Agile frequency converter for multichannel systems using IF-RF level exhange and tunable filters
US7003275B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | May 18, 2000 |
| Grant date | Feb 21, 2006 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 18, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L5/06
- WIPO fieldTelecommunications
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Agile frequency converter and method, IF-RF level exchange process, and notch filtering techniques. System noise and spurious levels generated by channel frequency conversion is reduced in applications requiring broadband combining of frequency converters to form multichannel composite signal. Converter employs two-stage frequency conversion process, with gain exchange system using variable pre-mixer gain and variable post-mixer attenuation to maintain constant RF output signal power level. For those few conversion frequencies where distortion component(s) cannot be filtered without degrading desired signal, IF-RF level exchange is optimized for meeting the carrier-to-distortion (C/D) ratio specifications at slight expense of noise level for that channel only, while still meeting aggregate combined carrier-to-noise (C/N) specification requirements. Optimal apportionment of level exchange for each channel depends on specific frequency rejection capability of spurious components and is matched to filtering capability and stored within non-volatile memory of a microcontroller used in the frequency converter.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.