Frequency agile modulator

• Main Authors: Dupaix, Brian, Quach, Tony, LaRue, Matthew, Khalil, Waleed
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 21.07.2020
• Subjects: AUTOMATIC CONTROL, STARTING, SYNCHRONISATION, OR STABILISATIONOF GENERATORS OF ELECTRONIC OSCILLATIONS OR PULSES; BASIC ELECTRONIC CIRCUITRY; CALCULATING; COMPUTING; COUNTING; ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE; ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING; ELECTRICITY; PHYSICS; PULSE TECHNIQUE; TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHICCOMMUNICATION

A frequency-agile phase modulator with glitch-free multiplexer in CMOS process technologies for applications including wireless communications, radar, automotive radar, etc. Examples herein offer a novel phase modulator architecture that, when combined with either a wideband power amplifier or multiple narrowband amplifiers, allows for a single transmitter to transmit radar, communication, telemetry, or other similar waveforms across multiple frequency bands. The embodiments herein allow one transmitter to cover a very large operating frequency range, resulting in a decrease in size, weight, power consumption, and cost for future "small" platform systems. In an embodiment, the phase modulator circuit includes a reconfigurable delay-locked loop (DLL) circuit that is configured to receive a radio frequency (RF) input signal (RFin) and a configuration signal. The phase modulator circuit also includes a frequency-agile, glitch-free multiplexer circuit configured to receive an oversampled baseband clock signal (clkOBB) and a phase select data input signal.