High-Efficiency Reconfigurable CMOS RF-to-DC Converter System for Ultra-Low-Power Wireless Sensor Nodes with Efficient MPPT Circuitry

Abstract

This paper presents a novel CMOS RF-to-DC converter for ultra-low-power wireless sensor nodes powered by RF wireless power transfer. The proposed converter achieves 10% higher power conversion efficiency than a conventional rectifier, with only a 1% increase in power consumption. The system employs a reconfigurable Dickson topology, operates on the unlicensed 868 MHz ISM band, and includes a built-in power-efficient MPPT system architecture. Experimental measurements show a maximum power conversion efficiency of 55% in the power range from −22 dBm to 0 dBm, with a power sensitivity of −22 dBm for a DC output voltage of 2.4 V. The proposed converter offers a promising solution for efficient wireless power transfer and energy harvesting in ultra-low-power wireless sensor nodes.

Keywords

• CMOS technology
• maximum power point tracking (MPPT)
• RF-to-DC converter
• RF energy harvesting
• wireless power transfer
• ultra-low-power