Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a device for interfacing between a baseband controller and an RF integrated circuit (IC) chip having a modulator and a demodulator. The device includes an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) coupled to the demodulator located on the RF IC chip. The ADC is configured to receive demodulated analog signals from the demodulator. The device further includes a serializer configured to generate a serial data frame based on the ADC's output, a first serial data port configured to send the serial data frame to the baseband controller, and a control module coupled to the baseband controller.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a signal-recording system. During operation, the system receives a wideband multi-channel radio frequency (RF) signal, which includes a plurality of single-channel RF signals modulated at different carrier frequencies. The system down-converts the received wideband multi-channel RF signal to baseband, and records the down-converted signal.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides an automatic gain control (AGC) module for a wireless communication system that includes a plurality of amplifiers. The AGC module includes a receiving mechanism configured to receive an input that indicates a total amount of gain adjustment; a collecting mechanism configured to collect a number of parameters associated with the amplifiers; a determining mechanism configured to determine a desired performance requirement; a gain-control engine configured to generate a gain profile for the amplifiers based on the collected parameters, the total amount of gain, and the desired performance requirement; and an output mechanism configured to output a plurality of control signals based on the generated gain profile, wherein a respective control signal independently controls gain of a corresponding amplifier, thereby enabling the wireless communication system to achieve the total amount of gain adjustment while meeting the desired performance requirement.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a signal-recording system. During operation, the system receives a wideband multi-channel radio frequency (RF) signal, which includes a plurality of single-channel RF signals modulated at different carrier frequencies. The system down-converts the received wideband multi-channel RF signal to baseband, and records the down-converted signal.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for controlling operations of an amplifier in a wireless transmitter. During operation, the system receives a baseband signal to be transmitted, and dynamically switches an operation mode of the amplifier between a high power back-off mode having a first power back-off factor and a normal mode having a second power back-off factor based on a level of the baseband signal.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for performing DC offset cancellation for a wireless receiver that includes one or more amplification stages between a demodulator and a baseband digital signal processor (DSP). During operation, the system calibrates values of static DC offset associated with a plurality of gain settings for at least one amplification stage, stores the calibrated DC offset values in a lookup table, receives a current gain setting for the amplification stage, maps a DC offset value from the lookup table based on the current gain setting, and cancels static DC offset for the amplification stage using the mapped DC offset value.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a multi-band RF transmitter. The RF transmitter includes an RF integrated circuit (IC) chip that includes a plurality of identical wideband ports for outputting modulated RF signals, a plurality of narrowband power amplifiers (PAs), and a plurality of matching networks. A respective narrowband power amplifier (PA) is coupled to a wideband port of the RF IC chip via a respective matching network.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a wireless transceiver. The transceiver includes a plurality of receiving paths, a plurality of transmitting paths, a number of RF components, and a configurable multiplexer for coupling one or more RF components to the transmitting paths and the receiving paths. The multiplexer is configured in such a way as to allow a particular RF component to couple to a subset of the receiving paths and/or a subset of the transmitting paths, thereby enabling flexible provisioning of the RF components.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a device for interfacing between a baseband controller and an RF integrated circuit (IC) chip having a modulator and a demodulator. The device includes an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) coupled to the demodulator located on the RF IC chip. The ADC is configured to receive demodulated analog signals from the demodulator. The device further includes a serializer configured to generate a serial data frame based on the ADC's output, a first serial data port configured to send the serial data frame to the baseband controller, and a control module coupled to the baseband controller.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a signal-recording system. During operation, the system receives a plurality of radio frequency (RF) signals, separates the RF signals to obtain a first group of RF signals in a first RF band and a second group of RF signals in a second RF band, and simultaneously down-converts the first group of RF signals to a first group of low intermediate-frequency (low-IF) signals in a first IF band and the second group of RF signals to a second group of low-IF signals in a second IF band. The system further converts the first group of low-IF signals and the second group of low-IF signals to the digital domain, and simultaneously processes all of the converted low-IF signals.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a signal-recording system. During operation, the system receives a wideband multi-channel radio frequency (RF) signal, which includes a plurality of single-channel RF signals modulated at different carrier frequencies. The system down-converts the received wideband multi-channel RF signal to baseband, and records the down-converted signal.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for controlling operations of a power amplifier in a wireless transmitter. During operation, the system receives a baseband signal to be transmitted, and dynamically switches an operation mode of the power amplifier between a high power back-off mode having a first power back-off factor and a normal mode having a second power back-off factor based on a level of the baseband signal.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides an automatic gain control (AGC) module for a wireless communication system that includes a plurality of amplifiers. The AGC module includes a receiving mechanism configured to receive an input that indicates a total amount of gain adjustment; a collecting mechanism configured to collect a number of parameters associated with the amplifiers; a determining mechanism configured to determine a desired performance requirement; a gain-control engine configured to generate a gain profile for the amplifiers based on the collected parameters, the total amount of gain, and the desired performance requirement; and an output mechanism configured to output a plurality of control signals based on the generated gain profile, wherein a respective control signal independently controls gain of a corresponding amplifier, thereby enabling the wireless communication system to achieve the total amount of gain adjustment while meeting the desired performance requirement.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a transceiver for wireless communication. The transceiver includes a transmitting circuit, a receiving circuit, a power amplifier coupled to the transmitting circuit, and a looping mechanism configured to establish a closed loop that couples an output of the power amplifier to an input of the receiving circuit in response to a linearity compensation need, thereby facilitating cost-effective linearity compensation.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention includes a transceiver for wireless communication. The transceiver includes an antenna, a transmitter, which comprises a tunable matching network and a modulator, and a receiver, which comprises a programmable band-pass filter (BPF) and a demodulator.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a transceiver for a wireless mobile device. The transceiver includes a transmitter, a receiver, and a bandwidth-determination mechanism configured to determine a transmission bandwidth for the transmitter and a receiving bandwidth for the receiver.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a transceiver for wireless communication. The transceiver includes a transmitting circuit, a receiving circuit, a power amplifier coupled to the transmitting circuit, and a looping mechanism configured to establish a closed loop that couples an output of the power amplifier to an input of the receiving circuit in response to a linearity compensation need, thereby facilitating cost-effective linearity compensation.