Method and apparatus for direct rf to digital converter

An apparatus for decomposing a high frequency incoming signal to a plurality of low-frequency data streams, the apparatus comprising:

• a single-to-differential unit for decomposing the incoming signal into a first signal and a second signal;
• a first logic unit for processing the first signal into a first output signal, the first output signal preserving a rising edge of the first signal;
• a second logic unit for processing the second signal into a second output signal, the second output signal preserving a rising edge of the second signal;
• the second output signal substantially synchronous with the first output signal;
• and
• wherein each of the first output signal and the second output signal is at about half of the frequency of the incoming signal.

A signal conversion system, comprising:

• a decomposition circuit for decomposing a pair of high frequency differential signals to a plurality of low speed data streams;
• a circuit for synchronizing the plurality of low speed data streams with the pair of high frequency differential signals to form synchronized low speed data streams;
• a clock circuit for reclocking the low speed data streams;
• and
• a logic circuit for extracting data from the reclocked low speed data streams;
• the decomposition circuit having a plurality of cascading circuit elements arranged in a multitier cascade to decompose the pair of high frequency differential signals into a number of low speed data streams corresponding to a number of circuit elements in a last stage of the multitier cascade.

An RF transmitter system comprising:

• a modulation circuit for modulating a digital signal with a digital carrier frequency to form a modulated digital signal;
• a frequency synthesizer for receiving the modulated digital signal and providing an output signal;
• a phase frequency detector for comparing the output signal of the frequency synthesizer with a measured frequency of a reference phase and producing an error phase signal;
• a voltage-controlled oscillator for receiving the error phase signal and providing a modulation output frequency signal;
• and
• a direct RF to digital converter (DrfDC) for receiving the modulation output frequency signal and providing a processed frequency signal to the detector;
• the DrfDC having a multistage cascade of circuit elements for devising a high frequency signal to a digital word.

A handheld transceiver for directly measuring frequency without down-converting an RF signal, the transceiver comprising:

• an antenna for receiving the RF signal;
• a low-noise amplifier for amplifying the received signal to an amplified RF signal;
• a circuit for decomposing the amplified RF signal into at least one slow speed data stream containing all level change information of the RF signal;
• a decision logic unit for receiving the at least one slow speed data stream and obtaining level change information therefrom;
• and
• a baseband processor for processing the level change information;
• wherein the slow speed data stream contains the level change information from all rising edges and all falling edges of the RF signal.

A method for directly decomposing a high frequency RF signal to a plurality of slow-speed signals, the method comprising:

• receiving the RF signal at an antenna;
• amplifying the received signal to an amplified signal;
• decomposing the amplified signal into at least one slow speed data stream, the slow speed data stream containing all level change information of the RF signal;
• extracting the level change information from the slow speed data stream;
• and
• processing the extracted information at a baseband processor;
• wherein the slow speed digital data stream contains the level change information from all rising edges and falling edges of the RF signal.