Imec Vzw

Imec

Kristof Vaesen

Akshay Visweswaran

Pierre Wambacq

Piet Wambacq

Siddhartha Sinha

Vojkan Vidojkovic

Example embodiments relate to transmitter-receiver leakage suppression in integrated radar systems. One embodiment includes a front-end for a radar system. The front-end includes a transmit path that includes a power amplifier and a transmit antenna. The transmit path is configured to transmit a transmit signal. The front-end also includes a receive path that includes a receive antenna and a low-noise amplifier. The receive path is configured to receive at least a leakage from the transmit path. The receive path is configured to generate an amplified signal of the leakage. Further, the front-end also includes a reference path. In addition, the front-end includes a compensation unit in the reference path. The compensation unit is configured to generate compensation for a leakage path between the transmit path and the receive path. The compensation unit is configured to apply the generated compensation to the reference signal to generate a compensated reference signal.

Transmitter-receiver leakage suppression in integrated radar systems

A multi-chip system is configured as an antenna array. The multi-chip system includes at least two transmitting sets distributed over one or more transmitting chips, where the transmitting sets each include an integrated transmitting antenna and an integrated up-conversion circuit. The multi-chip system further includes at least two receiving chips, where the receiving chips each include at least one integrated receiving antenna and at least one integrated down-conversion circuit.

Multi-chip system for an antenna array

A device for phase shifting is disclosed, comprising an input amplifier, a biasing circuit, a first output amplifier and a second output amplifier being variable-gain amplifiers, and a quadrature hybrid coupler. The input amplifier is connected to an input port of the coupler, the first output amplifier is connected to a through port of the coupler, the second output amplifier is connected to a coupled port of the coupler, and the biasing circuit is connected to an isolated port of the coupler. The device also includes, the quadrature hybrid coupler configured to receive, at the input port, an input signal from the input amplifier, output, at the through port, a through signal, receive, at the isolated port, a bias signal from the biasing circuit, and output, at the coupled port, a coupled signal having a phase differing from a phase of the through signal.

RF phase shifting device

A coupling element is disclosed, comprising four coils that are arranged such that each one of the coils extends both in a first layer and a second layer. The first layer and the second layer are stacked with respect to each other and separated by an intermediate dielectric layer. The layout of each layer is configured to provide a transformer coupling between a first one and a third one of the coils, and between a second one and a fourth one of the coils. Further, the first coil and the second coil, and the third coil and the fourth coil, respectively, are routed so as to allow a differential signaling. A semiconductor device and a differential hybrid coupler comprising the coupling element are also disclosed.

Coupling element for differential hybrid coupler

The present disclosure relates to a front-end system for a radio device, the front-end system comprising a low-noise amplifier (LNA), arranged for receiving a radio frequency input signal (RF) and arranged for outputting an amplified radio frequency signal (RF), wherein the low-noise amplifier comprises a first differential amplifier, and a mixer (MIX), arranged for down-converting the amplified radio signal (RF) provided by the low-noise amplifier (LNA) to a baseband signal (BB), by multiplying the amplified radio signal (RF) with a local oscillator (LO) frequency tone, said low-noise amplifier (LNA) and said mixer (MIX) being inductively coupled.

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Mortsel, Belgium

Kristof Vaesen