Frequency translation and applications of same are described herein, including wireless local area network (WLAN) applications such as IEEE Standard 802.11 WLANs. Such applications include, but are not limited to, frequency down-conversion, frequency up-conversion, enhanced signal reception, unified down-conversion and filtering, and combinations and applications of same.

Wireless local area network (WLAN) technology and applications including techniques of universal frequency translation

Methods for down converting a modulated carrier signal to a demodulated baseband signal are described herein The method requires that a first portion of energy is transferred from the modulated carrier signal, and stored at a first storage device when a first switch is on At least some of the energy stored in the first storage device is discharged when the first switch is off The method further comprises transferring a second portion of energy from the modulated carrier signal, storing at a second storage device the second portion of transferred energy when a second switch is on, and discharging at least some of the energy stored in the second storage device when the second switch is off A down-converted in-phase baseband signal portion is generated from the energy accumulated in the first storage device while both the charging and the discharging occurs, and a down-converted inverted in-phase baseband signal portion is generated from the energy accumulated in the second storage device while both the charging and the discharging occurs, and the two portions are combined with a first differential amplifier circuit to form a down-converted differential in-phase baseband signal

Method and system for down-converting an electromagnetic signal

Methods, systems, and apparatuses, and combinations and sub-combinations thereof, for down-converting and up-converting an electromagnetic (EM) signal are described herein. Briefly stated, in embodiments the invention operates by receiving an EM signal and recursively operating on approximate half cycles (½, 1½, 2½, etc.) of the carrier signal. The recursive operations can be performed at a sub-harmonic rate of the carrier signal. The invention accumulates the results of the recursive operations and uses the accumulated results to form a down-converted signal. In an embodiment, the EM signal is down-converted to an intermediate frequency (IF) signal. In another embodiment, the EM signal is down-converted to a baseband information signal. In another embodiment, the EM signal is a frequency modulated (FM) signal, which is down-converted to a non-FM signal, such as a phase modulated (PM) signal or an amplitude modulated (AM) signal. Up-conversion is accomplished by controlling a switch with an oscillating signal, the frequency of the oscillating signal being selected as a sub-harmonic of the desired output frequency.

Method and system for down-converting and up-converting an electromagnetic signal, and transforms for same

The present invention includes a system and method for ensuring reception of a communications signal. A modulating baseband signal with desired information is accepted, and a plurality of redundant spectrums is generated. Each redundant spectrum comprises the necessary amplitude, phase, and frequency information to substantially reconstruct the modulating baseband signal. It is expected but not required that the redundant spectrums will be generated at a first location and sent to a second location over a communications medium. At the second location, the redundant spectrums are independently processed to recover a demodulating baseband signal for each of the redundant spectrums. In one embodiment, an error detection process is employed at the second location to detect and eliminate those demodulated baseband signals that have been corrupted during transmission. An error-free demodulated baseband signal is selected from the remaining demodulated baseband signals. The error-free demodulated baseband signal is representative of the modulating baseband signal sent over the communications medium.

Method and system for ensuring reception of a communications signal

Methods and apparatuses for reducing DC offsets in a communication system are described. In a first aspect, a feedback loop circuit reduces DC offset in a wireless local area network (WLAN) receiver channel. The frequency response of the feedback loop circuit can be variable. In a second aspect, a circuit provides gain control in a WLAN receiver channel. First and second automatic gain control (AGC) amplifiers are coupled in respective portions of the receiver channel. Circuits for monitoring DC offset, and for providing control signals for controlling the frequency response of the DC offset reducing circuits are also provided.

Method and apparatus for reducing DC offsets in a communication system

A linear FM waveform generator employs direct digital synthesis and includes a digital linear FM signal generator, a digital-analog converter, and a sampler means. The linear FM waveform generator includes a frequency slope register coupled to a first stage integrator which in turn is coupled to a second stage integrator, all of which operate off a system clock. The output signal from the second stage integrator represents phase as a quadratic function of time. A stored sine look-up table is referenced to generate an output digital signal representing amplitude as a function of time. The output digital signal is converted to an analog linear FM waveform which in turn is coupled to a sampler that includes a step recovery diode and a fast switch. The sampler aperture is sufficiently small that the sampler output linear FM waveform includes base and higher harmonic spectra with amplitude attenuation small enough to enable a third or higher harmonic spectra to be used for generation of the output linear FM waveform. The sampler output is filtered to pass a higher harmonic spectra which is directly coupled to output multiplication and filter circuitry.

Thomas D. Merrell

Papers

Direct digital FM waveform generator for radar systems