Rockwell Collins, Inc.

Robert Newgard

Mark M Mulbrook

Richard A Freeman

Roy W Berquist

Robert C Potter

Manas K Roy

Roy H Olsson

Kenneth Wojciechowski

David A Gribble

Jonathan A Lovseth

Vadim Olen

Joseph F Jiacinto

Joseph M Bohl

A cavity filter having a piezoelectric tuning element is tuned by determining a desired oscillating frequency for the piezoelectric tuning element and applying that frequency through a phase-locked loop. The phase-locked loop maintains the piezoelectric tuning element at the desired frequency.

Electronically tuned cavity filter

The present invention is a method for reducing phase noise in oscillator signals. For example, the oscillator may be a low phase noise MEMS-based oscillator and may include a resonator (ex.&#x2014;a MEMS resonator). Further, the resonator of the oscillator may be operated near a bifurcation point. Still further, the MEMS resonator may be parametrically pumped in such a way so as to redistribute the quadrature signal noise (ex.&#x2014;phase noise) to in-phase noise (ex.&#x2014;amplitude noise).

Low phase noise MEMS-based oscillator with bifurcation and parametric noise squeezing

The present invention is a Chip Scale Atomic Clock (CSAC)-enabled Time and Frequency Standard (CTFS) architecture. The CTFS architecture includes a microcontroller, a Time Compensated Crystal Oscillator (TCCO) circuit which is connected to the microcontroller, and a Chip Scale Atomic Clock (CSAC) which is connected to the microcontroller. The microcontroller is configured for selectively causing the CTFS to provide a TCCO circuit-based output frequency when the CTFS has not locked to a predetermined atomic resonance, and is further configured for causing the CTFS to provide a CSAC-based output frequency when the CTFS has locked to a predetermined atomic resonance.

Ruggedized chip scale atomic clock

The present invention is a MEMS-based broadband transceiver/sensor. A MEMS-based transceiver/sensor in accordance with the present invention may comprise: (a) an antenna; (b) a front-end triplexer block; (c) a plurality of N transceiving channels; and (d) an RF energy sensor. The front end triplexer block may comprise M triplexers, each triplexer having MEMS-based filters. The transceiving channels may each comprise: (i) a local oscillator; (ii) a mixer; (iii) a first N:1 MEMS-based switch; (iv) a plurality of N MEMS-based variable bandwidth bandpass filters; and (v) a second N:1 MEMS-based switch. The RF energy sensor may comprise: (vi) an M:1 MEMS-based switch; (vii) a local oscillator; (viii) a mixer; and (ix) a plurality of MEMS-based variable bandwidth bandpass filters.

MEMS-based broadband transceiver/sensor

The present invention is an apparatus for determining the phase difference between a reference frequency signal and an input signal. The frequency sampling phase detector of the present invention may include a phase detector coupled with sample and hold circuitry. The frequency sampling phase detector of the present invention may reduce the frequency of an input signal suitable for proportional and linear phase detection by the phase detector. Advantageously, the frequency sampling phase detector of the present invention may reduce power consumption over conventional phase detectors in combination with frequency dividers.

Frequency sampling phase detector

The present invention is directed to a highly-integrated MEMS-based miniaturized transceiver. The transceiver utilizes a low band front-end to direct sample low band signals and a high band front-end to translate high band signals that cannot be directly sampled to low band before low band front-end processing. The low band front-end comprises an array of High-Q MEMS (microelectromechanical systems)-based filters/resonators separated by isolation amplifiers in selectable cascade with narrower bandwidth filters. Dynamic tuning ability is provided through the isolation amplifiers and the sample frequency of the analog-to-digital converter. This architecture is amenable to monolithic fabrication. The input frequency range is scalable with analog-to-digital conversion sampling rate improvements. Re-utilization of filters is spatially efficient and cost effective. Tuning time is limited only by the analog-to-digital conversion and digital signal processing, not synthesizer settling times. This architecture eliminates major sources of traditional intermodulation distortion and reduces complex hardware, increasing reliability.

Highly-integrated MEMS-based miniaturized transceiver

The present invention is an apparatus for efficiently providing an output frequency signal based upon an input voltage. The sampling voltage controlled oscillator of the present invention may include a voltage controlled oscillator coupled with sample and hold circuitry. The voltage controlled oscillator frequency of the sampling voltage controlled oscillator may be a lower frequency whereby the voltage controlled oscillator frequency is sampled by the sample and hold circuitry to derive a higher frequency signal. Advantageously, the overall power consumption of sampling voltage controlled oscillator may be less than conventional voltage controlled oscillators.

Sampling voltage controlled oscillator

An integrated frequency source with an integrated frequency standard and an integrated frequency synthesizer is disclosed. A voltage-controlled oscillator in the frequency standard is eliminated with a resulting improvement in phase noise. A reference frequency in the frequency standard is provided directly to the frequency synthesizer. The integrated frequency source is put on frequency over temperature by storing reference frequency errors over temperature in a lookup table, measuring the temperature, and calculating in a microprocessor synthesizer control data that offsets the synthesizer to compensate for reference frequency errors.

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Central City, IA, United States of America

Robert Newgard