Digital variable gain mixer
First Claim
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1. A method comprising:
- controlling a gain of a mixer to provide a range of selected power output levels from the mixer using a first control scheme for a low portion of the range and using a second control scheme for a high portion of the range; and
upconverting incoming baseband signals in the mixer to a transmission frequency and outputting transmission signals from the mixer at the selected power output level, wherein the first control scheme comprises controlling a current density of the incoming baseband signals coupled to one or more mixer slices, and the second control scheme comprises coupling the incoming baseband signals to additional mixer slices at a fixed current density.
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Abstract
A method includes controlling a mixer gain to provide a range of selected power output levels from the mixer using a first control scheme for a low portion of the range and using a second control scheme for a high portion of the range. Using the selected mixer gain, incoming baseband signals may be upconverted in the mixer to a transmission frequency and output from the mixer at the selected power output level.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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controlling a gain of a mixer to provide a range of selected power output levels from the mixer using a first control scheme for a low portion of the range and using a second control scheme for a high portion of the range; and upconverting incoming baseband signals in the mixer to a transmission frequency and outputting transmission signals from the mixer at the selected power output level, wherein the first control scheme comprises controlling a current density of the incoming baseband signals coupled to one or more mixer slices, and the second control scheme comprises coupling the incoming baseband signals to additional mixer slices at a fixed current density. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. An apparatus comprising:
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a current density controller to receive an incoming baseband signal and to adjust a current density level of the incoming baseband signal under digital control; a mixer coupled to the current density controller, the mixer including a plurality of slices each capable of receiving the incoming baseband signal at the current density level when enabled, wherein the plurality of slices are individually enabled under the digital control; and a decoder coupled to receive control information and provide the digital control to the current density controller and the mixer. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A mixer comprising:
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a first slice having a first pair of buffers to receive local oscillator (LO) signals of different polarities, a first pair of switches to receive and pass tail currents of different polarities, and a first mixer circuit to mix the LO signals with the tail currents; and a second slice having a second pair of buffers to receive the LO signals, a second pair of switches to receive and pass the tail currents, and a second mixer circuit to mix the LO signals with the tail currents, wherein the second slice comprises a mirror image of the first slice with respect to a first axis. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A system comprising:
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a transceiver having an interface to receive a plurality of inputs including baseband data from a processor, the transceiver including a mixer to mix the baseband data with a radio frequency (RF) signal to provide a plurality of RF outputs, wherein the mixer is digitally controlled to provide the plurality of RF outputs with a variable gain; a power amplifier coupled to the transceiver to receive the plurality of RF outputs; an antenna switch to receive the plurality of RF outputs; and an antenna coupled to an antenna switch and the power amplifier to transmit and receive information; wherein the transceiver further comprises a current density controller to vary a current density level of the baseband data in a low range of the variable gain and to fix the current density level at a maximum value in a high range of the variable gain. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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Specification