Abstract: A method and apparatus for use in a digitally tuning a capacitor in an integrated circuit device is described. A Digitally Tuned Capacitor DTC is described which facilitates digitally controlling capacitance applied between a first and second terminal. In some embodiments, the first terminal comprises an RF+ terminal and the second terminal comprises an RF? terminal. In accordance with some embodiments, the DTCs comprise a plurality of sub-circuits ordered in significance from least significant bit (LSB) to most significant bit (MSB) sub-circuits, wherein the plurality of significant bit sub-circuits are coupled together in parallel, and wherein each sub-circuit has a first node coupled to the first RF terminal, and a second node coupled to the second RF terminal. The DTCs further include an input means for receiving a digital control word, wherein the digital control word comprises bits that are similarly ordered in significance from an LSB to an MSB.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a piezo-electrically actuated membrane (ex.—a tuner) configured for use with a tunable cavity filter. The piezo-electrically actuated tuner may be formed of printed circuit board materials and may be placed over the cavities of the tunable cavity filter. Further, the piezo-electrically actuated tuner may promote high level performance of the tunable cavity filter, while allowing the tunable cavity filter to be tunable across wide bands.

Abstract: Disclosed are one-port and two-port voltage-tunable micro-electromechanical capacitors, switches, and filter devices. High aspect-ratio metal micromachining is used to implement very high quality factor (Q) tunable and fixed capacitors, fixed inductors, and low insertion loss tunable and fixed bandpass LC filters. The tunable capacitors can move in the plane of the substrate by the application of DC voltages and achieve greater than 100% of tuning. A combination of low-loss substrate and highest conductivity metal is used to achieve record high Q and low insertion loss at radio frequencies. The disclosed tunable capacitor structure can also be used as a micromechanical switch.

Abstract: Exemplary embodiments are directed to a programmable varactor device. A varactor device may include an input device configured to receive a tuning voltage and generate a bias voltage at least partially dependent on the tuning voltage. The varactor device may also include a varactor pair coupled to the input device and having a first variable capacitor and a second variable capacitor, wherein each of the first variable capacitor and a second variable capacitor are configured for operable coupling to each of the bias voltage and the tuning voltage.

Abstract: A metamaterial comprises a support medium, such as a planar dielectric substrate and a plurality of resonant circuits supported thereby. At least one resonant circuit is a tunable resonant circuit including a conducting pattern and a voltage-tunable capacitor, so that an electromagnetic parameter (such as resonance frequency) may be adjusted using an electrical control signal. In some examples of the present invention, the voltage-tunable capacitor includes a MEMS structure.

Abstract: A tunable element in the microwave frequency range is described that may include one or more tunable elements that are directly digitally controlled by a digital bus connecting a digital control circuit to each controlled element. In particular, each digital signal is filtered by a digital isolation technique so that the signal reaches the tunable elements with very low noise. The low noise digital signals are then converted to analog control voltages. The direct D/A conversion is accomplished by a special D/A converter which is manufactured as an integral part of a substrate. This D/A converter in accordance with the invention may consist of a resistor ladder or a directly digitally controlled capacitor. The direct digitally controlled capacitor may be a cantilevered type capacitor having multiple separate electrodes or sub-plates representing binary bits that may be used to control the capacitor.

Abstract: A semiconductor torsional micro-electromechanical (MEM) switch is described having a conductive movable control electrode; an insulated semiconductor torsion beam attached to the movable control electrode, the insulated torsion beam and the movable control electrode being parallel to each other; and a movable contact attached to the insulated torsion beam, wherein the combination of the insulated torsion beam and the control electrode is perpendicular to the movable contact. The torsional MEM switch is characterized by having its control electrodes substantially perpendicular to the switching electrodes. The MEM switch may also include multiple controls to activate the device to form a single-pole, single-throw switch or a multiple-pole, multiple-throw switch. The method of fabricating the torsional MEM switch is fully compatible with the CMOS manufacturing process.

Abstract: The invention relates to a resonator (200,300) with variable resonance frequency, intended for connection to an amplifier, thus forming an oscillator, said resonator comprising a resonator circuit (205,305) for deciding the resonance frequency of the resonator and the oscillator, said resonator circuit comprising an inductance (L), a variable capacitance (Cj), and means (Vtune) for varying the capacitance. The resonator also comprises connection means (C1, Ck; C1, Ck, C2) for connecting the resonator to an amplifier. The resonator is provided with means (Vtune) for varying the capacitance of the connection means in proportion to the variation of the capacitance (Cj) of the resonator circuit. Preferably, the means (Vtune) for varying the capacitance (Ck) of the connection means are arranged such that an essentially constant relationship (Ck/Cj) is maintained between the capacitance (Ck) of the connection means and the first capacitance (Cj) of the resonator across all resonance frequencies.

Abstract: A MEM capacitor having a capacitance plate nearer a movable plate than a separate bias plate. Voltage potential between the bias plate and movable plate determines the value of capacitance between the movable plate and the capacitance plate. In a preferred MEM capacitor, the movable plate is suspended over two fixed plates, a bias plate and a capacitance plate. The movable plate is disposed opposite both the bias plate and the capacitance plate. A distance between opposing surfaces of the capacitance plate and the movable plate is less than a distance between the bias plate and the capacitance plate. Preferably, the relative difference in distances between the plates is accomplished by a mechanically suspended movable plate that is shaped to have portions in at least two separate planes.

Abstract: A variable frequency oscillator (VFO) circuit having an increased frequency tuning range to selectively obtain operating frequencies above and below a set frequency. The circuit includes a tank inductor connected in parallel with a tank capacitor for primarily defining the set oscillating frequency of the VFO circuit. A switchable capacitor is included for selectively providing a predetermined step-wise decrease of the oscillating frequency to a frequency value below the set frequency of the circuit, and a varactor is included for accommodating selective tuning of the oscillating frequency within a range of frequency values below the set frequency. The inventive circuit selectively includes a switchable inductance element which is selectively electromagnetically coupled to the tank inductor to decrease the overall inductance value of the VFO circuit and, thereby, selectively increase the oscillating frequency above the set frequency value.

Abstract: A high-Q precision integrated reversibly trimmable singleband oscillator and tunable multiband oscillator are presented that overcome the problems laser trimming and solid state switches. This is accomplished using micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) technology to integrate an amplifier and its tunable LC network on a common substrate. The LC network can be configured to provide a very narrow bandwidth frequency response which peaks at one or more very specific predetermined frequencies without de-Qing the oscillator.

Abstract: A high-performance integrable tunable inductor includes a "primary" coil and a "drive" coil placed in close proximity to each other and simultaneously driven with primary and drive currents, respectively. The drive current induces mutual components of inductance in the primary coil which vary with the phase and amplitude relationship between the two currents. These relationships are controlled to precisely establish the impedance of the primary coil, allowing the inductor to be "tuned" to provide a desired inductance or resistance by simply varying the phase and amplitude relationships appropriately. Inductance values tunable over ranges of about 2:1 and Q values of nearly 2000 have been demonstrated. The primary coil can also be made to operate as a relatively large integrated capacitance by setting the phase and amplitude relationships appropriately.

Abstract: A high Q MEMS capacitor that can be continuously tuned with a large tuning ratio or reversibly trimmed using an electrostatic force. The tunable capacitor has a master/slave structure in which a control voltage is applied to the master (control) capacitor to set the capacitance of the slave (signal) capacitor to which an RF signal is applied via a suspended mechanical coupler. The master-slave structure reduces tuning error by reducing the signal capacitor's surface area and increasing its spring constant, and may eliminate the need for discrete blocking inductors by electrically isolating the control and signal capacitors. The trimmable capacitor provides an electrostatic actuator that selectively engages a stopper with teeth on a tunable capacitor structure to fix the trimmed capacitance.

Abstract: A high Q integrated inductor-capacitor (L-C) resonator (200) includes a planar inductor (201) having a plurality of turns and a serially connected first and second capacitor (205, 207) that is connected in parallel with the planar inductor (201). The first and second capacitors (205, 207) are positioned within at least one turn of the planar inductor (201) for reducing the parasitic interconnection resistance between the planar inductor (201) and first and second capacitor (205, 207) and also increasing the Q factor of the L-C resonator.

Abstract: A control circuit for tuning a high-frequency input circuit comprises, in addition to a first adjustable component 5 which is directly controlled by a control voltage, further adjustable components 6, 10 which are likewise under the influence of a control voltage UD and UR, respectively. In order to enable individual alignment of the further components in a simple manner, there is fed to the further controllable components 6, 10 via an electronic circuit arrangement 7 one correction voltage each, which supports or weakens the control voltage in its effect and effects the respectively required alignment. The correction voltages are dependent upon the control voltage UD which is fed solely to the first adjustable component 5.

Abstract: The invention relates to a circuit arrangement for a tuner, particularly a television tuner, for a change over switching between two frequency bands with the aid of a switching diode, said frequency bands, particularly the VHF band and the hyperband, being filtered out by means of bandpass filters (1,7). The bandpass filters have at their inputs and outputs capacitance diodes for the purpose of tuning. The filtered signals are applied to a common tunable circuit (15) on the secondary side of the bandpass filters. The bandpass filter for the hyperband is constructed and dimensioned such that the signal is switched through by means of a switching diode (83) arranged at the low end of the bandpass filter (1). When this diode (83) is conducting a smaller output reactance, whereas in the case of a blocking switching diode (83), this bandpass filter (1) cuts off the signal and has a larger output reactance.

Abstract: An electrical apparatus for use as a capacitor, solar cell, switching device, wave-shaper and the like. The apparatus comprises a first electrode, a first dielectric positioned proximate one side of the first electrode, a second electrode positioned proximate the first dielectric, a second dielectric positioned proximate one side of the second electrode, a third electrode positioned proximate the second dielectric and generally facing said one side of the second electrode, a third dielectric positioned proximate the non-facing side of the third electrode, a fourth electrode positioned proximate the third dielectric, means for connecting the first and fourth electrodes to a control circuit whereby an electrical potential is established between the first and fourth electrodes, and means for connecting the second and third electrodes to an external circuit whereby upon operation of the external circuit the second and third electrodes are connected in circuit.

Abstract: A compact and efficient design of a function switching and indication arrangement for a TV receiver or other communications apparatus is described. The functional setting, illustratively indicative of a selected one of a plurality of TV channels, is chosen by the depression of an associated one of a plurality of keys that are respectively connected to externally accessible first switching terminals of a corresponding number of transistorized binary multivibrators that are arranged in an integrated circuit. The outputs of the multivibrators are coupled, on the integrated circuit chip, to a corresponding plurality of multi-collector transistors, one of whose outputs is used to reset the multivibrators of the non-selected channels, and another of whose outputs is employed to set the selected channel itself.

Abstract: A receiver tuning circuit in which without operation of extra switches a change-over can be made from tuning by means of a continuously varying tuning voltage to tuning by means of one of a number of adjusted tuning voltages by using a capacitor controlled by an automatic tuning correction current source circuit for obtaining said voltage, and an automatic switch for applying the desired tuning voltages to this capacitor.

Abstract: A variable impedance circuit comprises an amplifier with a high input impedance and a high output impedance whose gain is variable in response to a control voltage, an emitter-follower transistor, and an impedance element adapted to feedback an output signal to an input terminal of the amplifier. The input terminal of the amplifier and the input terminal of the emitter-follower transistor are connected in common. The emitter-follower transistor has its output terminal connected in series with the output terminal of the amplifier through a load resistor. An impedance of the amplifier as viewed from its input terminal is multiplied by Miller effect and varied in value by the control signal to a great extent.