Abstract: A radio-frequency (RF) receiver includes a receiver analog circuitry and a receiver digital circuitry. The receiver analog circuitry resides within a first integrated circuit and the receiver digital circuitry resides within a second integrated circuit. The second integrated circuit couples to the first integrated circuit via a one-bit digital interface. The receiver analog circuitry receives an RF signal and processes the received RF signal to generate a digital signal. The receiver analog circuitry provides the digital signal to the receiver digital circuitry. The receiver digital circuitry includes a digital down-converter circuitry that mixes the digital signal with an intermediate frequency (IF) local oscillator (LO) signal to generate a digital down-converted signal. The receiver digital circuitry also includes a digital filter circuitry that filters the digital down-converted signal to generate a filtered digital signal.

Abstract: Radio-frequency (RF) apparatus includes receiver analog circuitry that receives an RF signal and provides at least one digital signal to receiver digital circuitry that functions in cooperation with the receiver analog circuitry. The receiver analog circuitry and the receiver digital circuitry are partitioned so that interference effects between the receiver analog circuitry and the receiver digital circuitry tend to be reduced.

Abstract: Components of a radio-frequency (RF) apparatus including transceiver circuitry and frequency modification circuitry of a crystal oscillator circuit that generates a reference signal with adjustable frequency may be partitioned in a variety of ways, for example, as one or more separate integrated circuits. The frequency modification circuitry may be implemented as part of a crystal oscillator circuit that includes digitally controlled crystal oscillator (“DCXO”) circuitry and a crystal. The frequency modification circuitry may include at least one variable capacitance device and may be employed to generate a reference signal with adjustable frequency. The adjustable reference signal may be provided to other components of the RF apparatus and/or the RF apparatus may be configured to provide the adjustable reference signal to baseband processor circuitry.

Abstract: A converter in a radio-frequency (RF) apparatus includes a feedback circuitry. The feedback circuitry has a shielded input and a shielded output. The shielded input and the shielded output of the feedback circuitry tend to reduce interference in the converter.

Abstract: A radio-frequency apparatus includes an integrated circuit. The integrated circuit includes receiver analog circuitry, receiver digital circuitry, a digital-to-analog converter, and a signal selector. The receiver analog circuitry receives radio-frequency signals, and provides a first digital signal. The receiver digital circuitry receives the first digital signal, and provides a second digital signal. The digital-to-analog converter converts the second digital signal into a first analog signal. The signal selector receives the second digital signal and the first analog signal, and selectively provides one of the second digital signal and the first analog signal as an output signal of the integrated circuit.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for image rejection correction in a radio frequency (RF) receiver (100). The RF receiver (100) receives an RF input signal and converts the RF input signal to an input signal at another frequency. A tone signal is generated at an image frequency. The tone signal is mixed with an RF tuning signal to provide an image signal. The image signal is corrected using an image correction network (202) having first and second coefficients to provide a corrected signal. A wanted energy level of the corrected signal is determined. Best values of the first and second coefficients are determined in response to the wanted energy level of the filtered signal. The input signal is corrected using the best values in the image correction network (202).

Abstract: A sampled amplitude read channel incorporated within a magnetic disk storage system for reading data recorded tracks on a magnetic medium, where the data comprises user data sectors recorded at varying data rates across a plurality of predefined zones and embedded servo data sectors recorded at the same data rate across the zones. The read channel comprises a timing recovery component for synchronous sampling of a read signal from a magnetic read head positioned over the magnetic medium, a gain control component for adjusting the amplitude of the read signal, and a DC offset component for canceling a DC offset in the read signal. These components are dynamically configured to operate according to whether the read channel is processing user data or embedded servo data.

Abstract: A radio-frequency receiver circuitry includes a down-converter circuitry, an analog-to-digital converter circuitry, and a DC offset reduction circuitry. The down-converter circuitry accepts a received radio-frequency signal and processes the radio-frequency signal to provide an in-phase down-converted signal and a quadrature down-converted signal to the analog-to-digital converter circuitry. The analog-to-digital converter circuitry converts the in-phase and quadrature down-converted signals to an in-phase digital output signal and a quadrature digital output signal, respectively. The DC offset reduction circuitry couples to the analog-to-digital converter circuitry, and tends to reduce a DC offset transmitted to the in-phase and quadrature digital output signals.

Abstract: A radio-frequency (RF) apparatus includes front-end circuitry. The front-end circuitry includes a filter circuitry and an impedance matching circuitry. The filter circuitry has a differential output that has an output impedance. The filter circuitry filters signals outside a signal band of interest. The impedance matching network has a differential input coupled to the output of the filter circuitry. The impedance matching network also has a differential output coupled to a signal processing circuitry. The signal processing circuitry has an input impedance. The impedance matching network matches the input impedance of the signal processing circuitry to the output impedance of the filter circuitry.

Abstract: A buffer circuitry buffers a radio-frequency (RF) signal. The buffer circuitry includes a complementary pair of switches and a power source. The a complementary pair of switches has an input terminal and output terminal. The input terminal of the complementary pair of switches responds to the RF signal. The output terminal of the complementary pair of switches couples to an output of the buffer circuitry. The power source includes a capacitor coupled to a current source. The power source couples to the complementary pair of switches. The power source supplies power to the complementary pair of switches in a manner that the buffer circuitry supplies a substantially constant power level at its output.

Abstract: A voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) generates an output signal with adjustable frequency. The VCO circuitry includes a variable capacitor circuitry and a voltage-generator circuitry. In response to a plurality of control signals, the variable capacitor circuitry adjusts the frequency of an output signal of the VCO circuitry. The voltage-generator circuitry generates the plurality of control signals and provides them to the variable capacitor circuitry. The voltage level of each of the plurality of the control signals differs by an offset voltage from the voltage level of the remaining signals in the plurality of signals.

Abstract: A radio-frequency (RF) apparatus capable of transmitting RF signals includes transmitter path circuitry. The transmitter path circuitry includes a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) circuitry. The VCO circuitry generates a first signal that has a first frequency. A divider circuitry couples to the VCO circuitry and, in response to the first signal, the divider circuitry generates a second signal that has a second frequency. The frequency of the second signal equals the frequency of the first signal divided by a number.

Abstract: A radio-frequency (RF) apparatus capable of transmitting RF signals includes transmitter path circuitry. The transmitter path circuitry includes a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) that generates an output signal. The frequency of the output signal of the VCO circuitry is adjustable in response to a first control signal and a second control signal. The transmitter path circuitry also includes a first feedback circuitry and a second feedback circuitry that are responsive to the output signal of the VCO circuitry. The first feedback circuitry provides the first control signal to the VCO circuitry. The first control signal coarsely adjusts the frequency of the output signal of the VCO circuitry to a desired frequency. The second feedback circuitry supplies the second control signal to the VCO circuitry. The second control signal fine tunes the frequency of the output signal of the voltage-controlled oscillator circuitry to the desired frequency.

Abstract: A calibration circuitry includes an adjustable capacitor, a voltage generator, a reference voltage generator, and a controller. The reference voltage generator provides a reference voltage. The voltage generator provides a measurement voltage that depends on the capacitance of the adjustable capacitor. The capacitance of the adjustable capacitor varies in response to a control signal. The controller provides the control signal based on the relative values of the reference voltage and the measurement voltage.

Abstract: A radio-frequency (RF) receiver includes a receiver analog circuitry and a receiver digital circuitry coupled together. The receiver analog circuitry receives an RF signal. The receiver analog circuitry processes the received RF signal and generates a digital signal that it provides to the receiver digital circuitry. The receiver digital circuitry includes a digital down-converter circuitry that mixes the digital signal provided by a receiver analog circuitry with a digital intermediate frequency (IF) local oscillator signal to generate a digital down-converted signal. The receiver digital circuitry also includes a digital filter circuitry that filters the digital down-converted signal to generate a filtered digital signal. The digital filter circuitry provides a notch at a frequency that corresponds to a residual DC offset of the receiver analog circuitry.

Abstract: A low-noise current reference circuitry includes a voltage source, a current source, and a controller. The voltage source generates a reference voltage. The current source provides a low-noise output current in response to a control signal. The controller provides the control signal based at least in part on the relative magnitudes of the reference voltage and a voltage derived from the output current. A low-noise voltage reference circuitry includes a reference voltage source, a voltage source, and a controller. The reference voltage source generates a reference voltage. The voltage source provides a low-noise output voltage in response to a control signal. The controller provides the control signal based at least in part on the relative magnitudes of the output voltage and the reference voltage.

Abstract: Radio-frequency (RF) apparatus includes receiver analog circuitry that receives an RF signal and provides at least one digital signal to receiver digital circuitry that functions in cooperation with the receiver analog circuitry. The interface between the receiver analog circuitry and the receiver digital circuitry includes configurable signal lines that function as a serial interface, or as a data and clock signal interface, depending on the state of a control signal.

Abstract: Radio-frequency (RF) apparatus includes receiver analog circuitry that receives an RF signal and provides at least one digital signal to receiver digital circuitry that functions in cooperation with the receiver analog circuitry. The receiver analog circuitry and the receiver digital circuitry are partitioned so that interference effects between the receiver analog circuitry and the receiver digital circuitry tend to be reduced.

Abstract: A system and method is provided for providing optimal input and output impedances at a telecommunications interface. Input and output impedances can be adjusted manually, or the optimal impedance can be sensed and provided for automatically at the selected interface.

Abstract: A system and method is provided to improve the jitter performance of high frequency synthesizers used in read/write channel circuits. The frequency synthesizer is implemented with multiple phase locked loops arranged in a cascaded fashion to increase the update rates at which the cascaded loops operate at for a given frequency resolution of the synthesizer. The cascaded or staged phase locked loops may be utilized for generating read, write, and servo clocks for a read/write channel circuit. The cascaded phase locked loops may also be arranged such that one or more stages are shared to generate the read, write or servo clocks.