Adaptive AFE Calibration Through Analog Test-Signal Injection
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Solution Overview
Problem
As analog front-end circuits in communications systems become smaller and performance demands increase, traditional calibration techniques become more expensive and difficult, leading to high power consumption and challenging linearity and accuracy requirements, especially in wireless connectivity and IoT devices.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating digital assistance by injecting a test signal, such as a pseudorandom sequence, into the analog signal path of AFE circuits prior to ADC conversion, allowing for calibration of non-idealities in the analog domain and digital domain, enabling concurrent calibration during normal operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional calibration techniques are used for AFE circuits, then calibration accuracy can be maintained, but power consumption increases and device size grows
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional analog calibration mechanisms with digital signal processing. A test signal is injected into the analog signal path, and digital processing is used to separate the test signal from the input signal and perform calibration calculations in the digital domain, thereby reducing analog circuit complexity and power consumption while maintaining calibration accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a test signal as an intermediary element to enable calibration. This test signal is injected into the analog path and processed digitally, serving as a mediator that allows calibration information to be extracted without requiring complex analog calibration circuits, thus reducing power consumption
2Measurement precision
If traditional calibration techniques are used for AFE circuits, then calibration accuracy can be maintained, but device complexity and size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes complex analog calibration circuits with a simpler digital processing approach. By injecting a test signal and using digital signal processing to separate and analyze it, the system achieves calibration accuracy without requiring complex analog calibration hardware, thereby reducing device complexity and size
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts calibration information by separating the test signal from the combined signal in the digital domain. This extraction approach allows calibration to be performed without adding complex analog calibration circuitry, as the calibration data is obtained by processing the digital representation of the combined signal
3Productivity
If calibration is performed during normal operations, then system availability is maintained, but signal processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables continuous calibration during normal system operation by injecting a test signal that coexists with the input signal. The digital processing continuously separates and processes both signals, allowing calibration to occur without interrupting normal signal processing, thereby maintaining system availability
Solution Approach 2:
The test signal serves as an intermediary that enables simultaneous calibration and normal operation. By processing the digital representation of the combined signal to separate the test signal component, the system can perform calibration calculations without affecting the processing of the actual input signal, maintaining productivity while enabling calibration
Data Source
AI summary
Adaptive calibration of analog front-end and receiver non-idealities is disclosed. An analog front-end (AFE) circuit is configured to receive an analog input signal, and includes an analog signal path having one or more analog circuits. A test signal generator inputs an analog test signal into the analog signal path. The AFE circuit combines analog input signal and the test signal and generates, using one or more analog circuits in the analog signal path, an analog output signal based on the analog input signal combined with the analog test signal. A digital signal processing (DSP) circuit processes a digital input value that corresponds to the analog output signal, and performs calibrations of respective parameters of the one or more analog circuits. To perform the calibrations, the DSP circuit is configured to separate a digital representation of the analog test signal from a remainder of the digital value.