Linear wideband phase modulation system

1. Apparatus for linear phase modulation utilizing a phase-locked loop, the apparatus comprising:

a digital limiting circuit that restricts a range of a modulation signal that is coupled to a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) associated with the phase-locked loop; and

a linearizing circuit that reshapes the modulation signal to improve linearity;

wherein the digital limiting circuit comprises a circuit disposed to:

receive a set of digital samples representative of the FM value of the modulation signal;

determine if the value of a first sample of the set of digital samples exceeds a predefined threshold; and

responsive to said determining, adjust the values of the first sample and a second sample of the set of digital samples.

2. The Apparatus of claim 1 wherein the adjusting comprises:

determining an excess of the value of the first sample above the predefined threshold;

subtracting the excess from the first sample; and

adding the excess to the second sample.

3. The Apparatus of claim 2 wherein the second sample represents a value of the modulation signal that is temporally successive to the value of the first sample.

4. The Apparatus of claim 2 wherein the second sample represents a value of the modulation signal that is temporally previous to the value of the first sample.

5. The Apparatus of claim 3 wherein the digital limiting circuit is further disposed to adjust, responsive to said determining, the value of a third sample of the set of digital samples, the third sample representing a value of the modulation signal that is temporally successive to the value of the first sample.

6. Apparatus for linear phase modulation utilizing a phase-locked loop, the apparatus comprising:

a limiting circuit that restricts a range of a modulation signal that is coupled to an input of a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) associated with the phase-locked loop; and

a linearizing circuit that reshapes the modulation signal to improve linearity;

wherein the linearizing circuit is disposed to predistort the modulation signal in accordance with a polynomial predistortion characteristic, said polynomial predistortion characteristic selected to offset a VCO non-linearity.

7. The Apparatus of claim 6 wherein the polynomial predistortion characteristic is a third order or higher order polynomial characteristic.

8. The Apparatus of claim 6 wherein the linearizing circuit further comprises an offset circuit disposed to center the peak frequency deviation of the modulation signal.

9. The Apparatus of claim 8 wherein the peak frequency deviation is centered by introducing an offset to said modulation signal.

10. The Apparatus of claim 6 wherein the linearization circuit is a digital circuit.

11. A method for providing linear phase modulation utilizing a phase-locked loop having a voltage controlled oscillator, the method comprising:

limiting a range of a modulation signal that is coupled to the VCO; and

linearizing the modulation signal input to improve linearity;

wherein the limiting comprises:

receiving a set of digital samples representative of the FM value of the modulation signal;

determining if the value of a first sample of the set of digital samples exceeds a predefined threshold; and

responsive to said determining, adjusting the values of the first sample and a second sample of the set of digital samples.

12. The Method of claim 11 wherein the adjusting comprises:

determining an excess of the value of the first sample above the predefined threshold;

subtracting the excess from the first sample; and

adding the excess to the second sample.

13. The Method of claim 12 wherein the second sample represents a value of the modulation signal that is temporally successive to the value of the first sample.

14. The Method of claim 12 wherein the second sample represents a value of the modulation signal that is temporally previous to the value of the first sample.

15. The Method of claim 14 further comprising adjusting, responsive to said determining, the value of a third sample of the set of digital samples, the third sample representing a value of the modulation signal that is temporally successive to the value of the first sample.

16. A method for providing linear phase modulation utilizing a phase-locked loop having a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO), the method comprising:

limiting a range of a modulation signal that is coupled to an input of the VCO; and

linearizing the modulation signal input to improve linearity;

wherein the linearizing comprises predistorting the modulation signal in accordance with a polynomial predistortion characteristic, said polynomial predistortion characteristic selected to offset a VCO non-linearity.

17. The Method of claim 16 wherein the polynomial predistortion characteristic is a third order or higher order polynomial characteristic.

18. The Method of claim 17 further comprising centering the peak frequency deviation of the modulation signal.

19. The Method of claim 18 wherein the centering comprises adding an offset value to the modulation signal.

20. A communication device comprising:

a phase-locked loop circuit including a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO); and

a compensation circuit for compensating for non-linearities in the VCO, said compensation circuit comprising:

a digital limiter circuit for restricting the FM range of a modulation signal coupled to the VCO, said limiter circuit disposed to receive a set of digital samples representative of the FM value of the modulation signal, determine if the value of a first sample of the set of digital samples exceeds a predefined threshold, and, responsive to said determining, adjust the values of the first sample and a second sample of the set of digital samples; and

a linearization circuit disposed to predistort the set of digital samples representative of the FM value of the modulation signal in accordance with a polynomial predistortion characteristic, said polynomial predistortion characteristic selected to offset a VCO non-linearity.

21. The Device of claim 20 wherein the digital limiter circuit is disposed to adjust the value of the first sample and second sample by:

determining an excess of the value of the first sample above the predefined threshold;

subtracting the excess from the first sample; and

adding the excess to the second sample.

22. The Device of claim 21 wherein the second sample represents a value of the modulation signal that is temporally successive to the value of the first sample.

23. The Device of claim 21 wherein the second sample represents a value of the modulation signal that is temporally previous to the value of the first sample.

24. The Device of claim 22 wherein the digital limiting circuit is further disposed to adjust, responsive to said determining, the value of a third sample of the set of digital samples, the third sample representing a value of the modulation signal that is temporally successive to the value of the first sample.

25. A communication device comprising:

A phase-locked loop circuit including a voltage controlled oscillator; and

A compensation circuit for compensating for non-linearities in the VCO, said compensating circuit comprising:

a limiting circuit that restricts a range of a modulation signal that is coupled to an input of a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) associated with the phase-locked loop; and

a linearizing circuit that reshapes the modulation signal to improve linearity;

wherein the linearizing circuit is disposed to predistort the modulation signal in accordance with a polynomial predistortion characteristic, said polynomial predistortion characteristic selected to offset a VCO non-linearity.

26. The Device of claim 25 wherein the polynomial predistortion characteristic is a third order or higher order polynomial characteristic.

27. The Device of claim 25 wherein the linearizing circuit further comprises an offset circuit disposed to center the peak frequency deviation of the modulation signal.

28. The Device of claim 27 wherein the peak frequency deviation is centered by introducing an offset to said modulation signal.

29. The Device of claim 27 wherein the linearization circuit is a digital circuit.