Advanced frequency converters for the radio front-end of wireless communications transceivers

用于无线通信收发器无线电前端的高级频率转换器

• 批准号: 239240-2011
• 负责人: Saavedra, Carlos
• 金额: $ 2.33万
• 依托单位: Queen's University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2015
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2015-01-01 至 2016-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=570593
• 关键词: Advanced; frequency; converters; radio; front

Frequency converters, also known as mixers, are nonlinear circuits that are critical for sending and receiving information over communications links, such as mobile phone networks. In addition, mixers are needed for the modulation and demodulation of information-carrying signals. Mixer performance is evaluated using several metrics that quantify things such as the conversion gain, the distortion level, or the amount of noise produced by the circuit. The metrics are usually interdependent, which makes it difficult to keep the mixer's metrics at their optimal level when there are changes in the circuit's operating conditions such as the input signal strength levels, or due to temperature variations, or other factors. To address that situation we will first investigate new mixer circuits with multiple control pins so that different performance metrics can be varied after the circuit has been fabricated. This work will position us for the long term objective of the research program, which is to explore how to adjust a mixer's performance, in real-time, to adapt to changes in the circuit's operating conditions. To this end, the mixer will be monitored continuously, the collected data will be analyzed using digital chips and, subsequently, the mixer's control inputs will be adjusted to obtain the best performance from the circuit. Since digital technology will be used to significantly improve the performance of mixer circuits operating at gigahertz frequencies, these advanced mixers can be accurately described as "digitally-assisted RF circuits," a class of circuits that are poised to dominate RF chip design throughout this decade and beyond. The outcomes of our research program will be directly relevant to the Canadian telecommunications industry, including: mobile phone companies, smart-phone manufacturers and chip companies because it will enable them to better control the RF performance of the mobile phones in real-time. Ultimately, this research will benefit the Canadian public because when they use their smart-phones they will experience better voice and video quality, undergo less signal outages, and their batteries will last longer because their phones will consume less DC power.

频率转换器，也称为混频器，是一种非线性电路，对于通过通信链路（如移动的电话网络）发送和接收信息至关重要。 此外，还需要混频器来调制和解调携带信息的信号。混频器性能的评估使用多个量化指标，如转换增益、失真水平或电路产生的噪声量。 这些指标通常是相互依赖的，这使得当电路的操作条件（例如输入信号强度水平）发生变化时，或者由于温度变化或其他因素，很难将混频器的指标保持在其最佳水平。 为了解决这种情况，我们将首先研究具有多个控制引脚的新混频器电路，以便在电路制造后可以改变不同的性能指标。 这项工作将使我们能够实现研究计划的长期目标，即探索如何实时调整混频器的性能，以适应电路工作条件的变化。为此，混频器将被连续监控，收集的数据将使用数字芯片进行分析，随后，混频器的控制输入将被调整，以获得电路的最佳性能。由于数字技术将用于显著提高工作在千兆赫频率的混频器电路的性能，这些先进的混频器可以准确地描述为“数字辅助RF电路”，这是一类有望在本十年及以后主导RF芯片设计的电路。我们的研究计划的结果将直接关系到加拿大电信行业，包括：移动的电话公司，智能手机制造商和芯片公司，因为它将使他们能够更好地控制实时的移动的手机的射频性能。 最终，这项研究将使加拿大公众受益，因为当他们使用智能手机时，他们将体验到更好的语音和视频质量，经历更少的信号中断，他们的电池将持续更长时间，因为他们的手机将消耗更少的直流电。