Simplified high frequency tuner and tuning method
DCFirst Claim
1. A tuning method comprising:
- (a) receiving a channel of interest from a channelized spectrum having a predetermined channel spacing;
(b) frequency translating the channel of interest, by mixing with a local oscillator signal having a frequency that is one of a set of local oscillator frequencies, to within a near-baseband passband that has a maximum bandwidth that is about the channel spacing; and
(c) dynamically varying the passband bandwidth.
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Abstract
A disclosed method tunes a signal from a channelized spectrum having a predetermined channel spacing. A signal of interest having a predetermined maximum bandwidth is mixed with a local oscillator signal, which has a frequency that is an integer multiple of the channel spacing or one-half of a channel spacing displaced from an integer multiple of the channel spacing. The local oscillator signal is selected to frequency translate the signal of interest to within a near-baseband passband whose lower edge is spaced from DC by at least about the maximum bandwidth of the signal of interest. Problems associated with 1/f noise, DC offsets, and self-mixing products are avoided or substantially diminished. Other methods and systems are also disclosed.
113 Citations
67 Claims
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1. A tuning method comprising:
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(a) receiving a channel of interest from a channelized spectrum having a predetermined channel spacing; (b) frequency translating the channel of interest, by mixing with a local oscillator signal having a frequency that is one of a set of local oscillator frequencies, to within a near-baseband passband that has a maximum bandwidth that is about the channel spacing; and (c) dynamically varying the passband bandwidth. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A tuning method comprising:
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(a) receiving a channel of interest from a channelized spectrum having a predetermined channel spacing; (b) frequency translating the channel of interest, by mixing it with a local oscillator signal having a frequency that is one of a set of local oscillator frequencies, to within a passband that is near baseband and the lower edge of which is spaced from DC by at least about the channel spacing and that has a bandwidth that is about the channel spacing plus a fine tuning adjustment; and (c) fine tuning the channel of interest by passing a selected range of bandpass frequencies. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A tuning method comprising:
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(a) receiving a channel of interest from a channelized spectrum having predetermined channel spacing; (b) frequency translating the channel of interest by mixing it with a local oscillator signal having a frequency that is one of a set of local oscillator frequencies, to within a near-baseband passband that has a bandwidth that is about the channel spacing plus a fine tuning adjustment; and (c) fine tuning the channel of interest by digitally controlled variable bandpass filtering to pass a selected range of passband frequencies. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. An apparatus for tuning, from a channelized spectrum having a predetermined channel spacing, a channel of interest, the apparatus comprising:
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(a) a local oscillator configured to generate a local oscillator signal; (b) a mixer responsive to the local oscillator signal and the channel of interest, wherein the mixer frequency-translates the channel of interest; (c) a filter configured to define a near-baseband passband; and (d) a variable bandpass filter responsive to control inputs and configured to fine-tune the channel of interest by passing a range of frequencies within the near-baseband passband; (e) wherein the frequency-translated channel of interest falls within the near-baseband passband. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A tuning method comprising:
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(a) receiving a channel of interest from a channelized spectrum having a predetermined channel spacing; (b) frequency translating the channel of interest by mixing with a first local oscillator signal having a frequency that is one of a set of local oscillator frequencies, to within a near-baseband passband that has a bandwidth that is about the channel spacing; and (c) further translating the frequency-translated channel of interest by mixing the frequency-translated channel of interest with a second local oscillator signal. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. Apparatus for tuning, from a channelized spectrum having a predetermined channel spacing, a channel of interest, the apparatus comprising:
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(a) a first local oscillator configured to generate a first local oscillator signal; (b) a filter configured to define a near-baseband passband; (c) a first mixer, responsive to the first local oscillator signal and the channel of interest, that frequency-translates the channel of interest to within the near-baseband passband; (d) a variable bandpass filter responsive to control inputs and configured to vary the width of the near-baseband passband; and (e) a baseband translator configured to translate the frequency-translated channel of interest to baseband. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55)
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56. A tuning method comprising:
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(a) mixing a signal of interest from a channelized spectrum having a predetermined channel spacing with a first local oscillator signal that is coarse-tunable across the channelized spectrum with a step size that is an integer multiple of the channel spacing, having a first frequency that is selected to frequency translate the channel of interest to within a passband defined with reference to a lower frequency Fl and an upper frequency F2, wherein F1=F2−
F1 and F1 is at least about the maximum bandwidth of the signal of interest; and(b) mixing the signal of interest with a second local oscillator signal having the first frequency and being approximately in quadrature with the first local oscillator signal; (c) wherein the signal of interest lies within one of an upper high frequency spectrum of interest and a lower high frequency spectrum of interest and the method further comprises providing spectrum coverage within one of the high frequency spectra of interest and not the other. - View Dependent Claims (57, 58, 59)
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60. Apparatus for tuning, from a channelized spectrum having a predetermined channel spacing, a signal of interest, the apparatus comprising:
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(a) a local oscillator configured to generate an approximately quadrature local oscillator signal that is coarse-tunable across the channelized spectrum with a step size that is an integer multiple of the channel spacing; and (b) a quadrature mixer responsive to the local oscillator signal and the signal of interest, wherein the mixer frequency translates the signal of interest to within a passband defined with reference to a lower frequency Fl and an upper frequency F2, wherein F1=F2−
F1 and F1 is at least about the maximum bandwidth of the signal of interest;(c) wherein the signal of interest lies within one of an upper high frequency spectrum of interest and a lower high frequency spectrum of interest, and the apparatus provides spectrum coverage within one of the high frequency spectra of interest and not the other. - View Dependent Claims (61)
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62. Apparatus for tuning, from a channelized spectrum having a predetermined channel spacing, a signal of interest, the apparatus comprising:
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(a) a local oscillator configured to generate approximately quadrature local oscillator signals; and (b) mixers responsive to the local oscillator signals and the signal of interest, wherein the mixers frequency translate the signal of interest to within a near-baseband passband that is spaced from DC by about the passband width; (c) wherein the local oscillator signals have a frequency that dynamically tracks frequency movement of the signal of interest; (d) the signal of interest lies within one of an upper high frequency spectrum of interest and a lower high frequency spectrum of interest and spectrum coverage is provided within one of the high frequency spectra of interest and not the other. - View Dependent Claims (63, 64, 65, 66, 67)
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Specification