RF transmitter with interleaved IQ modulation

A method of frequency up-convening I- and Q- signals in IQ modulation, the method comprising:

• a switching mixer receiving a baseband in-phase analog signal, wherein the switching mixer includes a first plurality of switches and a second plurality of switches;
• the switching mixer receiving a baseband quadrature analog signal;
• the switching mixer deriving a direct in-phase signal, an inverted in-phase signal, a direct quadrature signal, and an inverted quadrature signal from the baseband in-phase analog signal and the baseband in-phase quadrature signal;
• the first plurality of switches producing first up-convened signals, by each switch of the first plurality of switches applying a different one of a first, a second, a third, and a fourth phase of a plurality of phases a carrier period to a different one of the direct in-phase signal, the inverted in-phase signal, the direct quadrature signal, and the inverted quadrature signal;
• the switching mixer interleaving the first up-converted signals to form a first combined signal, wherein the interleaving is done over the first, the second, the third, and the fourth phase;
• the second plurality of switches producing second up-converted signals, by each switch of the second plurality of switches applying a different one of the first, the second, the third, and the fourth phase to another different one of the direct in-phase signal, the inverted in-phase signal, the direct quadrature signal, and the inverted quadrature signal;
• the switching mixer interleaving the second up-converted signals to form a second combined signal, wherein the interleaving is done over the first, the second, the third, and the fourth phase;
• and
• the switching mixer producing a differential signal that includes the first combined signal and the second combined signal.

A modulator that combines in-phase and quadrature phase analog signals, the modulator comprising:

• a clocking mechanism that provides signals corresponding to a first, a second, a third, and a fourth phase of a plurality of phases of a carrier frequency;
• and
• a first plurality of switches that receive a direct in-phase analog signal, an inverted in-phase analog signal, a direct quadrature phase analog signal, and an inverted quadrature phase analog signal, wherein each switch of the first plurality of switches is configured to apply a different one of the first, the second, the third, and the fourth phase to a different one of the direct in-phase signal, the inverted in-phase signal, the direct quadrature signal, and the inverted quadrature signal, and wherein the modulator is configured to combine resulting first up-converted signals to produce a first, interleaved differential signal component;
• a second plurality of switches that receive the direct in-phase signal, the inverted in-phase signal, the direct quadrature signal, and the inverted quadrature signal, wherein each switch of the second plurality of switches is configured to apply the different one of the first, the second, the third, and the fourth phase to another different one of the direct in-phase signal, the inverted in-phase signal, the direct quadrature signal, and the inverted quadrature signal, and wherein the modulator is configured to combine resulting second up-converted signals to produce a second differential signal component,
• wherein the modulator is configured to produce the first differential signal component and the second differential signal component as a differential output signal, and wherein the differential output signal communicates a first direct and a first inverted in-phase signal during the first phase, a first direct and a first inverted quadrature signal during the second phase, a second direct and a second inverted in-phase signal during the third phase, and a second direct and a second inverted quadrature signal during the fourth phase.