Automatic gain control adjustment of a radio receiver

A method for adjusting automatic gain control of a radio receiver, the method comprises:

• determining power level of a radio frequency (RF) signal received by the radio receiver to produce a determined power level;
• comparing the power level of the RF signal with an upper limit of a desired power level range;
• when the power level of the RF signal compares unfavorably with the upper limit of the desired power level range, decreasing gain of the radio receiver by:
• decreasing digital baseband gain of the radio receiver until the power level of the RF signal compares favorably with the upper limit of the desired power level or the digital baseband gain reaches a minimum setting;
• when the digital baseband gain reaches the minimum setting, setting gain of a low noise amplifier of the radio receiver to a low level;
• when the power level of the RF signal compares unfavorably with the upper limit of the desired power level range with the gain of the low noise amplifier set at the low level and the digital baseband gain at the minimum setting, setting a transmit/receive switch in a receiver attenuation mode;
• when the power level of the RF signal compares unfavorably with the upper limit of the desired power level range with the gain of the low noise amplifier set at the low level, the digital baseband gain at the minimum setting and the transmit/receiver switch in the receiver attenuation mode, reducing gain of a programmable gain amplifier of the radio receiver, via a look up table, until the power level of the RF signal compares favorably with the upper limit of the desired power level or the gain of the programmable gain amplifier reaches a minimum PGA setting;
• when the power level of the RF signal compares favorably with the upper limit of the desired power level range, comparing the power level of the RF signal with a lower limit of the desired power level range;
• when the power level of the RF signal compares unfavorably with the lower limit of the desired power level range, increasing gain of the radio receiver by:
• setting the transmit/receive switch in a receiver non-attenuation mode;
• when the power level of the RF signal compares unfavorably with the lower limit of the desired power level range with the transmit/receive switch in the receiver non-attenuation mode, setting the gain of the low noise amplifier to a high level;
• when the power level of the RF signal compares unfavorably with the lower limit of the desired power level range with the transmit/receive switch in the receiver non-attenuation mode and the gain of the low noise amplifier at the high level, incrementing the digital baseband gain until the power level of the RF signal compares favorably with the lower limit of the desired power level or the digital baseband gain reaches a maximum setting;
• when the power level of the RF signal compares unfavorably with the lower limit of the desired power level range with the transmit/receive switch in the receiver non-attenuation mode, the gain of the low noise amplifier at the high level, and the digital baseband gain set at the maximum setting, increasing the gain of the programmable gain amplifier, via the look up table, until the power level of the RF signal compares favorably with the lower limit of the desired power level or the gain of the programmable gain amplifier reaches a maximum PGA setting;
• and
• when the power level of the RF signal compares favorably to the upper limit and the lower limit of the desired power level range, balancing gains of the digital baseband gain and the programmable gain amplifier.

A radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) comprises:

• a transmitter section operably coupled to convert outbound baseband signals into outbound radio frequency (RF) signals;
• a receiver section operably coupled to convert inbound RF signals into inbound baseband signals;
• a transmit/receiver switch operably coupled to an antenna to provide the inbound RE signals from the antenna to the receiver section and to provide the outbound RF signals from the transmitter section to the antenna, wherein the receiver section includes:
• a low noise amplifier operably coupled to amplify the inbound RF signals to produce amplified inbound RF signals;
• programmable gain amplifier operably coupled to amplify the amplified inbound RF signals to produce PGA amplified RF signals;
• down conversion module operably coupled to convert the PGA amplified RF signals into in-phase baseband signal components and quadrature baseband signal components;
• digital to analog conversion module operably coupled to convert the in-phase baseband signal components into digital in-phase baseband signal components and to convert the quadrature baseband signal components into digital quadrature baseband signal components;
• and
• digital baseband gain module operably coupled to amplify the digital in-phase and quadrature baseband signal components to produce amplified digital in-phase and quadrature baseband signal components;
• and
• automatic gain control module operably coupled to:
• determine power level of the inbound RF signals to produce a determined power level;
• comparing the determined power level with a plurality of power thresholds to determine whether an automatic gain adjustment is needed;
• when the automatic gain adjustment is needed:
• determining, from the comparing the determined power level with the plurality of power thresholds, a sign of the automatic gain adjustment;
• determining, from the comparing the determined power level with the plurality of power thresholds, a magnitude of the automatic gain adjustment;
• addressing a gain adjustment look up table for at least a portion of the radio receiver based on the magnitude to produce a gain setting;
• and
• adjusting gain of at least one of the transmit/receive switch, the low noise amplifier, the programmable gain amplifier, and the digital baseband gain module based on the sign of the automatic gain adjustment and the gain setting.

A radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) comprises:

• a transmitter section operably coupled to convert outbound baseband signals into outbound radio frequency (RF) signals;
• a receiver section operably coupled to convert inbound RF signals into inbound baseband signals;
• a transmit/receiver switch operably coupled to an antenna to provide the inbound RF signals from the antenna to the receiver section and to provide the outbound RF signals from the transmitter section to the antenna, wherein the receiver section includes:
• a low noise amplifier operably coupled to amplify the inbound RF signals to produce amplified inbound RF signals;
• programmable gain amplifier operably coupled to amplify the amplified inbound RF signals to produce PGA amplified RF signals;
• down conversion module operably coupled to convert the PGA amplified RF signals into in-phase baseband signal components and quadrature baseband signal components;
• digital to analog conversion module operably coupled to convert the in-phase baseband signal components into digital in-phase baseband signal components and to convert the quadrature baseband signal components into digital quadrature baseband signal components;
• and
• digital baseband gain module operably coupled to amplify the digital in-phase and quadrature baseband signal components to produce amplified digital in-phase and quadrature baseband signal components;
• and
• automatic gain control module operably coupled to:
• determine power level of the inbound RF signals to produce a determined power level;
• compare the power level of the inbound RF signals with an upper limit of a desired power level range;
• when the power level of the inbound RF signals compares unfavorably with the upper limit of the desired power level range, decreasing gain of the receiver section by:
• decreasing gain of the digital baseband gain module until the power level of the RF signal compares favorably with the upper limit of the desired power level or the gain of the digital baseband gain module reaches a minimum setting;
• when the gain of the digital baseband gain module reaches the minimum setting, setting gain of the low noise amplifier to a low level;
• when the power level of the inbound RF signals compares unfavorably with the upper limit of the desired power level range with the gain of the low noise amplifier set at the low level and the gain of the digital baseband gain module at the minimum setting, setting the transmit/receive switch in a receiver attenuation mode;
• when the power level of the inbound RF signals compares unfavorably with the upper limit of the desired power level range with the gain of the low noise amplifier set at the low level, the gain of the digital baseband gain module at the minimum setting and the transmit/receiver switch in the receiver attenuation mode, reducing gain of the programmable gain amplifier, via a look up table, until the power level of the inbound RF signals compares favorably with the upper limit of the desired power level or the gain of the programmable gain amplifier reaches a minimum PGA setting;
• when the power level of the inbound RF signals compares favorably with the upper limit of the desired power level range, comparing the power level of the inbound RF signals with a lower limit of the desired power level range;
• when the power level of the inbound RF signals compares unfavorably with the lower limit of the desired power level range, increasing gain of the radio receiver by:
• setting the transmit/receive switch in a receiver non-attenuation mode;
• when the power level of the inbound RF signals compares unfavorably with the lower limit of the desired power level range with the transmit/receive switch in the receiver non-attenuation mode, setting the gain of the low noise amplifier to a high level;
• when the power level of the inbound RF signals compares unfavorably with the lower limit of the desired power level range with the transmit/receive switch in the receiver non-attenuation mode and the gain of the low noise amplifier at the high level, incrementing the gain of the digital baseband gain module until the power level of the inbound RF signals compares favorably with the lower limit of the desired power level or the gain of the digital baseband gain module reaches a maximum setting;
• when the power level of the inbound RF signals compares unfavorably with the lower limit of the desired power level range with the transmit/receive switch in the receiver non-attenuation mode, the gain of the low noise amplifier at the high level, and the digital baseband gain set at the maximum setting, increasing the gain of the programmable gain amplifier, via the look up table, until the power level of the inbound RF signals compares favorably with the lower limit of the desired power level or the gain of the programmable gain amplifier reaches a maximum PGA setting;
• and
• when the power level of the inbound RF signals compares favorably to the upper limit and the lower limit of the desired power level range, balancing gains of the digital baseband gain module and the programmable gain amplifier.