Signal processing device, amplifier, and method
AssigneeCornell University
InventorsAlyssa Apsel, Alyosha Molnar
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Abstract
An active electronic device that enables bidirectional communication over a single antenna or path is disclosed. The device may be characterized by a forward path (from an input to an antenna port) offering high gain, and a reverse path (to a receiver port) that can be configured as an finite impulse response (“FIR”) filter. An amplifier of the device is disclosed, the amplifier allowing for tuning of output resistance using passive mixers.
Claims24
A reconfigurable distributed signal processing device, comprising:
- a plurality of gain cells, each gain cell having an input and an output, and wherein each gain cell is configured to amplify an electrical signal received at the input by a gain;
- a plurality of drain delay cells, each drain delay cell having an first terminal and an second terminal, wherein each drain delay cell is configured to delay an electrical signal between the first and second terminals by a delay, and wherein each drain delay cell is disposed between the outputs of two gain cells such that the drain delay cells form a drain line having a receiver end and an antenna end;
- a plurality of gate delay cells, each gate delay cell having an input terminal for a transmit signal and an output terminal in electrical communication with the input of a corresponding gain cell, wherein each gate delay cell is configured to delay an electrical signal between the input and output terminals by delay;
- and
- a controller configured to determine a transfer function of the device for automatic selection of the gains of the gain cells and/or the delays of the drain and gate delay cells such that the amplified signals from each gain cell are substantially nulled at the receiver end of the drain line and amplified at the antenna end of the drain line.
A radio frequency amplifier, comprising
- a common source amplifier having a signal input, an amplifier output, and a common terminal;
- an inductor connected to the common terminal, the inductor coupling the common terminal to a lower supply voltage;
- and
- a passive mixer connected to the common terminal, the passive mixer having a plurality of baseband mixer ports capacitively coupled to ground and configured to downconvert a signal received from the common terminal and provide a plurality of baseband signals to a corresponding port of the plurality of baseband mixer ports, each baseband signal having a predetermined phase of a plurality of predetermined phases.
A method of automatic configuration of a signal processing device, comprising:
- providing a device having a transmitter port, a receiver port, an antenna port, and a controller;
- splitting a signal received at the transmitter port into phase-shifted signals each having an initial phase-shift;
- amplifying each of the split signals by an initial gain;
- delaying each of the split signals such that the amplified split signals sum at the antenna port;
- determining a transfer function of the device using the controller by measuring the signal at the antenna port, the receiver port, and/or measuring a power consumption of the device;
- and
- automatically altering, using the controller, the initial gain and/or the initial phase shift according to the determined transfer function, such that:
- the amplified, split signals substantially null at the receiver port, the signals sum at the antenna port, and/or the power consumption of the device is reduced.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.