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AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
InventorsYu-Chun Donald Lie, Brian Meadows, Joseph Neff, John Cothern, Jerry Lopez
Estimating the term…
A technique for enhancing the frequency tuning range for monolithic RF source generation using fully-integrated coupled Voltage-Controlled-Oscillator (VCO) arrays that contain an odd number of VCOs. Fully-monolithic SiGe VCO arrays using on-chip inductor and varactor with on-chip bias current sources have been carefully designed and simulated in IBM 7HP 0.18 μm BiCMOS technology and taped out for fabrication. The SPICE simulated frequency and phase tuning of the 1-D VCO×5 array is dependent on the edge VCOs termination impedance, the tuning voltages, and the VCO coupling strength. The simulated data suggests that the enhanced tuning range and beam steering can be accomplished using coupled-VCO arrays without needing complex and bulky phase shifters. This design technique imposes no apparent phase noise penalty but can provide simulated RF frequency tuning range of ˜40% and also ˜+/−25° beam steering for active antennas applications.
An RF VCO array for active antennas, the VCO array comprising:
A method in an RF VCO array for active antennas including a VCO array comprising multiple non-linear VCO unit cells arranged in one dimension on a monolithic chip where each VCO unit cell includes means for generating a negative resistance VCO oscillation frequency range and tuning means for tuning the VCO oscillation frequency range and where the VCO unit cells are DC-coupled to one another, in a nearest neighbor configuration, through an impedance-coupling network of coupling elements each having a variable VCO coupling strength, the method comprising
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.