Parallel Receiver Architecture for Wideband RF Signal Processing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current very wideband receivers face challenges in processing large data quantities over a wide frequency band while maintaining good dynamics and instantaneous frequency band, due to limitations in data flow and memory access speeds, which hinder real-time spectral analysis and detection capabilities.

Innovation Solution

The proposed solution involves a receiver architecture with 2n modules coupled in parallel, each containing 2p high-speed encoders with memories, where sampling is done according to Shannon's theorem, and read/write phases are parallelized to eliminate memory access times, allowing for increased instantaneous band processing and real-time data handling.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Speed

If high-speed encoders with high sampling frequency are used to process wide frequency band, then instantaneous band is improved, but memory access speed becomes a limiting factor

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesampling frequencyVSAvoidmemory access time
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The receiver is divided into 2n modules coupled in parallel, each module containing 2p encoders with their own memories. This segmentation allows simultaneous read/write operations across multiple modules, effectively eliminating memory access time bottlenecks while maintaining high sampling frequencies for wide instantaneous band processing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements a time-interleaved architecture where odd and even encoders are alternately activated. While odd encoders are writing to memory, even encoders are reading, and vice versa. This preliminary coordination of read/write phases ensures that memory access operations are always available, eliminating access time delays.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If data flow rate is increased to process wide frequency band in real-time, then productivity is improved, but current processors cannot handle the data rate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvereal-time processing capabilityVSAvoidprocessor capability
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The high data rate processing is achieved by segmenting the system into 2n parallel modules, each handling a portion of the total data stream. This allows the system to process wide frequency bands in real-time by distributing the processing load across multiple independent units, each operating at manageable data rates.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent transitions from single-processor sequential processing to multi-module parallel processing architecture. By adding the spatial dimension of parallelism with 2n modules and time-interleaved operation, the system achieves real-time processing of wide frequency bands without requiring a single processor to handle the entire data rate.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Reliability

If narrow band spectrum analyzer is used to maintain high dynamic range, then dynamics is improved, but instantaneous band is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedynamic rangeVSAvoidinstantaneous band
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the wide frequency band into multiple narrower bands processed by 2n parallel modules. Each module maintains high dynamic range for its assigned band while the aggregate system achieves wide instantaneous band coverage through parallel operation of all modules.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Each module is designed with universal functionality to process signals with high dynamic range, while the parallel arrangement of multiple modules provides the extended instantaneous band capability. This multi-functional architecture allows the system to simultaneously achieve both high dynamics and wide bandwidth.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

4Speed

If broadband spectrum analyzer is used to achieve wide instantaneous band, then instantaneous band is improved, but dynamic range is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinstantaneous bandVSAvoiddynamic range
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system divides the broadband processing task into multiple narrow-band modules, each maintaining high dynamic range. The parallel combination of these segmented modules achieves the overall wide instantaneous band while preserving high dynamic range in each processing channel.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This approach enables the processing of large data quantities in real-time, enhancing the receiver's ability to maintain good dynamics and instantaneous frequency band, thereby improving the system's capability for real-time spectral analysis and detection.

Implementation Method 1

a sampling of the analog RF/microwave signals received as a function of a sampling frequency chosen according to Shannon's theorem on sampling

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectShannon's theorem on sampling:

Data Source

PatentEP2395361B1Method for processing received analogue RF / hyperfrequency signals over a very wide frequency band, and receiver implementing such a method
Publication Date: 2016.09.21 THALES SA
  • EP2395361B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2395361B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP2395361B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

The method involves sampling received analog radiofrequency/microwave based on selected sampling frequency according to Shannon's theorem on sampling in order to obtain samples of digital data representative of the analog radiofrequency/microwave. The samples of digital data are simultaneously written on memoirs of 2p encoders and read, so that a module is in a writing phase when another module is in reading phase. An independent claim is also included for a broadband receiver comprising a receiving module parallely coupled between an antenna and a calculating unit.