Radio frequency integrated circuit having reduced receiver noise levels

• US 20050136879A1
• Filed: 12/19/2003
• Published: 06/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Khorram, Shahla
• Granted Patent: US 7,305,222 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/333
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0003 Software-defined radio [SDR] systems, i.e. systems wherein components typically implemented in hardware, e.g. filters or modulators/demodulators, are implented using software, e.g. by involving an AD or DA conversion stage such that at least part of the signal processing is performed in the digital domain digital baseband systems H04L25/00; digital modulation/demodulation H04L27/00; CDMA H04B1/707; TDMA H04B7/2643; image transmission H04N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0028 wherein the AD/DA conversion occurs at baseband stage
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0032 with analogue quadrature frequency conversion to and from the baseband quadrature modulators and demodulators per se H03D3/007, H03C3/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/1027 assessing signal quality or detecting noise/interference for the received signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/405 with multiple discrete channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 15/04 the interference being caused by substantially sinusoidal oscillations, e.g. in a receiver or in a tape-recorder
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2215/064 Reduction of clock or synthesizer reference frequency harmonics

Abstract

A radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) includes a digital to analog converter, an analog to digital converter, and a radio module. The digital to analog converter (DAC) is operably coupled to convert outbound symbols into outbound baseband signals, wherein the digital to analog converter is fabricated within a DAC portion of a substrate of the RFIC. The analog to digital converter (ADC) is operably coupled to convert inbound baseband signals into inbound symbols, wherein the analog to digital converter is fabricated within an ADC portion of the substrate. The radio module is operably coupled to convert the outbound baseband signals into outbound radio frequency (RF) signals and to convert inbound RF signals into the inbound baseband signals. The radio module is fabricated within a radio portion of the substrate, wherein the DAC portion of the substrate is physically between the ADC portion and the radio portion of the substrate.

Claims

1. A radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) comprises:

digital to analog converter (DAC) operably coupled to convert outbound symbols into outbound baseband signals, wherein the digital to analog converter is fabricated within a DAC portion of a substrate of the RFIC;

analog to digital converter (ADC) operably coupled to convert inbound baseband signals into inbound symbols, wherein the analog to digital converter is fabricated within an ADC portion of the substrate; and

radio module operably coupled to convert the outbound baseband signals into outbound radio frequency (RF) signals and to convert inbound RF signals into the inbound baseband signals, wherein the radio module is fabricated within a radio portion of the substrate, wherein the DAC portion of the substrate is physically between the ADC portion and the radio portion of the substrate to provide the radio module with noise immunity from the analog to digital converter.

2. The RFIC of claim 1 further comprises:

baseband processing module operable to convert outbound data into the outbound symbols based on an encoding protocol and to convert the inbound symbols into inbound data based on the encoding protocol, wherein the baseband processing module is fabricated within a baseband portion of the substrate.

3. The RFIC of claim 1 further comprises:

a package having a plurality of bonding pads that couple the RFIC to the package, wherein ADC bonding wires of the plurality of bonding wires couple the ADC to the package, DAC bonding wires of the plurality of bonding wires couple the DAC to the package, and RF bonding wires of the plurality of bonding wires couple the radio module to the package, wherein the ADC bonding wires are physically separated from the RF bounding wires by the DAC bonding wires.

4. The RFIC of claim 1 further comprises:

a phase locked loop (PLL) operably coupled to produce a system clock for the DAC and the ADC, wherein the phased locked loop is fabricated on a PLL portion of the substrate and is physically separated from the radio portion.

5. The RFIC of claim 1, wherein the radio module comprises:

a low noise amplifier (LNA) operably coupled to amplify the inbound RF signals to produce amplified inbound RF signals, wherein the low noise amplifier is fabricated in an LNA section of the radio portion of the substrate;

down conversion module operably coupled to convert the amplified inbound RF signals into the inbound baseband signals based on a receive local oscillation, wherein the down conversion module is fabricated in a down conversion section of the radio portion of the substrate;

power amplifier (PA) operably coupled to amplify RF signals to produce the outbound RF signals, wherein the power amplifier is fabricated in a PA section of the radio portion of the substrate; and

up conversion module operably coupled to convert the outbound baseband signals into the RF signals based on a transmit local oscillation, wherein the up-conversion module is fabricated in an up conversion section of the radio portion of the substrate, wherein, of the LNA section, the down conversion section, the PA section, and the up conversion section, the LNA section is most proximal to the DAC portion, the PA section is least proximal to the DAC portion, and the up and down conversion sections are intermediate proximal to the DAC portion.

6. The RFIC of claim 5, wherein the radio module further comprises:

a transmit/receive (T/R) switch operable to couple the LNA or the PA to an antenna connection, wherein the transmit/receive switch is fabricated in a T/R section of the radio portion, wherein the T/R section is physically located between the LNA section and the PA section.

7. A method for fabricating a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC), the method comprises:

fabricating a digital to analog converter (DAC) within a DAC portion of a substrate of the RFIC, wherein the DAC is operably coupled to convert outbound symbols into outbound baseband signals;

fabricating an analog to digital converter (ADC) within an ADC portion of the substrate, wherein the ADC is operably coupled to convert inbound baseband signals into inbound symbols; and

fabricating a radio module within a radio portion of the substrate, wherein the radio module is operably coupled to convert the outbound baseband signals into outbound radio frequency (RF) signals and to convert inbound RF signals into the inbound baseband signals, wherein the DAC portion of the substrate is physically between the ADC portion and the radio portion of the substrate to provide the radio module with noise immunity from the analog to digital converter.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprises:

fabricating a baseband processing module within a baseband portion of the substrate, wherein the baseband processing module is operable to convert outbound data into the outbound symbols based on an encoding protocol and to convert the inbound symbols into inbound data based on the encoding protocol.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprises:

packaging the RFIC in a package having a plurality of bonding pads that couple the RFIC to the package, wherein ADC bonding wires of the plurality of bonding wires couple the ADC to the package, DAC bonding wires of the plurality of bonding wires couple the DAC to the package, and RF bonding wires of the plurality of bonding wires couple the radio module to the package, wherein the ADC bonding wires are physically separated from the RF bounding wires by the DAC bonding wires.

10. The method of claim 7 further comprises:

fabricating a phase locked loop (PLL) within a PLL portion of the substrate, wherein the PLL is operably coupled to produce a system clock for the DAC and the ADC, wherein the phased locked loop is physically separated from the radio portion.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the fabricating the radio module comprises:

fabricating a low noise amplifier (LNA) in an LNA section of the radio portion of the substrate, wherein the LNA is operably coupled to amplify the inbound RF signals to produce amplified inbound RF signals;

fabricating a down conversion module in a down conversion section of the radio portion of the substrate, wherein the down conversion module is operably coupled to convert the amplified inbound RF signals into the inbound baseband signals based on a receive local oscillation;

fabricating a power amplifier (PA) in a PA section of the radio portion of the substrate, wherein the PA is operably coupled to amplify RF signals to produce the outbound RF signals; and

fabricating an up conversion module operably in an up conversion section of the radio portion of the substrate, wherein the up conversion module is coupled to convert the outbound baseband signals into the RF signals based on a transmit local oscillation, wherein, of the LNA section, the down conversion section, the PA section, and the up conversion section, the LNA section is most proximal to the DAC portion, the PA section is least proximal to the DAC portion, and the up and down conversion sections are intermediate proximal to the DAC portion.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the fabricating the radio module further comprises:

fabricating a transmit/receive (T/R) switch in a T/R section of the radio portion, wherein the T/R switch is operable to couple the LNA or the PA to an antenna connection, wherein the T/R section is physically located between the LNA section and the PA section.