Design and implementation of a voltage-controlled oscillator for MICS-based sensor network system

Wireless network has been emerged as one of the most promising technologies for sensor-integrated applications so far. The ever-increasing demand in long-term chronic monitoring of vital or essential signals is driving a technology revolution in dealing with critical issues of clinical, healthcare, fitness, and wellness, creating multidisciplinary collaborations to benefit mankind. The voltage-controlled oscillator has been one of the important building blocks in this regard. In this paper, we report on study concerning the design and implementation of such a key circuit, with particular emphasis on a μW-level low-power design. All the aspects regarding the oscillator are detailed. The proposed circuit structure and experimental results justifying our work are given as proof of concept.