Signal Distribution System Cascadable AGC Device and Method

• US 20160072534A1
• Filed: 10/14/2015
• Published: 03/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Entropic Communications, LLC (FIG LLC (d/b/a Fortress Investment Group LLC))
• Original Assignee: Entropic Communications, LLC (FIG LLC (d/b/a Fortress Investment Group LLC))
• Inventors: BARGROFF, Keith, HANCOCK, Dale
• Application Number:
  US14/882,937
• Publication Number:
  US 20160072534A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H03D 2200/0025 Gain control circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H03D 2200/0043 Bias and operating point
• CPC Class Codes: H03D 7/00 Transference of modulation from one carrier to another, e.g. frequency-changing H03D9/00, H03D11/00 take precedence; dielectric amplifiers, magnetic amplifiers, parametric amplifiers used as a frequency-changers H03F
• CPC Class Codes: H03D 7/1425 with transistors
• CPC Class Codes: H03D 7/1433 using bipolar transistors H03D7/145 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03D 7/1458 Double balanced arrangements, i.e. where both input signals are differential
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/171 A filter circuit coupled to the output of an amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/294 the amplifier being a low noise amplifier [LNA]
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/451 the amplifier being a radio frequency amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/19 with semiconductor devices only
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/3036 in high-frequency amplifiers or in frequency-changers H03G3/3052, H03G3/32, H03G3/34 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/126 having multiple inputs, e.g. auxiliary antenna for receiving interfering signal aerials in general H01Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 40/90 specially adapted for satellite broadcast receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/102 Circuits therefor, e.g. noise reducers, equalisers, amplifiers H04N7/108 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/20 Adaptations for transmission via a GHz frequency band, e.g. via satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1302 Relay switches
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13034 A/D conversion, code compression/expansion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1304 Coordinate switches, crossbar, 4/2 with relays, coupling field
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1319 Amplifier, attenuation circuit, echo suppressor
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13322 Integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/521 : using semiconductors in the switching stages

Abstract

A cascadable AGC amplifier in a signal distribution system includes a low noise cascadable amplifier having a through path and a cascadable output. The cascadable amplifier is also configured to provide AGC over a predetermined input power range. The cascadable AGC amplifier can be configured to provide gain or attenuation. When the cascadable AGC amplifier is implemented in a signal distribution system, typically as part of a signal distribution device, an input signal can be gain controlled and supplied to multiple signal paths without distortion due to degradation of signal to noise ratio or distortion due to higher order amplifier products. The distributed signal is not significantly degraded by distortion regardless of the number of cascadable AGC amplifiers connected in series or the position of the cascadable AGC amplifier in the signal distribution system.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

switch having a plurality of switch inputs and a plurality of switch outputs, switch being operable to switchably couple any of the plurality of switch inputs to any one or more of the plurality of switch outputs;

a plurality of frequency translation devices, two or more frequency translation devices of the plurality of frequency translation devices being operably coupled to a respective switch output, the two or more frequency translation devices being operable to output two or more frequency translated switch outputs; and

a signal combiner operably coupled to the plurality of frequency translation devices, the signal combiner being operable to stack the two or more frequency translated switch outputs.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, the apparatus comprising a plurality of amplifiers, each amplifier having an amplifier input and an amplifier output, the amplifier output of each amplifier of the plurality of amplifiers being operably coupled to a respective switch input.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the amplifier input of each amplifier of the plurality of amplifiers is operably coupled to a low noise block converter.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein each amplifier of the plurality of amplifiers is a low noise amplifier.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein each of the two or more frequency translation devices comprises an amplifier and a mixer.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein an input of the amplifier in each of the two or more frequency translation devices is coupled to a respective switch output.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein an input of the amplifier in each of the two or more frequency translation devices is coupled to an output of the respective mixer in each of the two or more frequency translation.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the mixer in each of the two or more frequency translation devices is a downconverter.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the two or more frequency translation devices comprises a filter device.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the filter device comprises a bandpass filter.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of frequency translation devices comprises two or more additional frequency translation devices, each of the two or more frequency translation devices being connected to another frequency translation device of the two or more additional frequency translation devices, the two or more additional frequency translation devices being operable to further process the two or more frequency translated switch outputs.

21. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises a digital signal processor (DSP), the DSP comprising the switch, the plurality of frequency translation devices and the signal combiner.

2-10. -10. (canceled)

22. An apparatus comprising:

a multiple-input/multiple-output switch coupled to receive and switch at least one satellite intermediate frequency (IF) signal of a plurality of satellite IF signals, wherein the plurality of satellite IF signals are received from a satellite front end device comprising a low noise block downconverter (LNB);

a plurality of channelizer devices coupled to the multiple-input/multiple-output switch and operable to channelize the at least one satellite IF signal to produce a plurality of channelized signals; and

a channel stacker coupled to the plurality of channelizer devices and operable to stack the plurality of channelized signals to produce a stacked channel signal.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, the apparatus comprising a plurality of amplifiers, each amplifier having an amplifier input and an amplifier output, the amplifier output of each amplifier of the plurality of amplifiers being operably coupled to an input of the multiple-input/multiple-output switch.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the amplifier input of each amplifier of the plurality of amplifiers is operably coupled to a low noise block converter.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein each amplifier of the plurality of amplifiers is a low noise amplifier.

26. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein each channelizer device of the plurality of channelizer devices comprises an amplifier and a mixer.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein an input of the amplifier in each channelizer device is coupled to a respective output of the multiple-input/multiple-output switch.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein an input of the amplifier in each channelizer device is coupled to an output of the respective mixer in each channelizer device.

29. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the mixer in each channelizer device is a downconverter.

30. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein each channelizer device comprises a filter device.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the filter device comprises a bandpass filter.

32. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein each channelizer device comprises two or more frequency translation devices.

33. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the apparatus comprises a digital signal processor (DSP), the DSP comprising the multiple-input/multiple-output switch, the plurality of channelizer devices, and the channel stacker.

34. A method comprising:

switching at least one satellite intermediate frequency (IF) signal of a plurality of satellite IF signals, wherein the plurality of satellite IF signals are received from a satellite front end device comprising a low noise block downconverter (LNB);

channelizing the at least one satellite IF signal to produce a plurality of channelized signals; and

stacking the plurality of channelized signals to produce a stacked channel signal.

35. The method of claim 34, the method comprising amplifying an input of the multiple-input/multiple-output switch.

36. The method of claim 34, the method comprising amplifying an output of the multiple-input/multiple-output switch.

37. The method of claim 34, wherein channelizing comprises downconverting a band of frequencies.

38. The method of claim 34, wherein channelizing comprises filtering a band of frequencies.

39. The method of claim 34, wherein the method comprises digital signal processing, the digital signal processing comprising the switching, the channelizing, and the stacking.