Direct digital synthesis of precise, stable angle modulated RF signal

Abstract

The present invention, generally speaking, provides an RF modulator that allows precise, stable phase shifts to be obtained. The modulator uses a PLL structure including an auxiliary feedforward path used to inject a baseband modulation signal into the PLL at a point past a loop filter of the PLL. A phase demodulator recovers phase information from the output signal of the PLL. The recovered phase information is compared to the phase information of the baseband modulation signal. A resulting error signal is used to control injection of the baseband modulation signal into the PLL, to automatically achieve the correct "dosage." A precise, adaptive, phase-stable modulator results. The adaptation of the modulator compensates for variability of the VCO and other components of the PLL.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.