Wideband signal source
AssigneeChengdu Sicore Semiconductor Corp. Ltd.
InventorCemin Zhang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Present invention relate to a wideband signal source. The wideband signal source comprises a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO), a first buffer and a programmable frequency extender. The VCO outputs a signal with at least N:1 frequency tuning ratio, with N being an integer or a non-integer number larger than 1. The frequency extender receives the signal via the buffer to generate a final output, which has a wider frequency band than the signal. The buffer isolates the final output from interfering VCO for VCO operation stability. The frequency extender comprises at least a 1/N frequency divider, which matches the N:1 frequency tuning ratio of the signal, such that the final output has a gapless frequency band wider than the VCO output signal.
Claims20
A wideband signal source comprising:
- a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) to output an output signal having a frequency range between a minimum frequency (F min) to a maximum frequency (F max) with a frequency tuning ratio, defined by F max:F min, at least N:1, N being an integer or non-integer number larger than 1;
- a buffer coupled to the VCO;
- and
- a frequency divider module comprising n frequency dividers coupled in series, n being an integer number greater than or equal to 1, each frequency divider has a frequency division ratio 1/N matching the N:1 frequency tuning ratio of the VCO output signal, a first frequency divider among the n frequency dividers couples to receive the output signal from the VCO via the buffer;
- a multiplexer coupled to receive output signals from each of the n frequency dividers and the output signal from the VCO via the buffer, the multiplexer outputs a multiplexer output signal based on a selection among all inputs that the multiplexer receives, the multiplexer output signal has a gapless frequency band ranging from F min/Nn to F max.
A wideband signal source comprising:
- a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) to output an output signal having a frequency range between a minimum frequency (F min) to a maximum frequency (F max) with a frequency tuning ratio, defined by F max:F min, at least N:1, N being an integer or non-integer number larger than 1;
- a first amplifier coupled to receive the output signal from the VCO via a buffer to output a first output signal;
- a frequency divider module coupled to receive the output signal from the VCO, the frequency divider module comprises n frequency dividers coupled in series, n being an integer number greater than or equal to 1, each frequency divider has a frequency division ratio 1/N matching the N:1 frequency tuning ratio of the VCO output signal;
- a multiplexer coupled to receive output signals from one or more of the n frequency dividers, the multiplexer outputs a multiplexer output signal based on a selection among signals that the multiplexer receives;
- a second amplifier coupled to receive the multiplexer output signal and generate a second output signal;
- an external frequency divider coupled to the second amplifier to receive the second output signal for generating a frequency-divided output signal;
- a phase frequency detector (PFD) module coupled to the external frequency divider, the PFD detects a frequency and phase difference between the frequency-divided output signal and a reference clock signal to output voltage or current pulse signals;
- and
- a loop filter coupled to receive the pulse signals and outputs a voltage signal to drive the VCO for frequency control of the VCO output signal such that the first output signal is a phase locked signal with reference to the reference clock signal.
A method for generating a wideband signal comprising:
- outputting, from a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO), an output signal having a frequency range between a minimum frequency (F min) to a maximum frequency (F max) with a frequency tuning ratio, defined by F max:F min, at least N:1, N being an integer or non-integer number larger than 1, the output signal is a differential signal;
- receiving, at a frequency divider module comprising n frequency dividers coupled in series, the output signal from the VCO, n being an integer number greater than or equal to 1, each frequency divider has a frequency division ratio 1/N matching the N:1 frequency tuning ratio of the VCO output signal;
- and
- receiving, at a multiplexer, all outputs from the n frequency dividers and the signal output from the VCO, the multiplexer output a multiplexer output signal based on a selection among all inputs the multiplexer receives, the multiplexer output signal has a gapless frequency band ranging from F min/Nn to F max.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.