Integrated RF Transceiver With On-Chip Digital Signal Chain

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Solution Overview

Problem

Small cell transceivers face challenges in achieving high performance at low cost and reduced power consumption due to complex baseband processing and high-speed serial interfaces, which increase costs and power consumption.

Innovation Solution

A highly integrated cellular transceiver is developed, where digital functions such as digital pre-distortion, crest factor reduction, and other signal processing modules are integrated onto the same die as the transceiver, reducing the need for discrete components and high-speed serial interfaces, and enabling power savings and cost reduction.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If digital functions are implemented using discrete components and high-speed serial interfaces, then processing performance is improved, but device complexity and power consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprocessing performanceVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent integrates digital signal processing functions (predistortion, crest factor reduction, digital modulation) directly into the RF transceiver chip using on-chip digital logic circuits. This merging of discrete digital components into a unified integrated circuit reduces device complexity, eliminates high-speed serial interfaces, and lowers power consumption while maintaining processing performance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Productivity

If digital functions are implemented using discrete components and high-speed serial interfaces, then processing performance is improved, but power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprocessing performanceVSAvoidpower consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent integrates digital signal processing functions (predistortion, crest factor reduction, digital modulation) directly into the RF transceiver chip using on-chip digital logic circuits. This merging of discrete digital components into a unified integrated circuit reduces device complexity, eliminates high-speed serial interfaces, and lowers power consumption while maintaining processing performance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Device complexity

If digital functions are integrated onto the same die, then device complexity and power consumption are reduced, but manufacturing precision requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedevice complexityVSAvoidmanufacturing precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent integrates digital signal processing functions (predistortion, crest factor reduction, digital modulation) directly into the RF transceiver chip using on-chip digital logic circuits. This merging of discrete digital components into a unified integrated circuit reduces device complexity, eliminates high-speed serial interfaces, and lowers power consumption while maintaining processing performance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP3046260B1Highly integrated radio frequency transceiver
Publication Date: 2021.12.22 ANALOG DEVICES INT UNLTD CO
  • EP3046260B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3046260B1 patent drawingFigure 2A
  • EP3046260B1 patent drawingFigure 2B

AI summary

For small cells, transceivers demand high performance while maintaining system efficiency. The present disclosure describes a highly integrated cellular transceiver that offers such features by providing one or more digital functions on-chip, onto the same die in the cellular transceiver. Effectively, the scope and boundary of the cellular transceiver is expanded to move beyond the data converters of the transceiver to include a variety of digital functions, thus integrating more of the signal chain in the cellular transceiver. Integration can greatly reduce complexity for the baseband processing, lower the cost of the overall transceiver system, reduce power consumption, and at the same time, benefit from improvements on the digital functions through integration.