Simplified high frequency tuner and tuning method
DCFirst 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) mixing the channel 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 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;
(d) the channel of interest has a predetermined maximum bandwidth less than the channel spacing;
(e) the channel of interest lies within one of an upper high frequency spectrum of interest and a lower high frequency spectrum of interest; and
(f) the method further comprises providing spectrum coverage within one of the high frequency spectra of interest and not the other.
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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.
116 Citations
71 Claims
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1. A tuning method comprising:
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(a) mixing a channel of interest from a channelized spectrum having a predetermined channel spacing with a first local oscillator signal; (b) mixing the channel 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 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; (d) the channel of interest has a predetermined maximum bandwidth less than the channel spacing; (e) the channel of interest lies within one of an upper high frequency spectrum of interest and a lower high frequency spectrum of interest; and (f) the method further comprises providing spectrum coverage within one of the high frequency spectra of interest and not the other. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A tuning method comprising:
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(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; (c) the channel of interest lies within one of an upper high frequency spectrum of interest and a lower high frequency spectrum of interest; and (d) the method further comprises providing spectrum coverage within one of the high frequency spectra of interest and not the other. - View Dependent Claims (5)
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6. Apparatus turning, from a channelized spectrum having a predetermined channel spacing, a channel of interest, the apparatus comprising:
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(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) 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 channel of interest, wherein (1) the channel of interest lies within one of an upper high frequency spectrum of interest and a lower high frequency spectrum of interest, and (2) the apparatus provides spectrum coverage within one of the high frequency spectra of interest and not the other; (e) 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; and (f) the channel of interest has a predetermined maximum bandwidth less than the channel spacing.
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7. Apparatus for tuning, from a channelized spectrum having a predetermined channel spacing, a channel of interest, the apparatus comprising:
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(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; (b) a mixer responsive to the local oscillator signal and the channel of interest, wherein the mixer frequency translates the channel of interest; and (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; (d) 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 (8)
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9. Apparatus for tuning, from a channelized spectrum having a predetermined channel spacing, a channel of interest, the apparatus comprising:
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(a) a local oscillator configured to generate a first local oscillator signal at a first frequency that is an integer multiple of the channel spacing and a second local oscillator signal having the first frequency and being approximately in quadrature with the first local oscillator signal; and (b) a pair of mixers, each responsive to (1) a respective one of the local oscillator signals and (2) the channel of interest, wherein the mixers frequency translate 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 (10, 11, 12, 48)
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13. A method for tuning a channelized signal of interest from within a channelized spectrum, the method comprising:
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(a) splitting an incoming signal into two signal paths; (b) generating an approximately quadrature local oscillator signal from a local oscillator that is coarse-tunable across the channelized spectrum with a step size that is an integer multiple of the channel spacing; (c) quadrature mixing the split incoming signal with the local oscillator signal, thereby; (1) frequency translating to a near-baseband passband an upper high frequency spectrum of interest from above the frequency of the local oscillator signal and a lower high frequency spectrum of interest from below the frequency of the local oscillator signal, the near-baseband passband being spaced from DC by at least about the channel spacing; and (2) producing I and Q signals in approximate quadrature relation; (d) limiting the frequency spectrum of the I and Q signals, wherein spectrum coverage is provided of a selected one of the high frequency spectra of interest and analog processing of signals at or close to DC is avoided; and (e) repeating (a) through (d) in turn for a plurality of local oscillator frequencies, wherein high frequency spectra of interest tunable with the local oscillator frequencies of the plurality are interspersed among local oscillator frequencies of the plurality within the channelized spectrum. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 35)
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26. Apparatus for tuning a channelized signal of interest from within a channelized spectrum having a predetermined channel spacing, the apparatus comprising:
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(a) an RF amplifier responsive to an incoming signal; (b) a local oscillator that is coarse-tunable across the channelized spectrum with a step size that is an integer multiple of the channel spacing to a plurality of local oscillator frequencies; (c) first and second filters defining a near-baseband passband spaced from DC by about an integer multiple of the channel spacing; (d) first and second mixers, responsive to an amplified signal from the RF amplifier and an approximately quadrature local oscillator signal from the local oscillator, frequency translating to the near-baseband passband (1) an upper high frequency spectrum of interest from above the frequency of the local oscillator signal, and (2) a lower high frequency spectrum of interest from below the frequency of the local oscillator signal; and (e) a selector structured to select one of the high frequency spectra of interest. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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36. A tuning method comprising:
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(a) mixing a channel of interest from a channelized spectrum with a first local oscillator signal; (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; (c) splitting the incoming signal into two signal paths; and (d) quadrature mixing the split incoming signal with the first local oscillator signal and a second local oscillator signal approximately in quadrature with the first local oscillator signal. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39)
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40. A method for tuning a channel of interest, comprising:
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(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 with an approximately quadrature local oscillator signal having a first frequency that is an integer multiple of the channel spacing; and (c) defining a near-baseband passband whose lower edge is spaced from DC by at least about the channel spacing, by passband filtering the I and Q signals. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43)
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44. A method for tuning a channel of interest, comprising:
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(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; and (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 (45, 46, 47)
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49. A method for tuning a channel from a channelized spectrum having predetermined channel spacing, the method comprising:
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(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; and (c) the method further comprises mixing the channel of interest with a second local oscillator signal having the first frequency and being approximately in quadrature with the first local oscillator signal.
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50. A method for tuning a channel from a channelized spectrum having predetermined channel spacing, the method comprising:
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(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; (c) the channel of interest lies within one of an upper high frequency spectrum of interest and a lower high frequency spectrum of interest; and (d) the method further comprises providing spectrum coverage within one of the high frequency spectra of interest and not the other. - View Dependent Claims (51)
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52. A tuning method comprising:
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(a) receiving a channel of interest from a channelized spectrum having a predetermined 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 frequency that is one of a set of local oscillator frequencies; and (c) passband filtering the I and Q signals to define a passband whose lower edge is situated near baseband but spaced from DC by at least about the channel spacing. - View Dependent Claims (53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71)
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Specification