Modular microwave backhaul outdoor unit

1. A system comprising:

a monolithic integrated circuit comprising an on-chip transceiver, digital baseband processing circuitry, and auxiliary interface circuitry, wherein:

said on-chip transceiver is operable to process a microwave signal from an antenna element to generate a first in-phase digital baseband signal and a first quadrature-phase digital baseband signal and convey said first in-phase digital baseband signal and said first quadrature-phase digital baseband signal to said digital baseband processing circuitry, wherein a bandwidth of said microwave signal spans multiple discontiguous microwave backhaul channels;

said auxiliary interface circuitry is operable to receive one or more auxiliary signals from a source that is external to said monolithic integrated circuit and convey said one or more auxiliary signals to said digital baseband processing circuitry;

said digital baseband processing circuitry is operable to process said first in-phase digital baseband signal, said first quadrature-phase digital baseband signal, and said one or more auxiliary signals to generate one or more second in-phase digital baseband signals and one or more second quadrature-phase baseband signals; and

said digital baseband processing circuitry is operable to perform phase shifting and weighted combining of said first in-phase digital baseband signal, said first quadrature-phase digital baseband signal, and said one or more auxiliary signals to generate said one or more second in-phase digital baseband signals and said one or more second quadrature-phase baseband signals.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein said one or more auxiliary signals comprises a third in-phase digital baseband signal and a third quadrature-phase digital baseband signal.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein said digital baseband processing circuitry is operable to:

concurrently recover a first one of said microwave backhaul channels from said first in-phase digital baseband signal and said first quadrature-phase digital baseband signal, and a second one of said microwave backhaul channels from said one or more auxiliary signals.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein said monolithic integrated circuit comprises:

demodulator circuitry operable to demodulate said recovered first one of said microwave backhaul channels and said recovered second one of said microwave backhaul channels.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein said auxiliary interface circuitry is operable to perform serialization and deserialization.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein said system comprises a connector to which said microwave signal from said antenna element is connected and to which an input and/or output of said auxiliary interface circuitry is connected such that an off-chip transceiver can be connected in parallel with said on-chip transceiver.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein said digital baseband processing circuitry is operable to detect a failure of said on-chip transceiver and, upon detection of such a failure, reconfigure itself to process signals from said off-chip transceiver for generation of said one or more second in-phase digital baseband signals and said one or more second quadrature-phase digital baseband signals.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein:

said digital baseband processing circuitry is operable to:

receive a fourth in-phase digital baseband signal and fourth quadrature-phase digital baseband signal;

process said fourth in-phase digital baseband signal and said fourth quadrature-phase digital baseband signal to generate a fifth in-phase digital baseband signal and a fifth quadrature-phase digital baseband signal; and

output said fifth in-phase digital baseband signal and said fifth quadrature-phase digital baseband signal to one or both of said on-chip transceiver and said auxiliary interface circuitry.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein:

said microwave signal spans from 17.1 GHz to 19.7 GHz; and

a bandwidth of each of said microwave backhaul channels is one of 3.5 MHz, 7 MHz, 14 MHz, 28 MHz, 56 MHz and 112 MHz.

10. A system comprising:

a monolithic integrated circuit comprising an on-chip transceiver, digital baseband processing circuitry, and auxiliary interface circuitry, wherein:

said on-chip transceiver is operable to process a microwave signal from an antenna element to generate a first in-phase digital baseband signal and a first quadrature-phase digital baseband signal and convey said first in-phase digital baseband signal and said first quadrature-phase digital baseband signal to said digital baseband processing circuitry, wherein a bandwidth of said microwave signal spans multiple discontiguous microwave backhaul channels;

said auxiliary interface circuitry is operable to receive one or more auxiliary signals from a source that is external to said monolithic integrated circuit and convey said one or more auxiliary signals to said digital baseband processing circuitry; and

said digital baseband processing circuitry is operable to:

process said first in-phase digital baseband signal, said first quadrature-phase digital baseband signal, and said one or more auxiliary signals to generate one or more second in-phase digital baseband signals and one or more second quadrature-phase baseband signals;

receive a fourth in-phase digital baseband signal and fourth quadrature-phase digital baseband signal;

process said fourth in-phase digital baseband signal and said fourth quadrature-phase digital baseband signal to generate a fifth in-phase digital baseband signal, a fifth quadrature-phase digital baseband signal, a sixth in-phase baseband signal, and a sixth quadrature-phase baseband signal, wherein a phase and amplitude of each of said fifth in-phase digital baseband signal, said fifth quadrature-phase digital baseband signal, said sixth in-phase baseband signal, and said sixth quadrature-phase baseband signal are determined based on a desired radiation pattern;

output said fifth in-phase digital baseband signal and said fifth quadrature-phase digital baseband signal to said on-chip transceiver; and

output said sixth in-phase digital baseband signal and said sixth quadrature-phase digital baseband signal to said auxiliary interface circuitry.

11. A method comprising:

performing in a monolithic integrated circuit of a microwave backhaul communication system:

processing a microwave signal from an antenna element to generate a first in-phase digital baseband signal and a first quadrature-phase digital baseband signal;

conveying said first in-phase digital baseband signal and said first quadrature-phase digital baseband signal to digital baseband processing circuitry, wherein a bandwidth of said microwave signal spans multiple discontiguous microwave backhaul channels;

receiving one or more auxiliary signals from a source that is external to said monolithic integrated circuit;

conveying said one or more auxiliary signals to said digital baseband processing circuitry;

processing said first in-phase digital baseband signal, said first quadrature-phase digital baseband signal, and said one or more auxiliary signals to generate one or more second in-phase digital baseband signals and one or more second quadrature-phase baseband signals;

receiving a fourth in-phase digital baseband signal and fourth quadrature-phase digital baseband signal;

processing said fourth in-phase digital baseband signal and said fourth quadrature-phase digital baseband signal to generate a fifth in-phase digital baseband signal, a fifth quadrature-phase digital baseband signal, a sixth in-phase baseband signal, and a sixth quadrature-phase baseband signal, wherein said processing comprises controlling a phase and amplitude of each of said fifth in-phase digital baseband signal, said fifth quadrature-phase digital baseband signal, said sixth in-phase baseband signal, and said sixth quadrature-phase baseband signal based on a desired radiation pattern;

outputting said fifth in-phase digital baseband signal and said fifth quadrature-phase digital baseband signal to an on-chip transceiver; and

outputting said sixth in-phase digital baseband signal and said sixth quadrature-phase digital baseband signal to said an on-chip transceiver.

12. A method comprising:

performing in a monolithic integrated circuit of a microwave backhaul communication system:

processing a microwave signal from an antenna element to generate a first in-phase digital baseband signal and a first quadrature-phase digital baseband signal;

conveying said first in-phase digital baseband signal and said first quadrature-phase digital baseband signal to digital baseband processing circuitry, wherein a bandwidth of said microwave signal spans multiple discontiguous microwave backhaul channels;

receiving one or more auxiliary signals from a source that is external to said monolithic integrated circuit;

conveying said one or more auxiliary signals to said digital baseband processing circuitry;

processing said first in-phase digital baseband signal, said first quadrature-phase digital baseband signal, and said one or more auxiliary signals to generate one or more second in-phase digital baseband signals and one or more second quadrature-phase baseband signals; and

phase shifting and performing weighted combining of said first in-phase digital baseband signal, said first quadrature-phase digital baseband signal, and said one or more auxiliary signals to generate said one or more second in-phase digital baseband signals and said one or more second quadrature-phase baseband signals.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein said one or more auxiliary signals comprises a third in-phase digital baseband signal and a third quadrature-phase digital baseband signal.

14. The method of claim 12 , comprising concurrently recovering a first one of said microwave backhaul channels from said first in-phase digital baseband signal and said first quadrature-phase digital baseband signal, and a second one of said microwave backhaul channels from said one or more auxiliary signals.

15. The method of claim 14 comprising demodulating said recovered first one of said microwave backhaul channels and said recovered second one of said microwave backhaul channels.

16. The method of claim 14 , comprising serializing said first in-phase digital baseband signal and said first quadrature-phase digital baseband signal for communication to a destination external to said monolithic integrated circuit.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein said system comprises a connector to which said microwave signal from said antenna element is connected and to which an input and/or output of said auxiliary interface circuitry is connected such that an off-chip transceiver is connected in parallel with a transceiver of said monolithic integrated circuit.

18. The method of claim 17 , comprising detecting a failure of said transceiver of said monolithic integrated circuit and, upon said detection of said failure, reconfiguring said monolithic integrated circuit to process signals from said off-chip transceiver for generation of said one or more second in-phase digital baseband signals and said one or more second quadrature-phase digital baseband signals.

19. The method of claim 12 , comprising:

receiving a fourth in-phase digital baseband signal and fourth quadrature-phase digital baseband signal;

processing said fourth in-phase digital baseband signal and said fourth quadrature-phase digital baseband signal to generate a fifth in-phase digital baseband signal and a fifth quadrature-phase digital baseband signal; and

outputting said fifth in-phase digital baseband signal and said fifth quadrature-phase digital baseband signal to one or both of a transceiver of said monolithic integrated circuit and auxiliary interface circuitry of said monolithic integrated circuit.

20. The method of claim 12 , wherein:

said microwave signal spans from 17.1 GHz to 19.7 GHz; and

a bandwidth of each of said microwave backhaul channels is one of 3.5 MHz, 7 MHz, 14 MHz, 28 MHz, 56 MHz and 112 MHz.