Programmable echo cancellation filter

• US 6,845,252 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2001
• Issued: 01/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lantiq Beteiligungs-GmbH & Company KG (Intel Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Inventors: Digiandomenico, Antonio, Fleischhacker, Christian, Pessl, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Tieu, Binh
• Assistant Examiner(s): PENDLETON, DIONNE
• Application Number:
  US09/975,768
• Publication Number:
  US 20020119753A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,195 Days
• Field of Search: 455/63.1, 455/501, 455/504, 455/505, 455/67.13, 455/69, 455/73, 455/84, 455/75, 455/557, 455/570, 455/114.2, 370289-290, 379/406.01, 379/406.05, 379/406.06, 379/406.08, 379/390.02
• US Class Current: 455/570
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/23 using a replica of transmitted signal in the time domain, e.g. echo cancellers

Abstract

Programmable echo cancellation filter for echo signal cancellation for a transceiver having a signal input (13) for receiving the transmission signal emitted by the transceiver (1), an input resistor (36) connected to the signal input (13), an operational amplifier (39), whose signal input (38) is connected to the input resistor (36) and whose signal output (41) is connected to an output resistor (43), a first programmable resistor circuit (48), which is provided between the signal output (41) of the operational amplifier (39) and the signal input (38) of the operational amplifier, a second programmable resistor circuit (51), which is provided between the output resistor (43) and a signal output (15) of the echo cancellation filter (14), a third programmable resistor circuit (55) which is provided between the first programmable resistor circuit (48) and the signal output (15) of the echo cancellation filter (14), the programmable resistor circuits (48, 51, 55) each having a plurality of resistors (65) which are terminated in parallel and are connected to a first terminal (68) of an associated controllable switch (66), the controllable switches (66) having a second terminal (69) connected to a virtual reference voltage terminal with a very low voltage swing.

Claims

1. A programmable echo cancellation filter for echo signal cancellation for a transceiver, said filter comprising:

a signal output;

a signal input for receiving a transmission signal emitted by the transceiver;

an input resistor connected to the signal input;

an operational amplifier, having a signal input connected to the input resistor and having a signal output connected to an output resistor;

a first programmable resistor circuit provided between the signal output of the operational amplifier and the signal input of the operational amplifier;

a second programmable resistor circuit provided between the output resistor and the signal output;

a third programmable resistor circuit provided between the first programmable resistor circuit and the signal output;

the first, second, and third programmable resistor circuits each having a plurality of switching elements connected in parallel each switching element having a resistor and an associated controllable switch,

each controllable switch having a first terminal connected to the resistor and a second terminal connected to a virtual reference voltage terminal.

2. The programmable echo cancellation filter as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a control terminal associated with each of the controllable switches, of the programmable resistor circuit, the control terminal being connected via a control line to a control circuit for setting the resistance of the programmable resistor circuit.

3. The programmable echo cancellation filter as claimed in claim 2 wherein the control circuit comprises a DSP processor.

4. The programmable echo cancellation filter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controllable switches comprise MOSFET transistors having controllable gate terminals.

5. The programmable echo cancellation filter as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a capacitor connected to a low-impedance node.

6. The programmable echo cancellation filter as claimed in claim 1 wherein the controllable switches of the first programmable resistor circuit are connected to the signal input of the operational amplifier.

7. The programmable echo cancellation filter as claimed in claim 1, wherein, the controllable switches of the second programmable resistor circuit and the controllable switches of the third programmable resistor circuit are connected to the signal input of an operational amplifier of an automatic gain control circuit of the transceiver.

8. The programmable echo cancellation filter as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a supply voltage terminal for connection to a low supply voltage.

9. The programmable echo cancellation filter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the echo cancellation filter is of fully differential construction.

10. The programmable echo cancellation filter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the echo cancellation filter comprises a first-order analog low-pass filter.

11. The programmable echo cancellation filter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the echo cancellation filter comprises a higher order analog low-pass filter.

12. The programmable echo cancellation filter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the signal input is connected to a signal matching circuit for signal matching of the transmission signal.

13. The programmable echo cancellation filter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the signal output is connected to an automatic gain control circuit in a reception signal path of the transceiver.

14. The programmable echo cancellation filter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the resistors contained in the first, second and third programmable resistor circuits have weighted resistances.

15. The programmable echo cancellation filter as claimed in claim 1, wherein a first gain (H₁) of the echo cancellation filter is adjustable in a frequency range lying below a first cut-off frequency (f_U) and a second gain (H₂) of the echo cancellation filter is adjustable in a frequency range lying above a second cut-off frequency (f_O), by a control circuit.

16. The programmable echo cancellation filter as claimed in claim 15, wherein the first and second cut-off frequencies (f_U, f_O) of the echo cancellation filter are adjustable by the control circuit.

17. A transceiver for xDSL signals, the transceiver comprising a programmable echo cancellation filter as recited in claim 1.