+
V ,
and the output, Vo, are differential. Figures 11-35(b) and 11-35(c) show a
transformer being used to convert the differential output of the amplifier to
an unbalanced signal that, for example, can be connected to a microstrip
circuit. The output of many RFIC is pseudo differential as this signaling
provides large voltage swings. A pseudo-differential amplifier is shown in
Figure 11-36(d), but before dealingwithmanipulation of the signal path first
consider the hybrid on its own.
Figure 11-36(a) shows how two pseudo-balanced signals can be combined
to yield a single balanced signal. This 180 hybrid function is realized by a
center-tapped transformer. The signal at Terminal 2 is referenced to ground,
and these two terminals are Port 2. The image component of pseudodifferential
signal is applied to Port 3 comprising Terminal 3 and ground.
The balanced signal at Port 1 can be directly connected to a microstrip line
which is, of course, unbalanced.Most implementations of hybrids at RF and
microwave frequencies have ports that are referenced to ground. This is
emphasized in Figure 11-36(b), making it easier to see how a 180 hybrid
can be used to combine a pseudo-differential signal, as shown in Figure 1136(c). This pseudo-differential-to-unbalanced interface is shown in Figures
11-36(e), 11-36(f), and 11-36(g).
Hybrids can be used at the input and output terminals of an RFIC pseudodifferent
ial
amplifier so that an unbalanced source can efficiently drive the
RFIC and then the output of the RFIC can be converted to an unbalanced
port to interface with unbalanced circuitry, such as filters and transmission
lines. In the RFIC-based system in Figure 11-37, a 180 hybrid is first used
as a splitter and then at the output as a combiner.