Described is a high Q-factor inductor. The inductor is formed as a unit cell coil, which is copied twice for a dual-coil inductor and copied four times for a quad-coil inductor. For each copy of the unit cell coil, the coil is rotated a subsequent substantially 90 degrees or substantially −90 degrees. The rotation enables the terminals of the inductor to be routed equal-distant to a circuit that is placed in the line of symmetry between the two coils.

A wireless station includes at least one oscillator to output a reference signal, and an error calculator to calculate a frequency of the reference signal and calculate a frequency error by subtracting a target frequency of the reference signal from the calculated frequency of the reference signal. The wireless station further includes a modulation data generator to generate modulation data by adding a correction value, varying in negative correlation with the frequency error calculated by the error calculator, to data to be transmitted, and a modulator to conduct frequency modulation on the basis of the modulation data and the reference signal.

Performance indicator circuitry is provided for characterizing performance of a phase locked loop (PLL) in a phase path of a polar modulator or polar transmitter that is used to generate a phase modulated RF signal. The PLL includes an oscillator, a high pass path, and a low pass path. The low pass path includes a loop filter. The performance indicator circuitry includes first input circuitry and parameter calculation circuitry. The first input circuitry is configured to input a loop filter signal from the loop filter. The parameter calculation circuitry is configured to compute a value for a performance indicator based on the loop filter signal and control or characterize an aspect of operation of the PLL based on the value.

An apparatus is disclosed that implements phase-locked loop (PLL) calibration. In an example aspect, the apparatus includes a PLL and a signal extraction path. The PLL includes an error determiner with an error output node and a loop filter with a filter input node and a filter output node. The filter input node is coupled to the error output node. The PLL also includes a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) with a VCO input node. The VCO input node is coupled to the filter output node. The PLL further includes a PLL tap node coupled between the filter output node and the VCO input node. The signal extraction path includes at least one switch, with the signal extraction path coupled to the PLL tap node.

An example voltage controlled oscillator includes an inductor, a capacitor coupled to the inductor, and a signal source coupled to the inductor and the capacitor to sustain an oscillating signal. The voltage controlled oscillator includes a first varactor coupled to the inductor and the capacitor, wherein the first varactor is biased by a first bias voltage and is configured to change a frequency of the oscillating signal based on a first control voltage signal. The voltage controlled oscillator includes a second varactor coupled to the inductor, the capacitor, and the first varactor, wherein the second varactor is biased by a second bias voltage and is configured to compensate temperature variation of the frequency of the oscillating signal over a plurality of frequency bands based on second control voltage signal.

A signal generator has a nominal frequency control input and a modulation frequency control input and comprises an oscillator, with a first set of capacitors at least partially switchably connectable for adjusting a frequency of the oscillator as part of a phase-locked loop, and a second set of capacitors comprised in a modulation stage of the oscillator, switchably connectable for modulating the frequency and controlled by the modulation frequency control input; a modulation gain estimation stage configured to determine a frequency-to-capacitor modulation gain; and a modulation range reduction module configured for clipping a modulation range of the oscillator to a range achievable using the second set of capacitors, using the modulation gain averaging out, in time, a phase error caused by the said clipping; and mimicking the said clipping, additively output to the nominal frequency control input to compensate said PLL for the said modulation.

An example voltage controlled oscillator includes an inductor, a capacitor coupled to the inductor, and a signal source coupled to the inductor and the capacitor to sustain an oscillating signal. The voltage controlled oscillator includes a first varactor coupled to the inductor and the capacitor, wherein the first varactor is biased by a first bias voltage and is configured to change a frequency of the oscillating signal based on a first control voltage signal. The voltage controlled oscillator includes a second varactor coupled to the inductor, the capacitor, and the first varactor, wherein the second varactor is biased by a second bias voltage and is configured to compensate temperature variation of the frequency of the oscillating signal over a plurality of frequency bands based on second control voltage signal.

A receiver is provided having a two-point-modulated phase-locked loop for the rapid scanning of the signal strength of a plurality of frequency channels. The two-point modulation includes a modulation of a frequency gain by an oscillator in the phase-locked loop and a modulation of a frequency division by a divider in the phase-locked loop.

A receiver is provided having a two-point-modulated phase-locked loop for the rapid scanning of the signal strength of a plurality of frequency channels. The two-point modulation includes a modulation of a frequency gain by an oscillator in the phase-locked loop and a modulation of a frequency division by a divider in the phase-locked loop.

The present disclosure is directed to a digital phase-locked loop frequency synthesizer including: a digitally controlled voltage-controlled oscillator (DCO); a reference oscillator; a digital phase detector; a DCO control module comprising a plurality of registers each arranged to control the frequency of the signal with a predetermined resolution; a first feedback loop arranged to provide a first feedback path between the output of the DCO and the digital phase detector; and a second feedback loop arranged to provide a second feedback path between the first register output and the second register input, the second feedback loop comprising an adder module arranged to change a value of the second register based on the first register output to maximize a DCO frequency output range provided by the first register.