The disclosure relates to technology for a receiver having a receive signal path including a mixer, a differential fixed gain or variable gain amplifier, and a differential filter. The mixer is configured to receive an RF signal, receive an oscillator signal, and output a differential down converted signal at one of a baseband or intermediate frequency (IF). The amplifier is downstream of the mixer and configured to receive the differential down converted signal from the mixer, apply a gain thereto, and output an amplified differential signal. The filter is downstream of the amplifier and configured filter the amplified differential signal received from the amplifier, and output a filtered differential signal. By locating the differential filter downstream of the differential amplifier within the receive signal path, distortion caused by the mixer is mitigated compared to if the filter were located upstream of the filter.

The disclosure relates to technology for a receiver having a receive signal path including a mixer, a differential fixed gain or variable gain amplifier, and a differential filter. The mixer is configured to receive an RF signal, receive an oscillator signal, and output a differential down converted signal at one of a baseband or intermediate frequency (IF). The amplifier is downstream of the mixer and configured to receive the differential down converted signal from the mixer, apply a gain thereto, and output an amplified differential signal. The filter is downstream of the amplifier and configured filter the amplified differential signal received from the amplifier, and output a filtered differential signal. By locating the differential filter downstream of the differential amplifier within the receive signal path, distortion caused by the mixer is mitigated compared to if the filter were located upstream of the filter.

The disclosure relates to technology for an apparatus having a current conveyer comprising a first stage having a first differential input, and a second stage having a second differential input. The first and second stages are configured to operate in a push-pull mode to provide an output signal at a current conveyer output between the first stage and the second stage. The apparatus has a first frequency mixer configured to generate a first mixer signal based on an input signal and an oscillator signal having a first frequency. The first frequency mixer is configured to provide the first mixer signal to the first differential input. The apparatus has a second frequency mixer configured to generate a second mixer signal based on the input signal and a second oscillator signal having the first frequency. The second frequency mixer is configured to provide the second mixer signal to the second differential input.

Aspects described herein include devices and methods with chain routing of signals for massive antenna arrays. In some aspects, an apparatus is provided that includes a first millimeter wave (mmW) transceiver having a first port, a second port, one or more antenna elements, a plurality of chain mmW transceiver ports, and switching circuitry. The switching circuitry is controllable by control data to route portions of a merged clock and data signal and a merged control and data signal between a first route between the one or more antenna elements and the first port and a second route between the one or more antenna elements and the second port and a third route between the first port and the plurality of chain mmW transceiver ports and a fourth route between the second port and the plurality of chain mmW transceiver ports.

Systems and methods are disclosed for spur mitigation for pulse signal drivers in radio frequency (RF) devices. An RF integrated circuit includes RF circuitry and analog-to-digital (ADC) circuitry. The RF circuitry operates using a local oscillator (LO) clock to receive and/or transmit RF signals, and the ADC circuitry samples one or more analog input signals and has internal timing based upon a raw digital clock. A retime circuit receives the raw digital clock and the LO clock and has a retimed clock as an output. The retimed clock represents the raw digital clock retimed with the LO clock. While other digital circuitry is timed using the raw digital clock, one or more drivers are timed by the retimed clock and provide pulse output signals to output pads. Having the drivers timed with the retimed clock and other digital circuitry timed with the raw digital clock improves overall performance.

Systems and methods are disclosed for spur mitigation for pulse signal drivers in radio frequency (RF) devices. An RF integrated circuit includes RF circuitry and analog-to-digital (ADC) circuitry. The RF circuitry operates using a local oscillator (LO) clock to receive and/or transmit RF signals, and the ADC circuitry samples one or more analog input signals and has internal timing based upon a raw digital clock. A retime circuit receives the raw digital clock and the LO clock and has a retimed clock as an output. The retimed clock represents the raw digital clock retimed with the LO clock. While other digital circuitry is timed using the raw digital clock, one or more drivers are timed by the retimed clock and provide pulse output signals to output pads. Having the drivers timed with the retimed clock and other digital circuitry timed with the raw digital clock improves overall performance.

A radio-frequency signal preconditioning method includes: receiving, at a radio-frequency signal preconditioning apparatus from an antenna, a radio-frequency signal; selectively providing, at the radio-frequency signal preconditioning apparatus, any of a plurality of gains to the radio-frequency signal to produce an output signal, the plurality of gains spanning a first range; and providing, from the radio-frequency signal preconditioning apparatus, the output signal to a conversion circuit configured to convert the output signal from an analog signal at a radio frequency to a digital signal at a baseband frequency, the conversion circuit having a dynamic range spanning a second range that is smaller than the first range.

According to some embodiments, an apparatus for generating multiple variable frequency and phase locked clock signals comprises complex tuners, digital up-samplers, image isolation filters, quadrature modulators, a combiner, a DAC, a local oscillator, and an analog filter. The complex tuners tune multiple digital baseband signals. The up-samplers interpolate the complex tuned digital signals such that one of the up-sampled images of each of the complex tuned digital signals corresponds to a desired frequency. The image isolation filters isolate images corresponding to the desired frequencies. The quadrature modulators convert the isolated images of the complex tuned digital signals into real digital signals. The combiner combines the real digital signals into a combined real digital signal. The DAC, driven by the local oscillator, converts the combined real digital signal into an analog clock signal. The analog filter then filters the analog clock signal to select images located at the desired frequencies.

There is disclosed an apparatus (10) for transmitting a communication signal across one or more pre-existing frequency channels or bands that carry a transmission signal. The apparatus comprises a memory for storing at least one pre-existing frequency channel or band together with information relating to a strength of the transmission signal carried by the at least one pre-existing frequency channel or band. A controller (24) is configured to generate a communication signal to be transmitted across at least one of the pre-existing frequency channels or bands at a strength sufficient to over-broadcast the transmission signal carried by said pre-existing channel or band. A mixer (26) is configured to receive each of the communication signals generated by the controller (24) and to combine said communication signals into a combined mixed communication signal (15). A transmitter (16) for transmitting the combined mixed communication signal (15) to be transmitted across the at least one pre-existing frequency channels or bands in replacement of, or in addition to, the transmission signal carried by the at least one pre-existing frequency channel.

According to some embodiments, an apparatus for generating multiple variable frequency and phase locked clock signals comprises complex tuners, digital up-samplers, image isolation filters, quadrature modulators, a combiner, a DAC, a local oscillator, and an analog filter. The complex tuners tune multiple digital baseband signals. The up-samplers interpolate the complex tuned digital signals such that one of the up-sampled images of each of the complex tuned digital signals corresponds to a desired frequency. The image isolation filters isolate images corresponding to the desired frequencies. The quadrature modulators convert the isolated images of the complex tuned digital signals into real digital signals. The combiner combines the real digital signals into a combined real digital signal. The DAC, driven by the local oscillator, converts the combined real digital signal into an analog clock signal. The analog filter then filters the analog clock signal to select images located at the desired frequencies.