Infineon Technologies Ag

Freescale Semiconductor,inc.

Nxp USA, Inc.

Hao Li

Herbert Knapp

Saverio Trotta

Rainer Stuhlberger

Herbert Jaeger

Florian Starzer

Yi Yin

Oliver Frank

Josef Kulmer

Karl Dominizi

Jonas Wursthorn

Patrick Hoelzl

Jonas Kammerer

Didier Salle

Gunther Kraut

Ernst Seler

Hugues Beaulaton

Gilles Montoriol

Thierry Cassagnes

Pierre Pascal Savary

Christophe Landez

Robert Gach

Akbar Ghazinour

Stephane Colomines

Manoj Kurvathodil

Jidan Al-Eryani

Yin Yi

Peter Wennekers

Oleksiy Klymenko

A method of operating a monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) in a radar transmitter includes: sending a radio frequency (RF) signal to a power amplifier of the radar transmitter, where the power amplifier is controlled by a termination control signal, where when the termination control signal is de-asserted, the power amplifier is configured to pass the RF signal through the power amplifier for transmission by an RF antenna, where when the termination control signal is asserted, the power amplifier is configured to terminate the RF signal in the power amplifier; transmitting the RF signal by de-asserting the termination control signal; and after de-asserting the termination control signal, disabling transmission of the RF signal by: reducing a power of the RF signal; and asserting the termination control signal.

Transmit power reduction for radio frequency transmitters

A method for the use in a radar system is described herein. In accordance with one implementation, the method includes providing a local oscillator signal to a transmit channel of a radar chip. The transmit channel generates an RF output signal based on the local oscillator signal. An internal RF test signal is generated by applying the local oscillator signal to the transmit channel. First and second phase values are determined for a first and a second value of an influence parameter of the radar chip based on internal measurements of the first and second phase values. Third and fourth phase values are determined for the first and second values of the influence parameter, respectively, based on the RF output signal. A calibration parameter is calculated based on the first, second, third, and fourth phase values and is used to estimate a phase of the RF output signal.

End-of line phase calibration of radar devices

According to a first example implementation, the method comprises providing a local oscillator signal in a first radar chip based on a local oscillator signal generated in a further radar chip; supplying the local oscillator signal to a transmission channel of the first radar chip which, based on the local oscillator signal, generates an HF output signal; changing the temperature and/or supply voltage of the first radar chip; measuring phase values based on the local oscillator signal supplied to the transmission channel and of the corresponding HF output signal for different temperature values and/or for different supply voltage values of the first radar chip; and ascertaining calibration data based on the measured phase values for a phase calibration to compensate for changes in the phase of the HF output signal resulting from a change in the temperature and/or in the supply voltage.

Ascertainment of calibration data to take temperature and voltage dependency of the HF radar signal phases in a radar system into consideration

A radar monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) includes a first transmission channel configured to output a first continuous-wave transmit signal based on a local oscillator signal having a first frequency; a first phase shifter provided on the first transmission channel and configured to apply a first phase setting to the first continuous-wave transmit signal to generate a first transmit signal having the first frequency; a first transmit monitoring signal path configured to couple out a portion of the first transmit signal from the first transmission channel as a first transmit monitoring signal; a frequency multiplier configured to receive a test signal and convert it into a multiplied test signal having a second frequency, where the first and the second frequencies are separated by a frequency offset; and a down-conversion mixer configured to mix the multiplied test signal and the first transmit monitoring signal to generate a first mixer output signal.

Phase, phase noise, and slave mode measurement for millimeter wave integrated circuits on automatic test equipment

A cascaded radar sensor arrangement is disclosed. The arrangement includes a first buffer and a second buffer. The first buffer is within a first radar chip and includes a switch and is configured to mitigate a first leakage signal in the disabled mode. The second buffer is within a second radar chip and has a disabled mode. The second radar chip is cascaded with the first radar chip. A control unit is coupled to the first radar chip and the second radar chip and is configured to set the disabled mode for the first buffer.

Systems and methods for cascading radar chips having a low leakage buffer

One exemplary embodiment of the present invention relates to a circuit that includes at least one RF signal path for an RF signal and at least one power sensor, which is coupled to the RF signal path and configured to generate a sensor signal representing the power of the RF signal during normal operation of the circuit. The circuit further includes a circuit node for receiving an RF test signal during calibration operation of the circuit. The circuit node is coupled to the at least one power sensor, so that the at least one power sensor receives the RF test signal additionally or alternatively to the RF signal and generates the sensor signal as representing the power of the RF test signal.

RF front-end with power sensor calibration

An on-chip power sensor and a millimeter-wave communication device (e.g. transmitter or transceiver) on a chip including the on-chip power sensor are described. The millimeter-wave communication device can also include a coupler disposed on a transmit path, the coupler being configured to receive a transmit signal and to provide the transmit signal to an antenna connection (e.g. pad). The on-chip power sensor can be configured to receive a coupled portion of the transmit signal from the coupler, and measure a transmit power of the transmit signal based on the coupled portion of the transmit signal.

Power sensor for integrated circuits

An on-chip power sensor and a millimeter-wave transmitter on a chip including the on-chip power sensor are described. The millimeter-wave transmitter can also include a coupler disposed on a transmit path, the coupler being configured to receive a transmit signal and to provide the transmit signal to an antenna. The on-chip power sensor can be configured to receive a coupled portion of the transmit signal from the coupler, and measure a transmit power of the transmit signal based on the coupled portion of the transmit signal.

A radar device includes a RF signal source, two or more antenna interface units, a feed network, and a control unit. The RF signal source is arranged to provide a RF signal; each of the antenna interface units includes an antenna port and one of the following: an amplifier and a mixer; the feed network includes two or more buffers, each buffer has an active and an inactive state; the control unit is arranged to generate or receive a selection signal which specifies none, one, or more of the antenna interface units as active antenna interface units and the remaining antenna interface units as inactive antenna interface units; the control unit is arranged to activate and deactivate the buffers in dependence on the selection signal so as to feed the RF signal to the none, one, or more active antenna interface units and not to the inactive antenna interface units.

Radar device and method of operating a radar device

A voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) comprising a first supply node, a second supply node, an oscillation transistor, a biasing network, an output node and a feedback network is described. The VCO is be powered by a supply voltage applied across the first and second supply nodes. The oscillation transistor and the biasing network are connected in series between the first supply node and the second supply node. The output node is connected to the oscillation transistor so as to deliver an oscillatory output signal. The feedback network provides an oscillatory feedback signal from the output node to the biasing network. The feedback network comprises a capacitive element and a transmission line connected in series for transferring the feedback signal. The VCO may be integrated in a radar device, for example.

Voltage controlled oscillator

The disclosure provides an oscillator circuit for a voltage controlled oscillator. The oscillator circuit includes first and second coupled transmission lines, wherein the oscillator circuit is configured to provide a variable load impedance at a first end of a signal line of the first transmission line such that a variable inductance is provided between first and second ends of a signal line of the second transmission line in dependence on the variable load impedance. The oscillator circuit is configured to adjust the variable inductance provided between the first and second ends of the signal line of the second transmission line by adjusting the variable load impedance provided at the first end of the signal line of the first transmission line, wherein the variable inductance provided between the first and second ends of the signal line of the second transmission line constitutes a frequency determining element of the oscillator circuit.

Oscillator circuit

A transmitter is provided that comprises an oscillator, a power amplifier, and a heating element. The power amplifier generates a high power signal according to the low power signal. The transmitter may be operated such that a heat production rate of the group consisting of the power amplifier and the heating element is substantially constant. The heating element may be a dummy power amplifier. A method of operating a transmitter is also disclosed.

Transmitter and method of operating a transmitter

A push-push oscillator circuit with a first oscillation branch with a first active device and a first tank adapted to provide a signal having a fundamental frequency f, a second oscillation branch with a second active device and a second tank symmetrical to the first oscillation branch and adapted to provide a signal having the fundamental frequency f. Output branches are coupled to the first oscillation branch and the second oscillation branch to provide signals having the second harmonic frequency 2fof the fundamental signal based on the signals having the fundamental frequency fand/or to provide signals having the fundamental frequency f; The push-push oscillator circuit further comprises at least one terminal branch with a terminal adapted to provide a component of a differential signal having the second harmonic frequency 2for the fundamental frequency f. The at least one terminal branch comprises a RF stub.

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Poing, Germany

Hao Li