Stmicroelectronics S.a.

Centre National De La Recherche Scientifique

Universitë De Bordeaux

Institut Polytechnique De Bordeaux

Thales

Alcatel

Agence Spatiale Europeenne

Stmicroelectronics France

Eric Kerherve

Didier Belot

Vincent Knopik

Yann Deval

Jeremie Forest

Pierre Jarry

Jean-Marie Pham

Alexandre Augusto Shirakawa

Andreia Cathelin

Pierre Jary

Nathalie Deltimple

Moustapha El Hassan

Yves Mancuso

Boris Moret

Pascal Cornic

Patrick Garrec

Stéphane Kemkemian

Alexandre Shirakawa

Andreas Kaiser

Jean-Baptiste Begueret

Anthony Ghiotto

Yannick Latouche

Marco Guglielmi

Serge Vigneron

Florian Voineau

Andrea Cathelin

Nejdat Demirel

Benoît Mallet-Guy

Jean Gorisse

Andréia Cathelin

Laurent Leyssenne

Nicolas Delaunay

Victor Dupuy

Nicolas Boutheiller

Bernardo Leite

F Andreia Cathelin

In an embodiment method for detecting the phase of an analog signal via a hybrid coupler operating in a power-combiner mode, the hybrid coupler comprises a first input intended to receive the analog signal, a second input intended to receive a reference signal having a reference phase and the same frequency as the analog signal, and two outputs, and is configured to generate, at these two outputs, a first output signal and a second output signal, respectively. The embodiment method comprises measuring peak values of the analog signal, of the reference signal, and of at least one of the first and second output signals, calculating the phase shift between the phase of the analog signal and the reference phase depending on the measured peak values, and determining the phase of the analog signal depending on the calculated phase shift and the reference phase.

Method and device for detecting the phase of a signal via a hybrid coupler, using a reference phase

In an embodiment method, a hybrid coupler comprises a first input receiving an analog signal, a second input receiving an additional analog signal phase shifted by 90&#xb0; from the analog signal, and first and second outputs. The method comprises injecting into the second output a test signal having an initial test phase, iteratively generating a current test phase for the test signal, from the initial test phase to a final test phase equal to the initial test phase increased by at least one portion of one complete revolution, and, in each iteration, measuring the current peak value of the first output, and storing the current test phase and the current peak value as a maximum/minimum peak value if there is not a stored maximum/minimum peak value higher/lower than the current peak value, respectively, and determining a phase of the analog signal from the stored test phase.

Method and device for detecting the phase of a signal via a hybrid coupler, using a test signal

A hybrid coupler operating in a power divider mode includes two inputs, two outputs, a capacitive module coupled between the inputs and the outputs or on each input and each output. The capacitive module has an adjustable capacitive value making it possible to adjust the central frequency. A calibration method includes: delivering a first reference signal having a first reference frequency on the first input of the hybrid coupler, measuring the peak value of a first signal delivered to the first output of the coupler and measuring the peak value of a second signal delivered to the second output of the coupler. The two peak values are compared and an adjustment of the capacitive value of the capacitive module is made until an equality of the peak values is obtained to within a tolerance.

Method and device for calibrating a hybrid coupler

Disclosed is an assembly for the propagation of waves of frequencies between 1 GHz and 10 THz, including: (a) a waveguide to guide the waves, the waveguide being produced from a plastic material, a part of the waves propagating inside this waveguide and another part of the waves propagating outside this waveguide; and (b) a protective covering which surrounds the waveguide delimiting one or more spaces between the waveguide and the covering, in which space or spaces the waves propagating outside the waveguide are contained, the protective covering thus forming a barrier to protect these waves from external disturbances.

Assembly for the propagation of waves in the frequency range between 1 GHz and 10 THz

A 90&#xb0; hybrid inductive-capacitive coupling stage includes two first stage terminals capable of forming two stage inputs or two stage outputs and two second stage terminals capable of respectively forming two stage outputs or two stage inputs. The coupling stage is advantageously modular having a first stage axis of symmetry and a second stage axis of symmetry orthogonal to each other with neighboring inductive metal tracks being overlaid in at least one crossing region to form both an inductive circuit and a capacitive circuit. The metal tracks are coupled to the first stage terminals and to the second stage terminals such that the two first stage terminals are situated on one side of the first stage axis of symmetry and the two second stage terminals are situated on the other side of the first stage axis of symmetry.

Integrated coupling device, in particular of the 90&#xb0; hybrid type

This transformer includes primary and secondary tracks () that are coupled to one another by mutual inductance, the primary and secondary tracks being superimposed on top of each other in two parallel planes while being arranged to follow the same contour (C), the plane of the primary track corresponding to the main conductive layer of the circuit, said layer being deposited on a substrate (), and the secondary track being supported, plumb with the primary track, by supporting means including walls (--), each wall bearing directly on the substrate and against a lower surface () of the secondary track (), and having a length (L) larger than a width (I), and having a height allowing a predetermined interval to be created between an upper surface () of the primary track () and the lower surface () of the secondary track ().

Transformer for a circuit in MMIC technology

A method is provided for controlling the matching of an antenna to a transmission path. The transmission path includes an amplifier stage coupled at an input or at an output to the antenna and to a resistive load. The method includes performing a checking phase by measuring a first current temperature at or in proximity of the antenna and a second current temperature at or in proximity of the resistive load, triggering a matching of the impedance seen at the input or at the output of the amplifier stage in the presence of a first condition involving the first and second current temperatures, and then stopping the matching of the impedance in the presence of a second condition involving the second current temperature.

Method of controlling the adaptation of an antenna to a transmission path, and corresponding device

An input signal amplification system comprises at least two different means of amplifying input signals in order to obtain amplified signals. It also comprises at least one means of summing amplified signals, and dynamic means of activating or deactivating one or more of the amplifying means based on input signals.

Signal amplification system

The invention concerns a circuit for multi-standard wireless RF transmission comprising: input circuitry (to) for generating a transmission signal (I(t), Q(t)) based on an input data signal (I, Q); a power amplifier () adapted to amplify said transmission signal to provide an output signal (S(t)) for transmission via at least one antenna; and feedback circuitry (to) comprising at least one variable low-pass filter () for generating a feedback signal (I, Q) based on said output signal, wherein said input circuitry further comprises pre-distortion circuitry () adapted to modify said input data signal (I, Q) based on said feedback signal.

Multi-standard wireless transmitter

A filtering circuit with BAW type acoustic resonators having at least a first quadripole and a second quadripole connected in cascade, each quadripole having a branch series with a first acoustic resonator of type BAW and a branch parallel with each branch having an acoustic resonator of type BAW, the first acoustic resonator having a frequency of resonance series approximately equal to the frequency of parallel resonance of the second acoustic resonator, the branch parallel of the first quadripole having a first capacitance connected in series with the second resonator and, in parallel with the capacitance, a first switching transistor to short circuit the capacitance.

Bulk acoustic wave resonator filter being digitally reconfigurable, with process

A logarithmic analog to digital conversion method for an analog input signal includes a logarithmic amplification with progressive compression of the input signal delivering a sequence of several secondary analog signals. The trend of the values of at least some of the secondary signals is a function of the values of the analog input signal including regions corresponding to a linear trend of the secondary signals as a function of that of the input signal expressed in a logarithmic scale. The method also includes a comparison of at least some of the secondary signals of the sequence with a common reference signal whose value lies within each of regions, supplying a thermometric code information item, and a generation of a first digital word from the thermometric code information item.

Logarithmic analog/digital conversion method for an analog input signal, and corresponding device

A bulk acoustic wave resonator has an adjustable resonance frequency. A piezoelectric element is provided having first and second electrodes. A switching element is provided in the form of a MEMS structure which is deformable between a first and second position. The switching element forms an additional electrode that is selectively disposed on top of, and in contact with, one of the first and second electrodes. This causes a total thickness of the electrode of the resonator to be changed resulting in a modification of the resonance frequency of the resonator.

Bulk acoustic wave resonator with adjustable resonance frequency and use of such a resonator in the field of telephony

A radiofrequency signal power amplification circuit may include a signal input for receiving the radiofrequency signal, an amplification stage coupled to the signal input and having at least one power transistor, a biasing stage for delivering a bias voltage to the amplification stage, and a processing stage. The processing stage may include a processing input coupled to the signal input, a processing output for delivering a bias current modulated at least in amplitude to the biasing stage, and an amplitude modulator coupled between the processing input and the processing output and configured to determine an envelope signal representative of the envelope of the radiofrequency signal, for modulating the amplitude of the envelope signal based on a variable voltage setpoint and for generating the amplitude-modulated bias current based on the modulated envelope signal.

Radiofrequency signal power amplification method and device

A filter with coupled resonator having a substrate; an acoustic mirror intended to support acoustic resonators, and to isolate these resonators from the substrate; a first structure with an upper resonator and a lower resonator coupled to one another through at least one layer of acoustic coupling; a second structure with an upper resonator and a lower resonator coupled to one another through at least one layer of acoustic coupling; the lower resonators of the first and second structure having the same electrodes. The first and second structures are connected via a fifth resonator for which electrodes and the piezoelectric layer of the lower resonators are of the first and second structure.

Filtering circuit with coupled acoustic resonators

A reconfigurable power amplifier includes at least one amplification circuit (E, E), and a circuit () for controlling the amplification circuit so as to adapt its operation according to an applied input signal (RF). The circuit for controlling includes a circuit () for modifying the compression point of the amplification circuit and for adapting the gain of the amplification circuit in such a manner as to increase the power added efficiency of the circuit for the modified compression point.

Growing community of inventors

Talence, France

Eric Kerherve