Nxp Usa, Inc.

Freescale Semiconductor,inc.

Nxp B.v.

Yi Yin

Birama Goumballa

Cristian Pavao-Moreira

Hao Li

Ralf Reuter

Olivier Vincent Doare

Ziqiang Tong

Julien Orlando

Baptiste Barroué

Peter Wennekers

A first input signal that corresponds to an output transmitted signal of an amplifier of a vehicle radar system is received and a digital threshold signal is transmitted to an input terminal of a digital-to-analog converter. The digital-to-analog converter is configured to generate an analog threshold value that is at least partially determined by a digital threshold value encoded into the digital threshold signal. If it is determined that a magnitude of the first input signal is less than a magnitude of the analog threshold value, a flag signal is transmitted to a system controller. The flag signal is indicative that a power level of the first output signal has fallen below a safety threshold value.

Time-continuous power monitoring for radar applications

A signal coupler () comprising: a main-transmission-line () that extends in a longitudinal direction within a substrate () between an input port and an output port; and a coupled-transmission-line () that extends in the longitudinal direction within the substrate () between a coupled port and a termination port. The coupled-transmission-line () is in a second layer (). The main-transmission-line () comprises a first-portion () in a first layer (), a second-portion () in a second layer (), and a third-portion () in a third layer (). At least part of the first-portion () is spaced apart from the coupled-transmission-line () in a depth direction. At least part of the second-portion () is spaced apart from the coupled-transmission-line () in the depth direction. At least part of the third-portion () is spaced apart from the coupled-transmission-line () in the depth direction.

Signal coupler

A radio frequency (RF) multiplexer circuit is provided. The multiplexer includes a first circuit coupled between a first input terminal and a first output terminal. The first circuit is configured and arranged to transfer a first RF signal coupled at the first input terminal to the first output terminal as a first output signal when a first control signal is at a first logic value. The multiplexer includes a second circuit coupled between a second input terminal and the first output terminal. The second circuit is configured and arranged to transfer a second RF signal coupled at the second input terminal to the first output terminal as a second output signal having a gain higher than the gain of the second RF signal when the first control signal is at a second logic value.

High isolation radio frequency multiplexer

A frequency synthesizer is described that includes: a voltage controlled oscillator, VCO; a VCO bias circuit, operably coupled to the VCO and configured to provide a controllable bias current of the VCO; a temperature sensor, located in the frequency synthesizer, configured to determine an operating temperature of the frequency synthesizer; an analog-to-digital converter, ADC, operably coupled to the temperature sensor and configured to provide a digital representation of the determined operating temperature; and a bias control circuit operably coupled and configured to provide a bias control signal to the VCO bias circuit based on the determined operating temperature of the frequency synthesizer. The VCO bias circuit is configured to adjust the controllable bias current applied to the VCO based on the bias control signal.

Frequency synthesizer with phase noise temperature compensation, communication unit and method therefor

A radio frequency (RF) switch circuit is provided. The switch includes a branch configured and arranged to transfer an RF signal coupled at an input node to an output node when a control signal is at a first logic value. A first transistor in the branch includes a first current electrode coupled at the input node and a second current electrode coupled to an intermediate node. The first transistor is formed in a first isolation well coupled to a bias voltage supply terminal. A second transistor in the branch includes a first current electrode coupled to the second current electrode of the first transistor at the intermediate node and a second current electrode coupled at the output node. The second transistor is formed in a second isolation well coupled to the bias voltage supply terminal. A third transistor includes a first current electrode coupled at the first intermediate node and a second current electrode coupled at a first supply terminal.

High isolation radio frequency switch

The present application relates to a differential Colpitts voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) circuit, which comprises a pair of transistors with control terminals biased by a common biasing voltage and a pair of couplers arranged to cross-couple corrector/drain of the transistors and the base/gate of the differential transistors. The pair of couplers have a coupling factor k, which used to enhance the transconductance of the transistor pair, therefore can be used for power consumption reduction and phase noise minimalization.

Gm-boosted differential voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO)

Differential voltage-controlled (VCO) oscillator

A method of tuning inductive and/or capacitive components within an integrated circuit device. The method comprises measuring bare-die mounted performance of such a component formed within a semiconductor die, determining a package distribution layer pattern for the at least one component for achieving a desired performance for the at least one component based at least partly on the measured bare-die mounted performance, and packaging the semiconductor die with the determined package distribution layer pattern for the at least one component.

Method of tuning components within an integracted circuit device

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 peak detector circuit comprises a first output coupled to ground by a first load and to emitter terminals of first and second switching devices. A second output is coupled to ground by a second load and to emitter terminals of third and fourth switching devices. A third output is coupled to a supply voltage node by a third load and to collector terminals of the first and second switching devices. A fourth output is coupled to the supply voltage node by a fourth load and to collector terminals of the third and fourth switching devices. The first, second, third, and fourth switching devices have control terminals which are biased with a common bias voltage. The first, second, third and fourth load are selected so that R1=R2=&#x3b1;f*R3=&#x3b1;f*R4, with R1, R2, R3, R4 being a resistance of the first, second, third and fourth loads, respectively, and &#x3b1;f a common-base current gain of the switching devices.

Mm-wave frequency peak detector

A current-to-voltage converter receives a current which varies with temperature according to a selected one of two or more temperature coefficient factors and converts it to a temperature-dependent voltage to be used as a control signal to a varactor in a voltage controlled oscillator, VCO, to compensate for temperature-induced frequency drift in the VCO. A feedback arrangement with hysteresis is provided for controlling the selection of the temperature coefficient factor and operates by comparing the temperature-dependent voltage with a reference voltage. The reference voltage may be pre-set and equivalent to a known operating temperature. A switching signal is generated when Vout approaches the reference voltage and in response, a control module generates a selection signal for selecting a different temperature coefficient factor. Thus, multi-slope voltage and current generation with a wide dynamic range is continuously provided, which is particularly useful for controlling VCO's used in short range FMCW radar systems.

Apparatus and method for generating a temperature-dependent control signal

A method of re-centering a voltage controlled oscillator of a wireless device comprising a phase locked loop circuit is described. The method comprises receiving an input frequency signal at a phase detector of the phase locked loop circuit from a frequency source; generating an oscillator signal based on the received frequency signal; selectably opening a feedback loop of the phase locked loop circuit when in a calibration mode of operation, performing coarse frequency tuning of the oscillator output signal; performing fine frequency tuning of a coarsely adjusted oscillator output signal; and closing the feedback loop.

Method for re-centering a VCO, integrated circuit and wireless device

An integrated circuit comprises a frequency dependent circuit comprising an input node, an output node and a main bank of selectable first capacitive elements that affect a frequency characteristic of the frequency dependent circuit. The frequency dependent circuit further comprises at least one shunt bank of selectable second capacitive elements located between ground and one of the input node or the output node, wherein at least one selectable second capacitive element switched out of the frequency dependent circuit is based on a number of the selectable first capacitive elements that are switched into the frequency dependent circuit.

Integrated circuit comprising a frequency dependent circuit, wireless device and method of adjusting a frequency

A temperature compensation circuit, comprises a temperature sensor circuit. The circuit comprises two or more temperature sensitive devices. In use, the devices are operated at different current densities and sense virtually the same ambient temperature. The devices provide temperature dependent signals having linear components with slopes of identical signs. The circuit further comprises one of more differential signal providing device for generating a difference of the signals generated by the temperature sensitive devices. A method for generating a voltage reference with a well-defined temperature behavior, comprises applying different current densities to two or more temperature sensitive devices of a temperature sensor circuit; sensing virtually the same ambient temperature with the two or more temperature sensitive devices. Each temperature sensitive devices generates a slightly different temperature dependent signal; and provide at least one differential signal based on said temperature dependent signals.

Temperature compensation circuit and method for generating a voltage reference with a well-defined temperature behavior

A voltage controlled oscillator circuit comprises a VCO resonator circuit having a first plurality of varactors for varying a frequency of the VCO resonator circuit, the VCO resonator circuit being symmetrical with respect to VCO circuit ground and providing a signal having a frequency, the frequency depending on a tuning voltage applied to the first plurality of varactors, and a second plurality of varactors for compensating a drift of the frequency depending on a compensation voltage, a temperature sensor circuit sensing an ambient temperature of the VCO resonator circuit and providing a temperature dependent signal, and a temperature compensation circuit providing the compensation voltage depending on the temperature dependent signal. Furthermore, a phase locked loop (PLL) circuit, an automotive radar device and a method for compensating a frequency drift of a VCO resonator circuit are presented.

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Munich, Germany

Yi Yin