Telecommunications – Receiver or analog modulated signal frequency converter – Frequency modifying or conversion
Patent
1993-05-25
1996-08-27
Eisenzopf, Reinhard J.
Telecommunications
Receiver or analog modulated signal frequency converter
Frequency modifying or conversion
455317, 455341, 330307, 330277, H04B 128
Patent
active
055510752
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a semiconductor device including a plurality of interconnected functional blocks of integrated circuits, inter alia, at least an amplifier block, operating at high and ultrahigh frequencies and at different frequencies, each block comprising at least a DC distribution line, means for polarizing (biasing) each block by means of the DC voltage of its distribution line, said blocks also comprising power-matched circuits operating in the ultrahigh frequency range.
The invention is used for antenna reception modules for receiving television broadcasts which are directly transmitted by an artificial satellite (Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS) receivers)) operating in the frequency band of 11.7 to 12.2 GHz.
The invention is also used in any converter circuit, for example, in the field of telecommunication or in on-board wireless systems.
Such a device is known from the publication entitled "A low cost high performance MMIC, low noise down converter for direct broadcast satellite reception" by P. Wallace, R. Michels, J. Bayruns et at. of the ANADIGIGS Inc. company in IEEE 1990 Microwave and Millimeter-wave Monolithic Circuit Symposium, pp. 7-10.
This publication describes a monolithic circuit comprising a low noise amplifier, a picture filter, an active mixer, an IF filter, an IF amplifier and a local oscillator.
This circuit is very compact. For its operation it additionally requires a dielectric resonator and two DC supplies, a positive one at +6 V and a negative one at -5 V. The circuit is realised by means of a process including GaAs MESFET transistors. It is provided with a housing and is mass produced for receiving television broadcasts.
This publication points out that for consumer use the cost price of the integrated circuit should be as low as possible. Hence, integrated circuit designers aim at products having a better, or at least equivalent performance but which is less expensive than those of their competitors.
This publication therefore states that it is necessary to combine as many functions as possible on one and the same substrate. For this reason the known device includes all of the above-mentioned functions as well as the decoupling circuits and the DC blocking capacitances.
However, the substrate does not include the dielectric resonator which is fixed to the housing, as well as the circuits for generating the DC supply voltages, which circuits constitute an additional external operating circuit.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is one of the objects of the present invention to reduce the manufacturing costs of the final product, i.e. of either an on-board system or of the receiver input module for direct television broadcasts from an artificial satellite (DBS receiver), including both the integrated circuit for the frequency converter and its additional operating circuit while reducing the number of DC supply voltages required for operating the converter circuit.
According to the invention, the monolithic circuit has a single DC power supply, for example, +6 V for all of the functional blocks integrated on one and the same substrate.
To this end the device described in the opening paragraph is characterized in that it comprises means for integrating all of the high frequency and ultrahigh frequency functional blocks on one and the same substrate and for realising the DC supply of all functional blocks at one and the same DC voltage value by means of one and the same DC voltage distribution line which is common to all of the blocks, said means including frequency stabilization circuits for each individual functional amplifier block and also for the common DC voltage distribution line, as well as autopolarization (self-biasing) circuits for constituting the means for polarizing (biasing) each block by means of said single DC voltage.
Since only one DC power supply is used for operating the monolithic circuit, the complexity of the additional operating circuit is divided into two parts. Thus, the inventive object of reducing the overall cost of
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A. Chu, IEEE, "A 31-GHz Monolithic GaAs Mixer/Preamplifier Circuit for Receiver Applications", 1981, pp. 149-154.
C. Kermarrec, IEEE, "Monolithic Circuits For 12 GHz Direct Broadcasting Satellite Reception", 1982, pp. 5-10.
"A Low Cost High Performance MMIC, Low Noise Down-Converter for Direct Broadcast Satellite Reception" by Wallace et al, IEEE 1990, pp. 7-10.
GaAs IC Symposium, Tech. Digest 1985, "GaAs Monolithic Circuits For TV Tuners", P. Dautriche et al, Nov. 1985, pp. 165-168.
IEEE, vol. MTT-31, No. 12. Dec. 1983, GaAs Monolithic MIC's For Direct Broadcast Satellite Receivers, pp. 1089-1096.
IEEE, vol. 36, No. 4, Apr. 1988, One-Chip GaAs Monolithic Frequency Converter Operable to 4 GHz, pp. 653-658.
Caux Christian
Gamand Patrice
Eisenzopf Reinhard J.
Franzblau Bernard
U.S. Philips Corporation
Vo Nguyen
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