Multi-source signal generator and operating method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10495685-B2
Application number	US-201715716612-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 27, 2017
Priority date	Dec 5, 2016
Publication date	Dec 3, 2019
Grant date	Dec 3, 2019

Abstract

Provided is a multi-source signal generator including a voltage-controlled oscillator configured to generate a first source signal having a first frequency to deliver the first source signal to a first output port, a Single Pole Double Throw (SPDT) switch configured to select the first source signal or an external source signal, a first power amplifier configured to amplify power of the first source signal selected by the SPDT switch, and a multi-source converting unit configured to multiply a frequency of the amplified first source signal or divide power of the amplified first source signal to generate multi-source signals, wherein the frequency of the first source signal and frequencies of the multi-source signals are included in a millimeter wave band or sub-terahertz (THz) band.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A multi-source signal generator comprising:
a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) configured to generate a first source signal having a first frequency to deliver the first source signal to a first output port;
a Single Pole Double Throw (SPDT) switch configured to select either the first source signal or an external source signal for output to a first power amplifier;
a first power amplifier configured to amplify power of the first source signal selected by the SPDT switch; and
a multi-source converting unit configured to multiply a frequency of the amplified first source signal or divide power of the amplified first source signal to generate multi-source signals,
wherein the first frequency of the first source signal and frequencies of the multi-source signals are included in a millimeter wave band or sub-terahertz (THz) band.

2. The multi-source signal generator of claim 1 , wherein the VCO, the SPDT switch, the first power amplifier, and the multi-source converting unit include at least one complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) device.

3. The multi-source signal generator of claim 1 , wherein the first frequency is included in a band of about 27 GHz to 33 GHz.

4. The multi-source signal generator of claim 1 , wherein the first source signal and the multi-source signals are provided as signal sources of at least one of a 5th generation mobile communication (5G) system, a Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) communication system, or an Industrial Scientific Medical (ISM) communication system.

5. A multi-source signal generator comprising:
a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) configured to generate a first source signal having a first frequency to deliver the first source signal to a first output port;
a Single Pole Double Throw (SPDT) switch configured to select the first source signal or an external source signal;
a first power amplifier configured to amplify power of the first source signal selected by the SPDT switch; and
a multi-source converting unit configured to multiply a frequency of the amplified first source signal or divide power of the amplified first source signal to generate multi-source signals,
wherein
the first frequency of the first source signal and frequencies of the multi-source signals are included in a millimeter wave band or sub-terahertz (THz) band, and
the multi-source converting unit comprises:
a first frequency multiplier configured to double the frequency of the amplified first source signal to convert the amplified first source signal to a second source signal, and to output the second source signal;
a second frequency multiplier configured to double a frequency of the second source signal to convert the second source signal to a third source signal, and to output the third source signal; and
a third frequency multiplier configured to double a frequency of the third source signal to convert the third source signal to a fourth source signal, and to output the fourth source signal.

6. The multi-source signal generator of claim 5 , wherein the multi-source converting unit further comprises:
a first power divider configured to divide a first signal path so as to deliver the second source signal output from the first frequency multiplier to a second output port and the second frequency multiplier; and
a second power divider configured to divide a second signal path so as to deliver the third source signal output from the second frequency multiplier to a third output port and the third frequency multiplier.

7. The multi-source signal generator of claim 6 , wherein the multi-source converting unit further comprises:
a second power amplifier configured to amplify power of the second source signal to be delivered to the second output port and deliver the amplified second source signal; and
a third power amplifier configured to amplify power of the second source signal to be delivered to the second frequency multiplier.

8. The multi-source signal generator of claim 7 , wherein the multi-source converting unit further comprises:
a fourth power amplifier configured to amplify power of the third source signal to be delivered to the third output port and deliver the amplified third source signal; and
a fifth power amplifier configured to amplify power of the third source signal to be delivered to the third frequency multiplier.

9. The multi-source signal generator of claim 8 , wherein the second power amplifier or the fourth power amplifier includes a driver amplifier.

10. The multi-source signal generator of claim 8 , wherein each of the first power amplifier, the third power amplifier, and the fifth power amplifier has an output range of 5dBm to 15dBm.

11. An operating method of a multi-source signal generator, the method comprising:
generating a first source signal;
selecting, from the first source signal and an external source signal, the first source signal to be amplified,
amplifying power of the first source signal;
multiplying gradationally a frequency of the first source signal to generate multi-source signals, and
wherein the first source signal and the multi-source signals have frequencies in a millimeter wave band or sub-THz band and the multi-source signal generator is provided with a single chip including at least one complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) device.

12. The operating method of claim 11 , wherein the frequency of the first source signal is included in a band of 27 GHz to 33 GHz.

13. The operating method of claim 11 , wherein the generating of the multi-source signals comprises:
multiplying the frequency of the first source signal to generate a second source signal;
amplifying power of the second source signal;
multiplying a frequency of the second source signal of which power is amplified to generate a third source signal;
amplifying power of the third source signal; and
multiplying a frequency of the third source signal of which power is amplified to generate a fourth source signal.

14. The operating method of claim 13 , wherein the generating of the multi-source signals further comprises:
a power dividing operation in which a signal path is divided so as to deliver the second source signal or the third source signal to an output port.

Assignees

• Electronics & Telecommunications Res Inst

Inventors

• Kang Dongwoo
• Koo Bon Tae

Classifications

• H04B1/00

  Details of transmission systems, not covered by a single one of groups H04B3/00 - H04B13/00; Details of transmission systems not characterised by the medium used for transmission · CPC title

• G01R31/2822

  of microwave or radiofrequency circuits (of attenuation, gain, e.g. using network analyzers G01R27/28) · CPC title

• H03B2200/0084

  dedicated to Terahertz frequencies · CPC title

• H04L27/156

  with demodulation using temporal properties of the received signal, e.g. detecting pulse width · CPC title

• H03B5/1228

  the amplifier comprising one or more field effect transistors · CPC title