Wireless transceiver and method of operating the same

• US 20050245210A1
• Filed: 04/29/2004
• Published: 11/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: North Star Innovations Inc. (Wi-LAN Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: McCorkle, John W., Hidalgo, Fernando N., Hyunh, Phuong T.
• Granted Patent: US 7,324,790 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/107
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/44 Transmit/receive switching

Abstract

A transceiver 400 is provided in an ultrawide bandwidth device, which includes an antenna 110, a transmitter circuit 145, and a receiver circuit 165. A transmitter amplifier 440 is provided between the antenna 110 and the transmitter circuit 145, and is configured to have an operational transmitter output impedance when the transceiver 400 is in a transmit mode and an isolation transmitter output impedance when the transceiver 400 is in a receive mode. A receiver amplifier 460 is provided between the antenna 110 and the receiver circuit 165, and is configured to have an operational receiver input impedance when the transceiver 400 is in a receive mode and an isolation receiver input impedance when the transceiver 400 is in a transmit mode. The isolation transmitter output impedance is greater than the operational receiver input impedance, and the isolation receiver input impedance is greater than the operational transmitter output impedance. Thus, a transmitter and receiver can be isolated without using a transmit/receive switch.

Claims

1. A transceiver for use in a wireless device, comprising:

an antenna;

a transmitter circuit configured to generate a wireless signal for transmission;

a transmitter amplifier connected between the antenna and the transmitter circuit, the transmitter amplifier configured to have an operational transmitter output impedance when the transceiver is in a transmit mode and an isolation transmitter output impedance when the transceiver is in a receive mode;

a receiver circuit configured to receive and process a wireless signal received at the antenna;

a receiver amplifier connected between the antenna and the receiver circuit, the receiver amplifier configured to have an operational receiver input impedance when the transceiver is in a receive mode and an isolation receiver input impedance when the transceiver is in a transmit mode,

wherein the isolation transmitter output impedance is greater than the operational receiver input impedance, and

wherein the isolation receiver input impedance is greater than the operational transmitter output impedance.

2. A transceiver for use in a wireless device, as recited in claim 1, wherein the isolation transmitter output impedance is at least one hundred times the operational receiver input impedance.

3. A transceiver for use in a wireless device, as recited in claim 1, wherein the operational receiver input impedance is between 30 ohms and 75 ohms.

4. A transceiver for use in a wireless device, as recited in claim 1, wherein the isolation receiver input impedance is at least one hundred times the operational transmitter output impedance.

5. A transceiver for use in a wireless device, as recited in claim 1, wherein the operational transmitter output impedance is between 1 ohm and 10 ohms.

6. A transceiver for use in a wireless device, as recited in claim 1, wherein the receiver amplifier further comprises:

a first transistor having a control terminal connected to a first node, a first terminal connected to a second node, and a second terminal connected to a third node;

a current source for providing a reference current to the first transistor;

a first resistor connected between the second node and the first node for providing a bias voltage to the control terminal;

a second resistor connected between the second node and a first reference voltage;

a first switch connected between the third terminal and ground; and

a second switch connected between the third terminal and a second reference voltage,

wherein the current source is turned on when a control signal has a first value and is turned off when the control signal has a second value,

wherein the first switch is closed when the control signal has the first value and is open when the control signal has the second value, and

wherein the second switch is open when the control signal has the first value and is closed when the control signal has the second value.

7. A transceiver for use in a wireless device, as recited in claim 6, wherein the first and the second reference voltages are the same.

8. A transceiver for use in a wireless device, as recited in claim 6, further comprising:

a first capacitor between the first node and an input node; and

a second capacitor between the second node and an output node.

9. A transceiver for use in a wireless device, as recited in claim 6,

wherein the first switch comprises a second transistor, and

wherein the second switch comprises a third transistor.

10. A transceiver for use in a wireless device, as recited in claim 6, further comprising an inductor connected in series with the second resistor between the second node and the reference current.

11. A transceiver for use in a wireless device, as recited in claim 1, wherein the transmitter amplifier further comprises:

a driver transistor having a driver control terminal connected to a first node, a first driver terminal connected to a second node, and a second driver terminal connected to ground;

an amplifier transistor having an amplifier control terminal connected to the second node, a first amplifier terminal connected to a first reference voltage, and a second amplifier terminal connected to a third node;

a first resistor connected between a bias voltage and the first node;

a second resistor connected between the second node and a third reference voltage;

a third resistor connected between the third node and a third reference voltage, the third resistor having a value greater than 1000 ohms; and

a current source for providing a reference current to the second transistor, wherein the current source is turned on when a control signal has a first value and is turned off when the control signal has a second value.

12. A transceiver for use in a wireless device, as recited in claim 11, further comprising:

a first capacitor between the first node and an input node; and

a second capacitor between the second node and an output node.

13. A transceiver for use in a wireless device, as recited in claim 1, wherein the wireless device is an ultrawide bandwidth device.

14. A transceiver amplifier, comprising:

a first transistor having a control terminal connected to a first node, a first terminal connected to a second node, and a second terminal connected to a third node;

a current source for providing a reference current to the first transistor;

a first resistor connected between the second node and the first node for providing a bias voltage to the control terminal;

a second resistor connected between the second node and a reference voltage;

a first switch connected between the third terminal and ground; and

a second switch connected between the third terminal and the reference voltage;

wherein the current source is turned on when a control signal has a first value and is turned off when the control signal has a second value,

wherein the first switch is closed when the control signal has the first value and is open when the control signal has the second value, and

wherein the second switch is open when the control signal has the first value and is closed when the control signal has the second value.

15. A transceiver amplifier, as recited in claim 14, wherein the first transistor is a bipolar transistor, the control terminal is a base terminal of the bipolar transistor, the first terminal is a collector for the bipolar transistor, and the second terminal is an emitter for the bipolar transistor.

16. A transceiver amplifier, as recited in claim 14,

wherein the first switch comprises a second transistor, and

wherein the second switch comprises a third transistor.

17. A transceiver amplifier, as recited in claim 14, further comprising an inductor connected in series with the second resistor between the second node and the reference current.

18. A transceiver amplifier, as recited in claim 14, wherein the current source is connected between the second resistor and the reference voltage.

19. A transceiver amplifier, as recited in claim 14,

wherein the first value is one of a high signal value and a low signal value,

wherein the second value is one of the high signal value and the low signal value, and

wherein the first value and the second value are different.

20. A transceiver amplifier, as recited in claim 14, further comprising:

a first capacitor between the first node and an input node; and

a second capacitor between the second node and an output node.

21. A method of operating a transceiver having a transmitter portion and a receiver portion, the method comprising:

determining whether the transceiver is in a transmit mode or a receive mode;

setting an actual receiver input impedance for the receiver portion to an operational receiver input impedance if the transceiver is determined to be in the receive mode;

setting an actual transmitter output impedance for the transmitter portion to an isolation transmitter output impedance if the transceiver is determined to be in the receive mode;

setting an actual receiver input impedance for the receiver portion to an isolation receiver input impedance if the transceiver is determined to be in a transmit mode; and

setting an actual transmitter output impedance for the transmitter portion to an operational transmitter output impedance if the transceiver is determined to be in the transmit mode,

wherein the isolation receiver input impedance is greater than the operational transmitter output impedance, and

wherein the isolation transmitter output impedance is greater than the operational receiver input impedance.

22. A method of operating a transceiver, as recited in claim 21, wherein the step of determining whether the transceiver is in a transmit mode or a receive mode is performed by examining a value of a mode control signal.