Simplified high frequency tuner and tuning method
First Claim
1. A tuning method comprising:
- (a) mixing a channel of interest from a channelized spectrum having a predetermined channel spacing with a first local oscillator signal;
(b) wherein the first local oscillator signal has a first frequency that is (1) one-half of a channel spacing displaced from an integer multiple of the channel spacing, and (2) selected to frequency translate the channel of interest to within a passband whose lower edge is spaced from DC by about the channel spacing and whose width is about the channel spacing.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
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.
96 Citations
65 Claims
-
1. A tuning method comprising:
-
(a) mixing a channel of interest from a channelized spectrum having a predetermined channel spacing with a first local oscillator signal; (b) wherein the first local oscillator signal has a first frequency that is (1) one-half of a channel spacing displaced from an integer multiple of the channel spacing, and (2) selected to frequency translate the channel of interest to within a passband whose lower edge is spaced from DC by about the channel spacing and whose width is about the channel spacing. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
-
-
5. Apparatus for tuning, from a channelized spectrum having a predetermined channel spacing, a channel of interest, the apparatus comprising:
-
(a) a local oscillator configured to generate a local oscillator signal at a first frequency that is one half of the channel spacing displaced from an integer multiple of the channel spacing; and (b) a mixer responsive to the local oscillator signal and the channel of interest, wherein the mixer frequency translates the channel of interest; (c) wherein the frequency-translated channel of interest falls within a passband that is about a channel spacing wide and that is spaced from DC by a frequency offset of about the channel spacing. - View Dependent Claims (6)
-
-
7. A tuning method comprising:
-
(a) mixing a channel of interest from a channelized spectrum with a first local oscillator signal; and (b) filtering the mixed signal to define a near-baseband passband that is (1) sized to fit one channel spacing, and (2) has a lower edge spaced from DC by about an integer multiple of the channel spacing or a half-channel-spacing displaced from about an integer multiple of the channel spacing. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
-
-
19. A method for tuning a channel of interest, comprising:
-
(a) receiving a channel of interest from a channelized spectrum having a predetermined channel spacing, wherein the channel of interest has a predetermined maximum bandwidth less than the channel spacing; (b) producing I and Q signals in approximate quadrature relation by mixing the channel of interest with an approximately quadrature local oscillator signal having a first frequency that is one-half of a channel spacing displaced from an integer multiple of the channel spacing; (c) defining a near-baseband passband whose lower edge is spaced from DC by an integer multiple of the channel spacing, by passband filtering the I and Q signals. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
-
-
23. A method for tuning a channel from a channelized spectrum having predetermined channel spacing, the method comprising:
-
(a) mixing a channel of interest with a first local oscillator signal; (b) wherein the first local oscillator signal has a first frequency that (1) is an integer multiple of the channel spacing and (2) is selected to frequency translate the channel of interest to within a near-baseband passband whose lower edge is spaced from DC by at least about the channel spacing. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
-
-
29. Apparatus for tuning, from a channelized spectrum having a predetermined channel spacing, a channel of interest, the apparatus comprising:
-
(a) a local oscillator configured to generate a local oscillator signal at a frequency that is an integer multiple of the channel spacing; and (b) a mixer responsive to the local oscillator signal and the channel of interest, wherein the mixer frequency translates the channel of interest; (c) wherein the frequency-translated channel of interest falls within a near-baseband passband spaced from DC by a frequency offset of at least about the channel spacing. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
-
-
36. A tuning method comprising:
-
(a) defining a passband that is approximately a channel spacing wide, the lower edge of which is situated near baseband but spaced from DC by approximately an integer multiple of channel spacing or approximately a half-channel displaced from an integer multiple of channel spacing; and (b) frequency translating, with one local oscillator frequency of a set of local oscillator frequencies, a channel of interest from a channelized spectrum having a predetermined channel spacing, such that the center frequency of the frequency-translated channel of interest falls within the passband. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
-
-
49. A tuning method comprising:
-
(a) defining a passband that is approximately a channel spacing wide, the lower edge of which is near baseband but spaced from DC by at least about a channel spacing; and (b) frequency translating, with one local oscillator frequency of a set of local oscillator frequencies, a channel of interest from a channelized spectrum having a predetermined channel spacing, such that the center frequency of the frequency-translated channel of interest falls within the passband. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61)
-
-
62. A method for tuning a signal from a channelized spectrum having a predetermined channel spacing, the method comprising:
-
(a) mixing a signal of interest having a predetermined maximum bandwidth with a first local oscillator signal; 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 first local oscillator signal has a frequency that is (1) one-half of a channel spacing displaced from an integer multiple of the channel spacing and (2) 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; and (d) the near-baseband passband is defined with reference to a lower frequency F1 and an upper frequency F2, wherein F1=F2−
F1;whereby problems associated with 1/f noise, DC offsets, and self-mixing products are avoided or substantially diminished. - View Dependent Claims (63)
-
-
64. Apparatus for tuning, from a channelized spectrum having a predetermined channel spacing, a signal of interest having a predetermined maximum bandwidth, the apparatus comprising:
-
(a) a local oscillator configured to generate a local oscillator signal at a frequency that is one-half of a channel spacing displaced from an integer multiple of the channel spacing; (b) a mixer responsive to the local oscillator signal and the signal of interest, wherein the mixer frequency translates the signal of interest; (c) a second local oscillator configured to generate a second local oscillator signal having the first frequency and being approximately in quadrature with the first local oscillator signal; and (d) a second mixer responsive to the second local oscillator signal and the signal of interest; (e) the frequency-translated signal of interest falls within a near-baseband passband spaced from DC by a frequency offset of at least about the maximum bandwidth of the signal of interest; and (f) the near-baseband passband is defined with reference to a lower frequency F1 and an upper frequency F2, wherein F1=F2−
F1;whereby problems associated with 1/f noise, DC offsets, and self-mixing products are avoided or substantially diminished. - View Dependent Claims (65)
-
Specification