Microwave Chip I/Q DC Correction for LO Leakage Suppression
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Solution Overview
Problem
Local oscillator leakage in microwave chips is difficult to suppress due to insufficient spatial isolation, affecting transmit power precision and link linearity, and existing solutions like QMC are inadequate for high-frequency bands and cannot be integrated within the chip.
Innovation Solution
A method that includes obtaining spatial leakage factors k1 and k2 to correct direct current component coefficients of I-channel and Q-channel signals, which are then used to determine corrected coefficients for the I-channel and Q-channel signals, effectively suppressing local oscillator leakage by weighting these coefficients based on the current attenuation amount of the tunable attenuator.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional quadrature modulation correction (QMC) solution is used, then local oscillator leakage can be corrected in some cases, but it is hard to be resolved in high frequency bands and cannot be integrated inside the chip
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental approach from conventional QMC parameter adjustment to a new mathematical model using spatial leakage factors (k1, k2) and corrected direct current component coefficients (dci, dcq). This parameter transformation enables the solution to adapt to high frequency bands and achieve chip integration by fundamentally altering how leakage correction is calculated and applied in the I-channel and Q-channel signals.
2Reliability
If spatial isolation is increased to reduce local oscillator leakage, then leakage suppression improves, but chip area and design complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the physical/mechanical approach of increasing spatial isolation (which would require more chip area) with a mathematical/software-based solution. By using corrected direct current component coefficients and spatial leakage factors in signal processing, the system achieves leakage suppression without requiring additional physical space for isolation structures.
3Reliability
If spatial isolation is increased to reduce local oscillator leakage, then leakage suppression improves, but device complexity and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes complex physical isolation structures with a streamlined mathematical model that uses spatial leakage factors and corrected coefficients. This reduces device complexity by eliminating the need for complex spatial isolation architectures while maintaining effective leakage suppression through software-based signal correction.
Data Source
AI summary
In embodiments of the present disclosure, weighting on a direct current component coefficient dci′ of an I-channel signal and a direct current component coefficient dcq′ of a Q-channel signal is performed based on spatial leakage factors k1 and k2 of a microwave chip and a current attenuation amount of a tunable attenuator, to determine a corrected direct current component coefficient dci of the I-channel signal and a corrected direct current component coefficient dcq of the Q-channel signal, and a direct current component superimposed to the I-channel signal of the microwave chip and a direct current component superimposed to the Q-channel signal of the microwave chip are respectively determined based on the corrected direct current component coefficient dci of the I-channel signal and the corrected direct current component coefficient dcq of the Q-channel signal.