Abstract: A transistor cell can be modeled as a transistor with a collector, a base, and an emitter operating with a current at the collector to produce a minimum transconductance in the transistor cell that increases a current gain and improves at least one operating characteristic of the transistor cell. The operating characteristics include bandwidth, gain, and output power.

Abstract: A system and method verifies phase shifter operation in an antenna array system. The system can include and the method can use a number of antenna elements, and a number of phase shifters. Each of the phase shifters is associated with the respective antenna element of the antenna elements and may include a power amplifier circuit. The system also can include and the method can also use a number of power sensors in communication with the phase shifters. Each of the phase shifters can be associated with a respective power sensor and the power sensor can be configured to detect power associated with the power amplifier circuit.

Abstract: A system and method provides time delays for an antenna array such as an electronically-scanned antenna array in a wide band range. The system and method can utilize time delay units including a radio frequency integrated circuit time delay unit portion provided on a radio frequency integrated circuit and an interposer time delay unit portion. The interposer time delay portion is provided on an interposer associated with the radio frequency integrated circuit.

Abstract: A multiple input, multiple function, multiple output (MIMFMO) radiofrequency (RF) processor including a MIMFMO RF processor element. The MIMFMO RF processor element is configured to receive multiple RF input signals, perform multiple RF operations on the multiple RF input signals, and output processed RF output signals to multiple output circuits.

Abstract: A system and method compensates for temperature in a signal path of an antenna array. The signal path includes an antenna element, a first phase shifter or a time delay unit, and a first variable gain power amplifier. The system and method can provide at least one of a local temperature signal, a remote temperature signal, and both the local temperature signal and the remote temperature signal to a slope control circuit, and provide a phase control signal or a gain control signal using the slope control circuit at least partially in response to the at least one of the local temperature signal, the remote temperature signal, and both the local temperature signal and the remote temperature signal.

Abstract: A circuit includes an electrical gain element, a variable reactance element, and a controller. The electrical gain element is arranged to receive and change an amplitude of a signal over a set frequency range. The variable reactance element is connected to the electrical gain element. The controller is configured to control the variable reactance element to have a reactance such that the electrical gain element has a set gain slope as a function of signal frequency over the set frequency range.

Abstract: A phase shifter including two or more amplifiers having transistors with approximately linear transconductance to current relationships. The phase shifter also includes one or more loads connected to the transistors of the amplifiers and configured to adjust the gain of the amplifiers by varying the transconductance of the transistors.

Abstract: A system and method uses an active manifold for an antenna array. The manifold can be assembled by a method including providing a first set of cards including a first set of antenna elements and a corresponding number of integrated circuit based time delay units or phase shifters for the first set of antenna elements. The first set of antenna elements is associated with a row of the antenna array. The method also includes providing a second set of cards including a second set of antenna elements and a corresponding number of integrated circuit based time delay units or phase shifters for the second set of antenna elements. The second set of antenna elements is associated with a column of the antenna array.

Abstract: A system and method compensates for temperature in a signal path of an antenna array. The signal path includes an antenna element, a first phase shifter or a time delay unit, and a first variable gain power amplifier. The system and method can provide at least one of a local temperature signal, a remote temperature signal, and both the local temperature signal and the remote temperature signal to a slope control circuit, and provide a phase control signal or a gain control signal using the slope control circuit at least partially in response to the at least one of the local temperature signal, the remote temperature signal, and both the local temperature signal and the remote temperature signal.

Abstract: A phase shifter component is described. Inputs are arranged to selectively receive an inphase component of an in-phase (I) signal or an outphase I signal 180° out of phase with the inphase I signal, and to selectively receive an inphase component of a quadrature-phase (Q) signal or an outphase Q signal 180° out of phase with the inphase Q signal. A first gain portion includes only two transistor elements arranged to amplify the received outphase or inphase I signal. A second gain portion includes only two transistor elements arranged to amplify the received outphase or inphase Q signal. The first and second gain portions are configured to control the gain of the received outphase or inphase I signal and the received outphase or inphase Q signal, respectively, to provide a composite output signal with a desired phase shift between 0° and 360°.

Abstract: A circuit includes a de-Qing network coupled in parallel between a first and a second series-coupled reactive network. The de-Qing network is sized to lower the quality factor of the second reactive network. The first reactive network is a low valued inductor, which is sized for modifying high frequency signals. The second reactive network is a high valued inductor, which is sized for modifying low frequency signals. The de-Qing network can be a resistor or combination of resistors, inductors, and capacitors.

Abstract: An active ring mixer circuit for use in a receive or transmit channel of an RF radio. The circuit comprises plural transistor pairs arranged in a ring and biased into an active or saturation region. A first input is adapted to receive an RF signal. The first input is electrically combined with the plural transistor pairs to provide negative feedback to the plural transistor pairs. A second input electrically combined with the plural transistor pairs is adapted to receive a local oscillator signal. An output of the mixer is adapted to provide a mixed signal from the plural transistor pairs. Advantageously, the mixer circuit induces little low frequency spurs that may interfere with radio operation and has significantly reduced power consumption, lower noise figure, and good balance.

Abstract: Electronically scanned arrays and multi-chip modules (MCMs) that may be used in such arrays are provided. One MCM may include a set of one or more first semiconductor components and a plurality of second semiconductor components. The first semiconductor component set is coupled to the plurality of second semiconductor components, and the first semiconductor component set is configured to control the plurality of second semiconductor components. Each of the plurality of second semiconductor components is accessible through a plurality of data strings providing communication between the first semiconductor component set and the plurality of second semiconductor components, each data string defining a unique path between the first semiconductor component set and the plurality of second semiconductor components, such that the plurality of data strings provide redundant data paths between the first semiconductor component set and the plurality of second semiconductor components.

Abstract: A transistor cell can be modeled as a transistor with a collector, a base, and an emitter operating with a current at the collector to produce a minimum transconductance in the transistor cell that increases a current gain and improves at least one operating characteristic of the transistor cell. The operating characteristics include bandwidth, gain, and output power.

Abstract: A receiver includes an interface for translating an optical signal into two differential electrical signals for a first amplifier. The first amplifier modifies the two differential electrical signals to produce a first signal that is the amplitude of difference between the two differential electrical signals, which contains the information from the optical signal. A variable gain track and hold amplifier (VGTHA) receives the first signal and a clock signal and provides a conditioned analog signal for digital processing. A clock source provides the clock signal, which is aligned with the peak amplitude of the first signal.

Abstract: A reconfigurable filter includes a splitter for providing an input signal on a plurality of paths. A first path includes a first filter section that can be configured as either a tunable band pass filter with a shunt-connected fixed inductor or a tunable notch filter with a fixed inductor in parallel with a tunable varactor, either of which can be responsive to a control signal. A second path is an all pass section that provides an unfiltered signal. A combiner is provided for combining the first filtered signal with the unfiltered signal for producing a composite signal. The unfiltered signal can have its gain or phase modified in either or both the splitter or the combiner.

Abstract: A phase shifter includes a power splitter to split an RF signal into two separate signals. A true time delay (TTD) device is combined to the power splitter to receive one of the two separate signals and delay such signal in time to provide a time-delayed component signal. A first amplifier is combined to the power splitter to modify the other separate signal and a second amplifier is combined to the TTD device to modify the time-delayed component signal. A combiner is combined to both the first and the second amplifiers to combine the modified signal and the modified time-delayed component signal. The phase of the modified signal remains substantially the same with respect to the RF signal and the phase of the modified time-delayed component signal is ninety-degrees from the RF signal.

Abstract: An active combiner can have multiple output sections each with a corresponding input section or a single output section with multiple input sections. The output section can switch between mixer and amplifier modes, with or without variable gain, to modify an input signal from the input section. The input section has a sufficiently high impedance to substantially block the RF signal from other input sections from entering any of the other input sections. The output section has a sufficiently low impedance to receive the RF signal from the input sections.

Abstract: A dynamic bias circuit for an active RF circuit includes an RF sensor coupled to the input port of the active RF circuit to sense the amplitude of the incoming RF signal. A control circuit is coupled to the RF sensor and a bias source. The bias signal to the active circuit is dynamically adjusted by summing the amplitude of the incoming RF signal with the nominal DC signal from the bias source. As the power in the incoming RF signal increase, so to does the bias signal to the active circuit, which allows the active RF circuit to increase its linear range of operation in the presence of stronger signals. The active circuit is designed such that its gain and phase behavior is nearly constant over large bias adaptation ranges without distortion when bias adjustments are dynamically made to the active circuit.

Abstract: An RF amplifier suitable for use in an RF transceiver has a circuit including a first transistor pair with the collector of each coupled to one of the two differential output nodes and a common base. A pair of Ft doublers is provided with the emitter of each Ft doubler coupled to one of the transistors in the first transistor pair. Each Ft doubler has a common emitter and a base coupled to one of the differential input nodes. As such, the first transistor pair and the Ft doubler pair are cascode-coupled to provide a wide bandwidth, high gain, and high input impedance RF amplifier.