A method using a phase locked loop (PLL) includes receiving a reference frequency. The method further includes generating a control signal based on the reference frequency. The method further includes adjusting an output signal based on the control signal. Adjusting the output signal includes operating a plurality of switches in response to the control signal, wherein operating the plurality of switches comprises selectively electrically connecting a first ground plane to a first floating plane, wherein the first floating plane is between the first ground plane and the signal line, and the first floating plane is a same distance from a substrate as the first ground plane.

An inductive switch comprises an inductor that has a primary metallic winding having a boundary configured in shape of a figure eight, such as in two loops, and a plurality of secondary metallic windings arranged within the boundary of the primary metallic winding. The inductive switch includes a plurality of switches, each switch arranged in series with a respective one of the plurality of secondary metallic windings. An equal number of the secondary windings is arranged within each loop. A tunable inductor comprises at least one main metallic loop and at least one secondary metallic loop, wherein the at least one secondary metallic loop comprises a switch that is arranged to configure the at least one secondary metallic loop into at least one shorted metallic loop or at least one closed metallic loop. The at least one shorted loop is floating.

A tunable inductor arrangeable on a chip or substrate comprises a first winding part connected at one end to a first input of the tunable inductor arrangement, a second winding part connected at one end to the other end of the first winding part, a third winding part connected at one end to a second input of the tunable inductor arrangement, a fourth winding part connected at one end to the other end of the third winding part, and a switch arrangement arranged. The switch arrangement tunes the tunable inductor by selectively connecting the first and fourth winding parts in parallel and the second and third winding parts in parallel, with the parallel couplings in series between the first and second inputs, or connecting the first, second, fourth and third winding parts in series between the first and second inputs. Corresponding transceivers, communication devices, methods and computer programs are disclosed.

Systems and methods for computer-assisted design of an inductor are described. Target specifications for an inductor are received. An inductor design is generated segment-by-segment using a reinforcement learning agent to generate segment parameters for each added segment. The reinforcement learning agent implements a policy that is learned using a reward computed based on performance of the generated inductor design relative to the target specifications. The generated inductor design is outputted as a candidate inductor design after determining that the generated inductor design satisfies a predefined performance threshold.

A slow wave inductive structure includes a first substrate. The slow wave inductive structure further includes a first conductive winding over the first substrate. The slow wave inductive structure further includes a second substrate over the first substrate, wherein a distance between the first conductive winding and the second substrate ranges from about 1 micron (μm) to about 2 μm, and the second substrate comprises polysilicon or doped silicon. The slow wave inductive structure further includes a second conductive winding on an opposite side of the second substrate from the first conductive winding.

A configurable inductor comprises a primary conductor loop uninterrupted by any switches. Inside the primary conductor are one or more secondary conductor loops, each with a switch that allows interrupting the secondary conductor loop. Multiple secondary conductor loops may be electrically coupled to form combined secondary conductor loops. The primary conductor loop may span multiple interconnect layers. A secondary conductor loop may span multiple interconnect layers, and the number of interconnect layers may be configurable by additional switches. There may also be one or more tertiary conductor loops partially outside the primary conductor loop. And there may be quaternary conductor loops on different interconnect layers than the primary conductor loop.

An inductor device is disclosed. The inductor device includes a first ring structure and a second ring structure. The second ring structure is disposed within the first ring structure and paralleled to the first ring structure. A first open end of the first ring structure and a first open end of the second ring structure are selectively connected or unconnected.

An apparatus is provided that includes an inductor, a pair of modulating coils, a first switch and a second switch. The inductor includes two sub-loops electrically coupled with each other. The modulating coils include a first modulating coil and a second modulating coil respectively disposed corresponding to each of the two sub-loops. The first switch and the second switch are respectively disposed at the first modulating coil and the second modulating coil. Each of the first modulating coil and the second modulating coil forms an open loop when the first switch and the second switch are under an open status, and each of the first modulating coil and the second modulating coil forms a closed loop when the first switch and the second switch are under a closed status that enables a modulation of an inductance of the inductor.

A tunable inductor arrangeable on a chip or substrate comprises a first winding part connected at one end to a first input of the tunable inductor arrangement, a second winding part connected at one end to the other end of the first winding part, a third winding part connected at one end to a second input of the tunable inductor arrangement, a fourth winding part connected at one end to the other end of the third winding part, and a switch arrangement arranged. The switch arrangement tunes the tunable inductor by selectively connecting the first and fourth winding parts in parallel and the second and third winding parts in parallel, with the parallel couplings in series between the first and second inputs, or connecting the first, second, fourth and third winding parts in series between the first and second inputs. Corresponding transceivers, communication devices, methods and computer programs are disclosed.

A printed circuit board, and more particularly, a printed circuit board that provides a variable inductance. A printed circuit board includes: an inductor positioned between an input terminal and an output terminal; a switch connected to the inductor; and a controller connected to the output terminal and the switch and outputting a control signal for controlling the switch to the switch, wherein the inductor is formed of a plurality of circuit patterns having different plating thicknesses and signal paths for the plurality of circuit patterns are selectively connected by operation of the switch according to the control signal.