Abstract: A first input signal that corresponds to an output transmitted signal of an amplifier of a vehicle radar system is received and a digital threshold signal is transmitted to an input terminal of a digital-to-analog converter. The digital-to-analog converter is configured to generate an analog threshold value that is at least partially determined by a digital threshold value encoded into the digital threshold signal. If it is determined that a magnitude of the first input signal is less than a magnitude of the analog threshold value, a flag signal is transmitted to a system controller. The flag signal is indicative that a power level of the first output signal has fallen below a safety threshold value.

Abstract: A power amplifier stage including multiple amplifier branch circuits, in which each amplifier branch circuit includes a cascode device, a source device, and a replica cascode device. The cascode device has current terminals coupled between an output node and an intermediate node, and has a control terminal receiving a corresponding activation signal. The source device has current terminals coupled between a supply reference node and the intermediate node, and has a control terminal receiving an input signal. The replica cascode device has current terminals coupled between a supply node and the intermediate node, and has a control terminal receiving a corresponding complementary activation signals. An output power level of the power amplifier stage is controlled by asserting a selected number of activation signals and corresponding complementary activation signals for activating a selected number of the amplifier branch circuits.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a radar transceiver having a transmitter comprising a phase shifter.

Abstract: A signal coupler (100) comprising: a main-transmission-line (114) that extends in a longitudinal direction within a substrate (102) between an input port and an output port; and a coupled-transmission-line (116) that extends in the longitudinal direction within the substrate (102) between a coupled port and a termination port. The coupled-transmission-line (116) is in a second layer (110). The main-transmission-line (114) comprises a first-portion (120) in a first layer (108), a second-portion (122) in a second layer (110), and a third-portion (124) in a third layer (112). At least part of the first-portion (120) is spaced apart from the coupled-transmission-line (116) in a depth direction. At least part of the second-portion (122) is spaced apart from the coupled-transmission-line (116) in the depth direction. At least part of the third-portion (124) is spaced apart from the coupled-transmission-line (116) in the depth direction.

Abstract: There is described a method of determining phase error caused by impairments in a phase rotator, said impairments including leakage in mixers and/or multipliers of the phase rotator, gain/amplitude imbalance and a known phase imbalance between an I path and a Q path in the phase rotator, the phase rotator having an input for receiving a reference phase value, a local oscillator and circuitry configured to provide an output signal with a phase corresponding to the reference phase value.

Abstract: A frequency synthesizer is described that includes: a voltage controlled oscillator, VCO; a VCO bias circuit, operably coupled to the VCO and configured to provide a controllable bias current of the VCO; a temperature sensor, located in the frequency synthesizer, configured to determine an operating temperature of the frequency synthesizer; an analog-to-digital converter, ADC, operably coupled to the temperature sensor and configured to provide a digital representation of the determined operating temperature; and a bias control circuit operably coupled and configured to provide a bias control signal to the VCO bias circuit based on the determined operating temperature of the frequency synthesizer. The VCO bias circuit is configured to adjust the controllable bias current applied to the VCO based on the bias control signal.

Abstract: A communication unit (300) is described that includes a plurality of cascaded devices that includes at least one master device and at least one slave device configured in a master-slave arrangement. The at least one master device comprises a modulator circuit (362) configured to: receive a system clock signal and a frame start signal; modulate the system clock signal with the frame start signal to produce a modulated master-slave clock signal (384); and transmit the modulated master-slave clock signal (384) to the at least one slave device. The at least one slave device comprises a demodulator circuit (364) configured to: receive and demodulate the modulated master-slave clock signal (384); and re-create therefrom the system clock signal (388, 385) and the frame start signal (390, 386).

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a radar transceiver having a transmitter comprising a phase shifter.

Abstract: A frequency synthesizer (230) is described that includes: a voltage controlled oscillator, VCO (330); a VCO bias circuit (370), operably coupled to the VCO (330) and configured to provide a controllable bias current (384) of the VCO (330); a temperature sensor (372) located in the frequency synthesizer (230) and configured to determine an operating temperature of the frequency synthesizer (230); an analog-to-digital converter, ADC (376), operably coupled to the temperature sensor (372) and configured to provide a digital representation (378) of the determined operating temperature; and a bias control circuit (380) operably coupled to the ADC (376) and the VCO bias circuit (370) and configured to provide a bias control signal (382) to the VCO bias circuit (370) based on the determined operating temperature of the frequency synthesizer (230). The VCO bias circuit (370) is configured to adjust the controllable bias current (384) applied to the VCO based on the bias control signal (382).

Abstract: A circuit (200) for testing failure of a connection between a radio frequency, RF, integrated circuit (201) and external circuitry (204), the circuit comprising: an amplifier (205) having first and second input paths (215, 216) and first and second output paths (206, 207); a first power detector (208, 209) coupled to one of said first or second output paths; at least one connection (211) between said first and second output paths (206, 207) and said external circuitry (204), connecting said outputs to a RF combiner (210) said external circuitry; at least one disabling circuit (230, 232, 234, 236, 240, 242, 260, 262) coupled to at least one of said first and second output paths (206, 207) or at least one of said first and second input path (215, 216), before said path reaches said power detector (208, 209); for disabling one of said inputs or outputs; wherein when said input or output path is disabled (206, 207), and a signal is output along the enabled output path (206, 207), the power detector (208, 209) on

Abstract: The present application relates to a differential Colpitts voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) circuit, which comprises a pair of transistors with control terminals biased by a common biasing voltage and a pair of couplers arranged to cross-couple corrector/drain of the transistors and the base/gate of the differential transistors. The pair of couplers have a coupling factor kc, which used to enhance the transconductance of the transistor pair, therefore can be used for power consumption reduction and phase noise minimalization.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to voltage-controlled-oscillator circuit comprising: a charge-pump configured to generate a tuning-voltage, the tuning-voltage having a minimum-operating-voltage; an offset-voltage-source configured to generate an offset-voltage in accordance with the minimum-operating-voltage; and a voltage-controlled-oscillator, VCO, configured to provide an oscillator frequency in accordance with the tuning-voltage and the offset-voltage.

Abstract: Disclosed is a temperature sensor including a first current generator configured to generate a proportional to absolute temperature (PTAT) current, a second current generator configured to generate an inverse PTAT (IPTAT) current, the PTAT current and IPTAT current being combined to form a reference current having a sensitivity relative to temperature, a plurality of current mirrors to adjust the sensitivity and gain of the reference current, and a variable resistor to set an output calibration voltage based on the generated current.

Abstract: A communication unit (400, 500) is described that includes a plurality of cascaded devices that comprise at least one master device and at least one slave device configured in a master-slave arrangement and configured to process at least one of: transmit signals, and receive signals. The at least one of at least one master device and at least one slave device comprises a demodulator circuit (564, 565) configured to: receive a modulated embedded master-slave clock signal (584) that comprises a system clock signal (582) with an embedded frame start signal (580); demodulate the modulated embedded master-slave clock signal (584); and re-create therefrom the system clock signal (588, 585) and the frame start signal (590, 586).

Abstract: A Time to Digital converter (TDC) may have a Vernier architecture of multiple successive modules arranged in series. Each of the modules may output an indication of a differential in phase between two received signals. Each module may include two signal lines for the received signals, and it may be desirable to calibrate the two signal lines. To this end, a signal output from a proceeding module may be provided to both signal lines of a succeeding module and used as a reference or calibration signal to calibrate the two signal lines of the module.

Abstract: A circuit (200) for testing failure of a connection between a radio frequency, RF, integrated circuit (201) and external circuitry (204), the circuit comprising: an amplifier (205) having first and second input paths (215, 216) and first and second output paths (206, 207); a first power detector (208, 209) coupled to one of said first or second output paths; at least one connection (211) between said first and second output paths (206, 207) and said external circuitry (204), connecting said outputs to a RF combiner (210) said external circuitry; at least one disabling circuit (230, 232, 234, 236, 240, 242, 260, 262) coupled to at least one of said first and second output paths (206, 207) or at least one of said first and second input path (215, 216), before said path reaches said power detector (208, 209); for disabling one of said inputs or outputs; wherein when said input or output path is disabled (206, 207), and a signal is output along the enabled output path (206, 207), the power detector (208, 209) on

Abstract: A communication unit (300) is described that includes a plurality of cascaded devices that includes at least one master device and at least one slave device configured in a master-slave arrangement. The at least one master device comprises a modulator circuit (362) configured to: receive a system clock signal and a frame start signal; modulate the system clock signal with the frame start signal to produce a modulated master-slave clock signal (384); and transmit the modulated master-slave clock signal (384) to the at least one slave device. The at least one slave device comprises a demodulator circuit (364) configured to: receive and demodulate the modulated master-slave clock signal (384); and re-create therefrom the system clock signal (388, 385) and the frame start signal (390, 386).

Abstract: A communication unit (400, 500) is described that includes a plurality of cascaded devices that comprise at least one master device and at least one slave device configured in a master-slave arrangement and configured to process at least one of: transmit signals, and receive signals. The at least one of at least one master device and at least one slave device comprises a demodulator circuit (564, 565) configured to: receive a modulated embedded master-slave clock signal (584) that comprises a system clock signal (582) with an embedded frame start signal (580); demodulate the modulated embedded master-slave clock signal (584); and re-create therefrom the system clock signal (588, 585) and the frame start signal (590, 586).

Abstract: The present application relates to a differential oscillator circuit. The differential oscillator circuit comprises a pair of transistors with control terminals biased by a common biasing voltage. The differential oscillator circuit further comprises a transformer having a primary coil coupled between first current terminals of the transistors and a secondary coil coupled in a closed series circuit with two varactors, which are arranged for being tuned by a first common tuning voltage. The differential oscillator circuit further comprises a series circuit comprising two further varactors coupled in series to second current terminals of the transistors. The two further varactors are arranged for being tuned by a second common tuning voltage.

Abstract: A digital synthesizer includes a ramp generator that generates a signal of frequency control words, FCW, that describes a desired frequency modulated continuous wave; a digitally controlled oscillator, DCO, that receives the FCW signal and outputs a DCO signal; and a feedback loop that includes a dual time-to-digital converter, TDC, circuit to measure a delay between a representation of the DCO signal and a reference signal. The TDC circuit comprises a medium-resolution TDC circuit coupled to a fine-resolution TDC circuit; and a phase comparator coupled to the ramp generator that compares a phase of the FCW signal output from the ramp generator and a signal fed back from the DCO via the feedback loop and output a N-bit oscillator control signal. The medium-resolution TDC circuit comprises a plurality of individual delay cells, where each of the plurality of individual delay cells is coupled to a respective individual fine-resolution TDC circuit.