This paper introduces a new class of oscillators that generate sinusoidal signals by formation of a circular standing wave on a ring (closed-loop) transmission line (t-line). A basic form of the circular standing wave oscillator (CSWO), schematically illustrated at the top left of Fig. 21.2.1, consists of a ring t-line and two pairs of cross-coupled inverters located at two opposite ports on th...

Demand for faster data rates in wireline and wireless markets has resulted in tighter jitter and phase noise requirements for oscillators. Although active device noise (and not the resonator noise) dominates the phase noise of most CMOS oscillators [1], in a properly designed oscillator, the quality factor, Q, of the resonant tank indirectly plays a central role in the phase noise. The best pha...