Integrated receiver and integrated circuit having integrated inductors and method therefor

• US 8,983,419 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2014
• Issued: 03/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Khoini-Poorfard, Ramin, Piovaccari, Alessandro, Rafi, Aslamali A., Koroglu, Mustafa H., Trager, David S., Coban, Abdulkerim L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hernandez, William
• Application Number:
  US14/195,064
• Publication Number:
  US 20140176806A1
• Time in Patent Office: 379 Days
• Field of Search: 455/255, 455/256, 455/266, 455/337, 455/339, 455/340
• US Class Current: 455/266
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 11/04 Frequency selective two-port networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/28 the receiver comprising at least one semiconductor device having three or more electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/30 for homodyne or synchrodyne receivers demodulator circuits H03D1/22
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/148 using filters, including PLL-type filters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/455 Demodulation-circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/50 Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control

Abstract

An integrated receiver includes a first signal processing path, a second signal processing path, and a controller. The first signal processing path has an input and an output for providing a first processed signal, and comprises a first tracking bandpass filter having a first integrated inductor formed with windings in a first number of metal layers of the integrated receiver. The second signal processing path has an input and an output for providing a second processed signal, and comprises a second tracking bandpass filter having a second integrated inductor formed with windings in a second number of metal layers of the integrated receiver. The second number of windings is lower than the first number. The controller enables one of the first and second signal processing paths corresponding to a selected channel of a radio frequency (RF) input signal to provide an output signal.

Claims

1. An integrated receiver comprising:

a first signal processing path having an input, and an output for providing a first processed signal, and comprising a first tracking bandpass filter having a first integrated inductor, said first integrated inductor formed with windings in a first number of metal layers of the integrated receiver;

a second signal processing path having an input, and an output for providing a second processed signal, and comprising a second tracking bandpass filter having a second integrated inductor, said second integrated inductor formed with windings in a second number of metal layers of the integrated receiver, said second number lower than said first number; and

a controller for enabling one of said first and second signal processing paths corresponding to a selected channel of a radio frequency (RF) input signal to provide an output signal,

wherein said controller, said first integrated inductor, and said second integrated inductor are formed on a single integrated circuit chip.

2. The integrated receiver of claim 1, wherein said first integrated inductor comprises windings in both a first metal layer and a second metal layer, and said second integrated inductor comprises windings in only said first metal layer.

3. The integrated receiver of claim 1, wherein said first integrated inductor occupies a predetermined planar footprint and said second integrated inductor occupies said predetermined planar footprint.

4. The integrated receiver of claim 1, wherein said controller enables said first signal processing path to tune a first sub-band of a spectrum and said controller enables said second signal processing path to tune a second sub-band of said spectrum covering frequencies higher than said first sub-band.

5. The integrated receiver of claim 4, wherein said spectrum comprises a broadcast television spectrum.

6. The integrated receiver of claim 4, further comprising a plurality of additional signal processing paths corresponding to different sub-bands of said spectrum and having corresponding integrated inductors.

7. The integrated receiver of claim 6, wherein said first integrated inductor is formed in at least three metal layers, said corresponding integrated inductor of said one of said additional signal processing paths is formed in windings of fewer metal layers than said first integrated inductor, and said second integrated inductor is formed in fewer metal layers than said corresponding integrated inductor of said one of said additional signal processing paths.

8. The integrated receiver of claim 1, wherein said first signal processing path further comprises:

a tracking bandpass filter having an input forming said input of said first signal processing path, a tuning input coupled to said controller, and an output, and comprising said first integrated inductor in parallel with a tunable capacitor having a capacitance corresponding to said tuning input; and

a mixer having a signal input coupled to said output of said tracking bandpass filter, a local oscillator input for receiving a local oscillator signal, and an output for providing a converted RF signal.

9. The integrated receiver of claim 1, further comprising:

an input section having an input for receiving said RF input signal, and an output coupled to said inputs of said first and second signal processing paths.

10. The integrated receiver of claim 9, wherein:

said controller further has an output coupled to said input section for providing a gain control signal to control a gain of said RF input signal.

11. An integrated circuit comprising:

a first integrated inductor having a predetermined planar footprint and having first and second terminals, said first integrated inductor formed with windings in a first number of metal layers of the integrated circuit;

a second integrated inductor occupying substantially said predetermined planar footprint and having first and second terminals, said second integrated inductor formed with windings in a second number of metal layers of the integrated circuit, said second number lower than said first number;

a first signal processing circuit including said first integrated inductor; and

a second signal processing circuit having substantially the same function as said first signal processing circuit and including said second integrated inductor.

12. The integrated circuit of claim 11, wherein said first integrated inductor comprises windings in both a first metal layer and a second metal layer, and said second integrated inductor comprises windings in only said first metal layer.

13. The integrated circuit of claim 11, wherein each of said first and second signal processing circuits comprises a tracking bandpass filter formed by a respective one of said first and second integrated inductors.

14. The integrated circuit of claim 11, wherein said first integrated inductor has a greater number of windings than said second integrated inductor, and said second integrated inductor has a greater winding width than said first integrated inductor.

15. The integrated circuit of claim 11, wherein said first metal layer comprises a top metal layer.

16. The integrated circuit of claim 11, wherein said first integrated inductor includes windings in more than two metal layers.

17. A method comprising:

selectively processing a radio frequency (RF) input signal in a first signal processing path having a first integrated inductor formed with windings in a first number of metal layers of an integrated wideband receiver;

selectively processing said RF input signal in a second signal processing path having a second integrated inductor formed with windings formed with windings in a second number of metal layers of said integrated wideband receiver, said second number lower than said first number; and

enabling one of said first and second signal processing paths corresponding to a selected channel of said RF input signal to provide an output signal.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving a channel selection input;

processing said RF input signal in said first signal processing path to tune a first sub-band of a spectrum in response to said channel selection input; and

processing said RF input signal in said second signal processing path to tune a second sub-band of said spectrum in response to said channel selection input.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein said selectively processing said RF input signal in said first signal processing path comprises:

filtering said RF input signal in said first signal processing path by changing a value of a variable capacitor coupled in parallel to said first integrated inductor to form a filtered signal.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said selectively processing said RF input signal in said first signal processing path further comprises:

mixing said filtered signal with a local oscillator signal selected according to said selected channel.