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 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 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 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 receiver for wireless communication. The receiver includes a demodulator and at least one filtering mechanism coupled to the demodulator, and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) coupled to the filtering mechanism. The filtering mechanism can be configured to function as a low-pass filter (LPF) or a band-pass filter (BPF), thereby enabling the receiver to function as a direct-conversion receiver or a low-intermediate frequency (low-IF) receiver.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a transmitter for wireless communication. The transmitter includes a wideband tunable modulator, a number of power amplifiers with a particular power amplifier associated with a particular frequency range, and a wideband power amplifier (PA) driver. The PA driver is configured to receive an output signal from the wideband tunable modulator, amplify the output signal, and send the amplified output signal to at least one of the power amplifiers.

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 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 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 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 provides a receiver for wireless communication. The receiver includes a group of band-pass filters (BPFs), a wideband amplifier coupled to the BPFs, and a tunable demodulator coupled to the wideband amplifier. A particular BPF is configured to filter RF signals at a particular frequency band. The wideband amplifier is configured to amplify the filtered RF signals. The tunable demodulator is configured to demodulate the amplified RF signals.

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.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a synthesizer. The synthesizer includes one or more tunable oscillators, a frequency-dividing circuit coupled to the tunable oscillators, and a multiplexer coupled to the frequency-dividing circuit. The frequency-dividing circuit includes a number of frequency dividers, and is configured to generate a number of frequency-dividing outputs. At least one frequency-dividing output has a different frequency division factor.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a quadrature-mixing transmitter for wireless communication. The transmitter includes a quadrature modulator comprising an in-phase (I) channel and a quadrature (Q) channel, a calibration-signal generator configured to generate calibration signals that are sent to the I channel and the Q channel, and a calibration circuit configured to calibrate an imbalance between the I channel and the Q channel. The modulator, the calibration-signal generator, and the calibration circuit are located on a same integrated circuit (IC) chip, thereby facilitating on-chip calibration of the imbalance between the I channel and the Q channel.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a receiver for wireless communication. The receiver includes a group of band-pass filters (BPFs), a wideband amplifier coupled to the BPFs, and a tunable demodulator coupled to the wideband amplifier. A particular BPF is configured to filter RF signals at a particular frequency band. The wideband amplifier is configured to amplify the filtered RF signals. The tunable demodulator is configured to demodulate the amplified RF signals.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a receiver for wireless communication. The receiver includes a demodulator and at least one filtering mechanism coupled to the demodulator, and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) coupled to the filtering mechanism. The filtering mechanism can be configured to function as a low-pass filter (LPF) or a band-pass filter (BPF), thereby enabling the receiver to function as a direct-conversion receiver or a low-intermediate frequency (low-IF) receiver.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a transmitter for wireless communication. The transmitter includes a wideband tunable modulator, a number of power amplifiers with a particular power amplifier associated with a particular frequency range, and a wideband power amplifier (PA) driver. The PA driver is configured to receive an output signal from the wideband tunable modulator, amplify the output signal, and send the amplified output signal to at least one of the power amplifiers.