Split Microwave Backhaul Transceiver Architecture with Coaxial Interconnect

• US 20170179999A1
• Filed: 02/28/2017
• Published: 06/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maxlinear Asia Singapore Pte Ltd. (Maxlinear Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Maxlinear Asia Singapore Pte Ltd. (Maxlinear Incorporated)
• Inventors: Boers, Michael, Vassiliou, Iason, Nicolson, Sean, Ibrahim, Brima, Kavvadias, Spyridon
• Granted Patent: US 10,396,845 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/26 for superheterodyne receivers multiple frequency-changing H03D7/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/56 with provision for simultaneous communication in two directions
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/13 of power amplifiers, e.g. gain or non-linearity
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/14 of the whole transmission and reception path, e.g. self-test loop-back
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/21 for calibration; for correcting measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/02 Amplitude-modulated carrier systems, e.g. using on-off keying; Single sideband or vestigial sideband modulation H04L27/32 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/368 adaptive predistortion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/143 for modulated signals H04L5/1469 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/1461 Suppression of signals in the return path, i.e. bidirectional control circuits

Abstract

A communication system includes a conversion module configured to convert a signal between a radio frequency baseband (RF-BB) and an intermediate frequency (IF). At least one RF front-end module converts the signal between the IF and a radio frequency (RF). The RF front-end module is configured as an RF phased array and includes a coaxial interconnect configured to connect the conversion module with the RF front-end module. The signal is transmitted between the conversion module and the RF-front end module via the coaxial interconnect. At least one RF front-end module includes an active front-end (AFE) configured to allow the signal to be transmitted via the coaxial interconnect while minimizing any deterioration of the signal.

Claims

1. A communication system, comprising:

a conversion module configured to convert a signal between a baseband (BB) and an intermediate frequency (IF);

a radio frequency (RF) phased array front-end module comprising a power divider network, the power divider network comprising a plurality of interpolated RF amplifiers;

a coaxial interconnect configured to connect the conversion module with the RF phased array front-end module; and

a dedicated omnidirectional communication path separate from the RF phased array front-end module.

2. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the RF phased array front-end module includes a plurality of antennas, an integrated local oscillator (LO), at least one mixer, a phase-locked loop (PLL), a power supply (PS), a power amplifier (PA), and a low-noise amplifier (LNA).

3. The communication system of claim 2,

wherein the signal is converted to the IF using frequency mixing or heterodyning,

wherein the communication system is a super-heterodyne 60 GHz phase antenna array transceiver, and

wherein the signal is combined with one or more additional signals, over the coaxial interconnect, in accordance with a frequency multiplexing technique.

4. The communication system of claim 2, wherein the signal is split into a plurality of modulated signals, when in a transmission mode, and the plurality of modulated signals are input into the plurality of antennas included within the RF phased array front-end module, and wherein the plurality of antennas are configured to combine the plurality of modulated signals into a single combined signal, when in a receipt mode.

5. The communication system of claim 4, wherein the signal includes a direct current (DC) feed, a control interface, and a reference element associated with the RF phased array front-end module.

8. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the communication system is implemented inside of a laptop computer, a tablet computing device, or a personal digital assistant (PDA).

10. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the RF phased array front-end module is connected to at least one of a multiplexer, a coaxial splitter device and a switching device using the coaxial interconnect for the RF phased array front-end module, and wherein at least one of the multiplexer, coaxial splitter device and the switching device is coupled to the conversion module.

11. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the RF phased array front-end module is serially connected or connected in parallel to the conversion module via the coaxial interconnect.

6. (canceled)

7. The communication system of claim 6, wherein the conversion module is integrated on a platform or on a wireless card.

9. The communication system of claim 6, wherein the conversion module includes:

a first loop-back path configured to measure and calibrate a receipt IQ, wherein the first loop-back path extends between a transmission IF power amplifier and a receipt IF power amplifier;

a plurality of second loop-back paths configured to facilitate measurement and calibration of a plurality of first baseband (BB) filters, wherein the plurality of second loop-back paths extend between outputs of the plurality of first BB filters and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC);

a third loop-back path configured to facilitate the calibration of a plurality of second BB filters, wherein the third loop-back path extends between an output of a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) and inputs of the second BB filters; and

a fourth loop-back path configured to measure and calibrate a transmission IQ, wherein the fourth loop-back path extends between an output of a power detector and the ADC.

12. -20. (canceled)

21. A method for communication, the method comprising:

converting a signal between a baseband and an intermediate frequency (IF);

converting the signal between the IF and a radio frequency (RF) using an RF phased array front-end module comprising a power divider network, the power divider network comprising a plurality of interpolated RF amplifiers;

communicating the signal at IF to the RF phased array front-end module using a coaxial interconnect; and

communicating the signal at IF using a dedicated omnidirectional communication path separate from the RF phased array front-end module.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the RF phased array front-end module includes a plurality of antennas, an integrated local oscillator (LO), at least one mixer, a phase-locked loop (PLL), a power supply (PS), a power amplifier (PA), and a low-noise amplifier (LNA).

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the method comprises combining the signal with one or more additional signals before communicating over the coaxial interconnect.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the method comprises:

splitting the signal into a plurality of modulated signals, when in a transmission mode, and inputting the plurality of modulated signals into a plurality of antennas included within the RF phased array front-end module; and

combining the plurality of modulated signals into a single combined signal, when in a receipt mode.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the signal includes a direct current (DC) feed, a control interface, and a reference element associated with the RF phased array front-end module.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein the conversion module is integrated on a wireless card.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein the method is implemented inside of a laptop computer, a tablet computing device, or a personal digital assistant (PDA).

28. The method of claim 21, wherein the method comprises:

measuring a receipt IQ in a first loop-back path that extends between a transmission IF power amplifier and a receipt IF power amplifier;

calibrating a plurality of first baseband (BB) filters in a plurality of second loop-back paths that extend between outputs of the plurality of first BB filters and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC);

calibrating a plurality of second BB filters in a third loop-back path that extends between an output of a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) and inputs of the second BB filters; and

measuring a transmission IQ in a fourth loop-back path that extends between an output of a power detector and the ADC.

29. The method of claim 21, wherein the RF phased array front-end module is connected to at least one of a multiplexer, a coaxial splitter device and a switching device using the coaxial interconnect for the RF phased array front-end module, and wherein at least one of the multiplexer, coaxial splitter device and the switching device is coupled to the conversion module.

30. The method of claim 21, wherein the RF phased array front-end module is serially connected or connected in parallel to the conversion module via the coaxial interconnect.