System and method for frequency translation with harmonic suppression using mixer stages

1. A circuit for frequency translating a radio frequency signal, comprising:

a plurality of mixer stages, each mixer stage associated with a particular range of frequencies of a radio frequency signal; and

a switching circuit operable to communicate the radio frequency signal to a selected one of the plurality of mixer stages in response to a control signal;

the selected mixer stage comprising:

a phase generation circuit operable to generate a plurality of phase signals;

a first mixer operable to combine the radio frequency signal weighted according to a first weighting factor with a first phase signal to generate a first output;

a second mixer operable to combine the radio frequency signal weighted according to a second weighting factor with a second phase signal to generate a second output;

a third mixer operable to combine the radio frequency signal weighted according to a third weighting factor with a third phase signal to generate a third output;

a fourth mixer operable to combine the radio frequency signal weighted according to a fourth weighting factor with a fourth phase signal to generate a fourth output; and

a summing circuit operable to combine the first, second, third, and fourth outputs to generate at least a portion of the intermediate frequency signal;

wherein:

the radio frequency signal comprises a bandwidth approximately ranging from 48 MHz to 852 MHz; and

the radio frequency signal comprises a signal of interest approximately ranging from 212 MHz to 424 MHz.

2. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the phase generation circuit comprises a frequency divider having a division factor of eight coupled to a plurality of delay circuits to generate the first, second, third, and fourth phase signals.

3. A circuit for frequency translating a radio frequency signal, comprising:

a plurality of mixer stages, each mixer stage associated with a particular range of frequencies of a radio frequency signal; and

a switching circuit operable to communicate the radio frequency signal to a selected one of the plurality of mixer stages in response to a control signal;

the selected mixer stage comprising:

a phase generation circuit operable to generate a plurality of phase signals;

a first mixer operable to combine the radio frequency signal weighted according to a first weighting factor with a first phase signal to generate a first output;

a second mixer operable to combine the radio frequency signal weighted according to a second weighting factor with a second phase signal to generate a second output;

a third mixer operable to combine the radio frequency signal weighted according to a third weighting factor with a third phase signal to generate a third output;

a fourth mixer operable to combine the radio frequency signal weighted according to a fourth weighting factor with a fourth phase signal to generate a fourth output;

a fifth mixer operable to combine the radio frequency signal weighted according to a fifth weighting factor with a fifth phase signal to generate a fifth output;

a sixth mixer operable to combine the radio frequency signal weighted according to a sixth weighting factor with a sixth phase signal to generate a sixth output;

a seventh mixer operable to combine the radio frequency signal weighted according to a seventh weighting factor with a seventh phase signal to generate a seventh output;

an eighth mixer operable to combine the radio frequency signal weighted according to an eighth weighting factor with an eighth phase signal to generate an eighth output; and

a summing circuit operable to combine the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth outputs to generate at least a portion of the intermediate frequency signals;

wherein:

the radio frejuency signal comprises a bandwidth approximately ranging from 48 MHz to 852 MHz;

the radio frequency signal comprises a signal of interest ranging from 57 MHz to 212 MHz.

4. The circuit of claim 3 , wherein:

the radio frequency signal comprises a signal of interest within the range of 106 MHz to 213 MHz; and

the phase generation circuit comprises a frequency divider having a division factor of sixteen coupled to a plurality of delay circuits to generate the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth phase signals.

5. The circuit of claim 3 , wherein:

the radio frequency signal comprises a signal of interest within the range of 57 MHz to 107 MHz; and

the phase generation circuit comprises a frequency divider having a division factor of thirty-two coupled to a plurality of delay circuits to generate the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth phase signals.

6. The circuit of claim 3 , wherein:

the summing circuit comprises a first summing circuit; and

the intermediate frequency signal comprises a real part and an imaginary part, the real part formed by the first summing circuit; and

the circuit further comprising:

a plurality of additional mixers, each additional mixer corresponding to one of the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth mixers; and

a second summing circuit operable to combine outputs of the additional mixers to form the imaginary part of the intermediate frequency circuit.

7. The circuit of claim 3 , wherein the control signal identifies at least one of a signal of interest or a particular range of frequencies associated with a signal of interest.

8. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the control signal identifies at least one of a signal of interest or a particular range of frequencies associated with a signal of interest.

9. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein:

the summing circuit comprises a first summing circuit; and

the intermediate frequency signal comprises a real part and an imaginary part, the real part formed by the first summing circuit; and

the circuit further comprising:

a plurality of additional mixers, each additional mixer corresponding to one of the first, second, third, and fourth mixers; and

a second summing circuit operable to combine outputs of the additional mixers to form the imaginary part of the intermediate frequency signal.

10. A circuit for frequency translating a radio frequency signal, comprising:

a plurality of stages, each stage associated with a particular range of frequencies of a radio frequency signal; and

a switching circuit operable to communicate the radio frequency signal to a selected one of the plurality of stages in response to a control signal;

the selected stage comprising:

means for generating a plurality of phase signals; and

first means for combining the radio frequency signal weighted according to a first weighting factor with a first phase signal to generate a first output;

second means for combining the radio frequency signal weighted according to a second weighting factor with a second phase signal to generate a second output;

third means for combining the radio frequency signal weighted according to a third weighting factor with a third phase signal to generate a third output;

fourth means for combining the radio frequency signal weighted according to a fourth weighting factor with a fourth phase signal to generate a fourth output; and

means for summing the first, second, third, and fourth outputs to generate at least a portion of the intermediate frequency signal;

wherein:

the radio frequency signal comprises a bandwidth approximately ranging from 48 MHz to 852 MHz;

the radio frequency signal comprises a signal of interest approximately ranging from 212 MHz to 424 MHz.

11. The circuit of claim 10 , wherein the means for generating comprises a frequency divider having a division factor of eight coupled to a plurality of delay circuits to generate the first, second, third, and fourth phase signals.

12. The circuit of claim 10 , wherein the control signal identifies at least one of a signal of interest or a particular range of frequencies associated with a signal of interest.

13. A circuit for frequency translating a radio frequency signal, comprising:

a plurality of stages each stage associated with a particular range of frequencies of a radio frequency signal; and

a switching circuit operable to communicate the radio frequency signal to a selected one of the plurality of stages in response to a control signal;

the selected stage comprising:

means for generating a plurality of phase signals; and

a first means for combining the radio frequency signal weighted according to a first weighting factor with a first phase signal to generate a first output;

a second means for combining the radio frequency signal weighted according to a second weighting factor with a second phase signal to generate a second output;

a third means for combining the radio frequency signal weighted according to a third weighting factor with a third phase signal to generate a third output;

a fourth means for combining the radio frequency signal weighted according to a fourth weighting factor with a fourth phase signal to generate a fourth output;

a fifth means for combining the radio frequency signal weighted according to a fifth weighting factor with a fifth phase signal to generate a fifth output;

a sixth means for combining the radio frequency signal weighted according to a sixth weighting factor with a sixth phase signal to generate a sixth output;

a seventh means for combining the radio frequency signal weighted according to a seventh weighting factor with a seventh phase signal to generate a seventh output;

an eighth means for combining the radio frequency signal weighted according to an eighth weighting factor with an eighth phase signal to generate an eighth output; and

means for summing the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth outputs to generate at least a portion of the intermediate frequency signals;

wherein:

the radio frequency signal comprises a bandwidth approximately ranging from 48 MHz to 852 MHz;

the radio frequency signal comprises a signal of interest ranging from 57 MHz to 212 MHz.

14. The circuit of claim 13 , wherein:

the radio frequency signal comprises a signal of interest within the range of 106 MHz to 213 MHz; and

the means for generating comprises a frequency divider having a division factor of sixteen coupled to a plurality of delay circuits to generate the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth phase signals.

15. The circuit of claim 13 , wherein:

the radio frequency signal comprises a signal of interest within the range of 57 MHz to 107 MHz; and

the means for generating comprises a frequency divider having a division factor of thirty-two coupled to a plurality of delay circuits to generate the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth phase signals.

16. The circuit of claim 13 , wherein the control signal identifies at least one of a signal of interest or a particular range of frequencies associated with a signal of interest.

17. A method for frequency translating a radio frequency signal, comprising:

communicating a radio frequency signal to a selected one of a plurality of mixer stages in response to a control signal;

generating a plurality of phase signals;

combining the radio frequency signal weighted according to a first weighting factor with a first phase signal to generate a first output;

combining the radio frequency signal weighted according to a second weighting factor with a second phase signal to generate a second output;

combining the radio frequency signal weighted according to a third weighting factor with a third phase signal to generate a third output;

combining the radio frequency signal weighted according to a fourth weighting factor with a fourth phase signal to generate a fourth output; and

summing the first, second, third, and fourth outputs to generate at least a portion of the intermediate frequency signal;

wherein:

the radio frequency signal comprises a bandwidth approximately ranging from 48 MHz to 852 MHz;

the radio frequency signal comprises a signal of interest approximately ranging from 212 MHz to 424 MHz.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the control signal identifies at least one of a signal of interest or a particular range of frequencies associated with a signal of interest.

19. A method for frequency translating a radio frequency signal, comprising:

communicating a radio frequency signal to a selected one of a plurality of mixer stages in response to a control signal;

generating a plurality of phase signals;

combining the radio frequency signal weighted according to a first weighting factor with a first phase signal to generate a first output;

combining the radio frequency signal weighted according to a second weighting factor with a second phase signal to generate a second output;

combining the radio frequency signal weighted according to a third weighting factor with a third phase signal to generate a third output;

combining the radio frequency signal weighted according to a fourth weighting factor with a fourth phase signal to generate a fourth output;

combining the radio frequency signal weighted according to a fifth weighting factor with a fifth phase signal to generate a fifth output;

combining the radio frequency signal weighted according to a sixth weighting factor with a sixth phase signal to generate a sixth output;

combining the radio frequency signal weighted according to a seventh weighting factor with a seventh phase signal to generate a seventh output;

combining the radio frequency signal weighted according to an eighth weighting factor with an eighth phase signal to generate an eighth output; and

summing the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth outputs to generate at least a portion of the intermediate frequency signals;

wherein:

the radio frequency signal comprises a bandwidth approximately ranging from 48 MHz to 852 MHz;

the radio frequency signal comprises a signal of interest ranging from 57 MHz to 212 MHz.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the control signal identifies at least one of a signal of interest or a particular range of frequencies associated with a signal of interest.