Fully integrated micro-strip VCO

• US 8,005,437 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2007
• Issued: 08/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rofougaran, Ahmadreza
• Primary Examiner(s): Milord; Marceau
• Application Number:
  US11/762,907
• Publication Number:
  US 20100022204A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,531 Days
• Field of Search: 455/76, 455 80- 81, 455/86, 455/118, 455/126, 455/183.1, 455/182.1, 455/190.1, 455/180.3, 455/313, 455/323, 333/195, 333/193, 375/298
• US Class Current: 455/76
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73265 Layer and wire connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00012 Relevant to the scope of the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/181 Encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 1/20372 Hairpin resonators

Abstract

A radio transceiver device includes circuitry for radiating electromagnetic signals at a very high radio frequency both through space, as well as through wave guides that are formed within a substrate material. In one embodiment, the substrate comprises a dielectric substrate formed within a board, for example, a printed circuit board. In another embodiment of the invention, the wave guide is formed within a die of an integrated circuit radio transceiver. A plurality of transceivers with different functionality is defined. Substrate transceivers are operable to transmit through the wave guides, while local transceivers are operable to produce very short range wireless transmissions through space. A third and final transceiver is a typical wireless transceiver for communication with remote (non-local to the device) transceivers. Additionally, a multi-mode transceiver is operable to configure transmit and receive circuitry based upon transmission path.

Claims

1. A high frequency wireless integrated circuit transceiver, comprising:

digital circuitry operable to produce, receive and process ingoing and outgoing digital signals;

transceiver circuitry operable to transmit and receive radio frequency signals based on the outgoing and ingoing digital signals;

oscillation control circuitry operable to generate an oscillation control signal;

local oscillation generation circuitry operable to generate, based upon the oscillation control signal, a local oscillation to the transceiver circuitry, the local oscillation circuitry including a micro-strip filter sized to have a resonant frequency;

wherein the micro-strip filter includes a plurality of selectable tap points and a plurality of selectable capacitive elements, wherein a first combination of selectable micro-strip tap points and at least one selectable capacitive element provides a local oscillation used for a radio frequency that is less than 20 GHz and wherein a second combination of selectable micro-strip tap points and at least one selectable capacitive element provides a local oscillation used for a radio frequency that is greater than or equal to 20 GHz;

at least one antenna operably coupled to the front end transceiver circuitry and sized to transmit and receive very high radio frequency signals having a frequency that is at least 20 GHz antenna; and

wherein the digital circuitry, transceiver and oscillation control circuitry are formed on the same die.

2. The high frequency wireless integrated circuit transceiver of claim 1 wherein the at least one antenna is sized to transmit and receive radio frequency signals in the range of 50-65 GHz.

3. The high frequency wireless integrated circuit transceiver of claim 1 wherein the selectable capacitive elements provide coarse tuning of the resonant frequency.

4. The high frequency wireless integrated circuit transceiver of claim 1 wherein the local oscillation circuitry further includes an adjustable capacitive element to provide fine tuning of the resonant frequency.

5. The high frequency wireless integrated circuit transceiver of claim 1 wherein the plurality of selectable tap points are for coarse selection of the resonant frequency.

6. The high frequency wireless integrated circuit transceiver of claim 1 wherein the plurality of selectable tap points are for changing a wavelength of the local oscillation according to a target destination to create a standing wave at the target destination.

7. The high frequency wireless integrated circuit transceiver of claim 1 wherein the first combination supports communications at a first frequency to a remote transceiver and wherein the second combination supports communications with a local wireless transceiver.

8. The high frequency wireless integrated circuit transceiver of claim 7 wherein the at least one antenna is operable to support communications at the second frequency and is formed on-chip.

9. The high frequency wireless integrated circuit transceiver of claim 7 further including at least one off-chip antenna to support communications at the first frequency to the remote transceiver.

10. The high frequency wireless integrated circuit transceiver of claim 1 wherein the micro-strip filter is differential.

11. The high frequency wireless integrated circuit transceiver of claim 1 wherein the local oscillation generation circuitry provides a differential local oscillation.

12. The high frequency wireless integrated circuit transceiver of claim 1 further including transmit/receive selection circuitry also formed on the same die.

13. The high frequency wireless integrated circuit transceiver of claim 1 further including power amplification circuitry also formed on the same die.

14. The high frequency wireless integrated circuit transceiver of claim 1 wherein the transceiver generates a radio frequency signal without upconversion and is operable to produce at least one of a frequency modulated and an amplitude modulated signal.

15. A voltage controlled oscillator, comprising:

oscillation control circuitry operable to generate a differential oscillation control signal;

a differential micro-strip filter sized to have a resonant frequency, the micro-strip filter comprising a plurality of micro-strip resonators, the differential micro-strip filter comprising;

a plurality of selectable micro-strip tap points;

a plurality of selectable capacitive elements operably disposed across the micro-strip filter;

logic for tuning a resonant frequency of the differential micro-strip filter by generating control commands,

wherein a first combination of selectable micro-strip tap points and at least one selectable capacitive element provides a local oscillation used for a radio frequency that is less than 20 GHz and wherein a second combination of selectable micro-strip tap points and at least one selectable capacitive element provides a local oscillation used for a radio frequency that is greater than or equal to 20 GHz.

16. The voltage controlled oscillator of claim 15 further including:

an adjustable capacitive element to provide fine tuning of the resonant frequency; and

logic to provide a control signal to adjust a capacitance of the adjustable capacitive element.

17. The voltage controlled oscillator of claim 15 wherein the plurality of selectable micro-strip tap points are for coarse tuning of the resonant frequency.

18. The voltage controlled oscillator of claim 15 wherein the logic is also for selecting at least one micro-strip tap point wherein the differential oscillation control signal is produced at the selected at least one micro-strip tap point.

19. An integrated circuit radio transmitter, comprising:

digital circuitry operable to generate an oscillation control signal and a tap point selection signal;

switching logic coupled to receive the oscillation control signal and the tap point selection signal;

a micro-strip voltage controlled oscillator comprising a micro-strip filter comprising a plurality of micro-strip resonators and a plurality of tap points coupled to the switching logic wherein the switching logic produces the oscillation control signal to one of the tap points based upon the tap point selection signal;

wherein a first combination of tap points and micro-strip resonators provides a local oscillation used for a radio frequency that is less 20 GHz and wherein a second combination of points and micro-strip resonators provides a local oscillation used for a radio frequency that is greater than or equal to 20 GHz; and

an antenna connected directly to the micro-strip voltage controlled oscillator wherein a generated continuous waveform signal is produced for transmission.

20. The transmitter of claim 19 wherein the micro-strip voltage controlled oscillator is operable to produce one of a first and a second oscillation frequency based upon a selected tap point.

21. The transmitter of claim 19 wherein the micro-strip voltage controlled oscillator is operable to produce an oscillation having a plurality of wavelengths based upon the selected tap point.