Varactor tunable RF filters having low distortion and high signal level capability
View Patent ↗An agile frequency converter provides IF-RF level exchange and notch filtering. System noise and spurious levels generated by channel frequency conversion is reduced in applications requiring broadband combining of frequency converters to form multichannel composite signal. A pair of varactor banks is connected in an arrangement whereby varactor pairs are connected in parallel and capacitor pairs are connected in anti-parallel. Tuning is achieved by circuitry for tuning first and second varactors.
1. An anti-parallel variable-capacitor (varactor) circuit comprising:
a first varactor bank comprising one or more varactors connected in parallel with the same polarity orientation;
a second varactor bank comprising one or more varactors connected in parallel with the same polarity orientation;
a first capacitor pair comprising the first varactor bank connected in series with a first fixed capacitor;
a second capacitor pair comprising the second varactor bank connected in series with a second fixed capacitor;
said first capacitor pair connected in anti-parallel with said second capacitor pair, said varactor banks having mutually opposite polarity orientations relative to signal flow direction;
circuitry for tuning said first and second varactors;
an input terminal coupled to one side of said parallel connection of said first and second capacitor pairs; and
an output terminal coupled to the other side of said parallel connection of said first and second capacitor pairs,
a circuit including at least one varactor operatively connected in parallel to said first varactor bank by electronically controlled switching; and
a circuit including at least one varactor connected in parallel to said second varactor bank by electronically controlled switching.
2. The anti-parallel varactor circuit as recited in claim 1 , wherein said varactors are varactor diodes.
3. The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein said first and said second varactor banks are matched.
4. A band-reject device comprising:
a first varactor bank comprising one or more varactors connected in parallel with the same polarity orientation;
a second varactor bank comprising one or more varactors connected in parallel with the same polarity orientation;
a first capacitor pair comprising the first varactor bank connected in series with a first fixed capacitor;
a second capacitor pair comprising the second varactor bank connected in series with a second fixed capacitor;
said first capacitor pair connected in anti-parallel with said second capacitor pair, said varactor banks having mutually opposite polarity orientations relative to signal flow direction;
an inductor connected in parallel to said anti-parallel connection of said capacitor pairs;
circuitry for tuning said first and second varactors;
an input terminal coupled to one side of said parallel connection of said inductor and said anti-parallel connection of said capacitor pairs; and
an output terminal coupled to the other side of said parallel connection of said inductor and said anti-parallel connection of said capacitor pairs,
a circuit including at least one inductor operatively connected in parallel to said first inductor by electronically controlled switching;
a circuit including at least one varactor operatively connected in parallel to said first varactor bank by electronically controlled switching; and
a circuit including at least one varactor connected in parallel to said second varactor bank by electronically controlled switching.
5. The band-reject device as recited in claim 4 , wherein the first fixed capacitor has capacitance substantially larger than that of the first varactor bank and wherein the second fixed capacitor has capacitance substantially larger than that of the second varactor bank, thereby increasing tuning range of the device, and minimizing signal losses in the pass-band due to parasitic components.
6. The device as recited in claim 5 , wherein said varactor banks have mutually opposite polarity orientations relative to signal flow direction, thereby producing a canceling of non-linearity of said varactor banks, but said varactor banks effectively connected in parallel with one another with respect to their terminations, establishing the capacitance values of the varactors as additive and establishing a topography of parasitic resistance and inductance components of the varactors in parallel, thereby minimizing the values of the parasitic resistance and inductance components of the circuit, providing an increase in an unloaded Q of the device, and minimizing signal losses in the pass-band due to the parasitic components.
7. The band-reject device as recited in claim 4 , wherein the first and the second varactor banks have substantially equal capacitance, thereby substantially canceling non-linear signal distortion.
8. The device as recited in claim 4 , wherein said inductor comprises a transmission line.
9. The device as recited in claim 4 , comprising one or more of the first varactor bank, second varactor bank, first capacitor pair, second capacitor pair, and circuitry for tuning said first and second varactors embedded in a filter.
10. The device as recited in claim 4 , comprising one or more of the first varactor bank, second varactor bank, first capacitor pair, second capacitor pair, and circuitry for tuning said first and second varactors embedded in a low pass filter.
11. The device as recited in claim 4 , comprising two or more of the first varactor bank, second varactor bank, first capacitor pair, second capacitor pair, and circuitry for tuning said first and second varactors having both the input terminals and the output terminals multiplexed by at least one electronically controlled switch.
12. The device as recited in claim 4 , comprising two or more of the first varactor bank, second varactor bank, first capacitor pair, and second capacitor pair connected in cascade.