Imec Vzw

Imec

Barend Van Liempd

Jonathan Borremans

Benjamin Hershberg

Benjamin Poris Hershberg

A tunable impedance network includes at least one variable impedance bank comprising a plurality of digitally controlled unit cells each connected from at least a first end to a routing wire. The tunable impedance network is provided with selection means arranged for selecting, based on a desired impedance, a corresponding predetermined digital control signal to be supplied to the variable impedance bank to switch-on a corresponding combination of the unit cells. Between each pair of unit cells in the variable impedance bank, a routing wire section is provided having a respective routing impedance. Each of the predetermined digital control signals is provided for switching-on a combination of unit cells in such a way that the routing impedance of the routing wire section is exploited to fine-tune the actual impedance generated by the variable impedance bank.

Integrated tunable impedance network

A tunable impedance network and a method for tuning the tunable impedance network are disclosed. In one aspect, the tunable impedance network comprises a plurality of transformers connected in series. Each transformer has a primary winding and a secondary winding. The transformers have a voltage transformation ratio of N:1 with N&#x3e;1. An impedance structure, acting as a resonant circuit together with the inductance of the secondary winding, is connected at the secondary winding of each transformer. A control circuit or processor is configured to tune the imaginary part of at least one of the impedance structures so as to change its resonance frequency to mimic a reference impedance. The control circuit is further configured to tune the real part of at least one of the impedance structures so as to change its Q-factor to mimic the reference impedance.

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Leuven, Belgium

Barend Van Liempd