Subsampling communication receiver architecture with relaxed IFA readout timing
First Claim
1. An apparatus for downconverting a first periodic voltage waveform into a second periodic voltage waveform, comprising:
- an input for receiving the first voltage waveform;
a sampler coupled to said input for obtaining from the first voltage waveform a plurality of temporally distinct samples respectively indicative of areas under corresponding fractional-cycles of the first voltage waveform; and
a combiner coupled to said sampler for combining the samples to produce the second voltage waveform, including a drive amplifier for driving the second voltage waveform, and a switching apparatus connected between said sampler and said drive amplifier for connecting said sampler to said drive amplifier during temporally separated readout time intervals, said switching apparatus operable while said sampler is obtaining said samples for disconnecting said sampler from said drive amplifier to create between adjacent pairs of said readout time intervals respective idle time intervals that permit adjustment of said drive amplifier without losing information in the first voltage waveform.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A first periodic voltage waveform (20) is downconverted into a second periodic voltage waveform (35, 36). A plurality of temporally distinct samples (SA1, SA2, . . . ) respectively indicative of areas under corresponding fractional-cycles of the first voltage waveform are obtained. The samples are combined to produce the second voltage waveform, and are also manipulated to implement a filtering operation such that the second voltage waveform represents a downconverted, filtered version of the first voltage waveform. The second waveform is driven by an amplifier stage (25), and the second waveform can be advantageously constructed so as to permit the amplifier stage to perform internal resets, offset corrections and other ancillary amplifier stage adjustments without losing information in the first waveform.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. An apparatus for downconverting a first periodic voltage waveform into a second periodic voltage waveform, comprising:
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an input for receiving the first voltage waveform;
a sampler coupled to said input for obtaining from the first voltage waveform a plurality of temporally distinct samples respectively indicative of areas under corresponding fractional-cycles of the first voltage waveform; and
a combiner coupled to said sampler for combining the samples to produce the second voltage waveform, including a drive amplifier for driving the second voltage waveform, and a switching apparatus connected between said sampler and said drive amplifier for connecting said sampler to said drive amplifier during temporally separated readout time intervals, said switching apparatus operable while said sampler is obtaining said samples for disconnecting said sampler from said drive amplifier to create between adjacent pairs of said readout time intervals respective idle time intervals that permit adjustment of said drive amplifier without losing information in the first voltage waveform. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 26)
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20. A communication receiving apparatus, comprising:
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an input for receiving a communication signal formed as a first periodic voltage waveform;
a mixer coupled to said input for downconverting the first periodic voltage waveform into a second periodic voltage waveform, including a sampler coupled to said input for obtaining from the first voltage waveform a plurality of temporally distinct samples respectively indicative of areas under corresponding fractional-cycles of the first voltage waveform, and a combiner coupled to said sampler for combining the samples to produce the second voltage waveform;
said combiner including a drive amplifier for driving the second voltage waveform, and a switching apparatus connected between said sampler and said drive amplifier for connecting said sampler to said drive amplifier during temporally separated readout time intervals, said switching apparatus operable while said sampler is obtaining said samples for disconnecting said sampler from said drive amplifier to create between adjacent pairs of said readout time intervals respective idle time intervals that permit adjustment of said drive amplifier without losing information in the first voltage waveform; and
a signal processing portion coupled to said drive amplifier for receiving and processing the second voltage waveform. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification