Adaptive NFC receiver

1. A method for operating a receiver system, the receiver system comprising one or more channels, the method comprising:

monitoring an output of an analog-to-digital converter (ADC); and

adaptively controlling a gain setting and a DCO (direct current offset) correction signal for the receiver system in response to the output of the ADC by:

(1) increasing the gain setting in all channels in response to all respective swing values of the one or more channels being less than a programmable minimum threshold, and decreasing the gain setting in all channels in response to at least one of the respective swing values being greater than a programmable maximum threshold; and

(2) adjusting the DCO correction signal that corresponds to a residual DC offset in a present channel in response to an absolute value of the residual DC offset exceeding a programmable DCO threshold, and subtracting the DCO correction signal from an analog signal provided to the ADC to reduce the residual DC offset below the programmable DCO threshold.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein

the adjusting the DCO correction signal comprises:

in response to a combination of the absolute value of the residual DC offset exceeding the programmable DCO threshold and the residual DC offset having a positive value, increasing a correction setting of a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) configured to output the DCO correction signal, and

in response to a combination of the absolute value of the residual DC offset exceeding the programmable DCO threshold and the residual DC offset having a negative value, decreasing the correction setting of the DAC.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein

the DCO correction signal corresponds to a selected N-bit input code provided as the correction setting to the DAC,

the increasing the correction setting comprises adding a step value to a presently selected N-bit input code to provide a new selected N-bit input code for the correction setting, and

the decreasing the correction setting comprises subtracting the step value from the presently selected N-bit input code to provide the new selected N-bit input code for the correction setting.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

estimating the residual DC offset by averaging an X number of samples of the output of the ADC, wherein X is an integer value greater than one.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein

the monitoring the output of the ADC, the adjusting the DCO correction signal, and the subtracting the DCO correction signal are performed in each channel independently of other channels.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein

the adjusting the DCO correction signal is performed continuously while waiting for receipt of a valid frame.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein

the adjusting the DCO correction signal is performed continuously while a valid frame is being received.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

calculating an average maximum ADC value of samples of the output of the ADC;

calculating an average minimum ADC value of the samples of the output of the ADC; and

estimating the residual DC offset by calculating a mean value of the average maximum ADC value and the average ADC minimum value.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

monitoring a swing value of the output of the ADC; and

adjusting the gain setting, in response to the swing value falling outside of a desired range defined by the programmable minimum threshold and the programmable maximum threshold.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

calculating a respective swing value for each channel, wherein each respective swing value is a difference between the average maximum ADC value and the average minimum ADC value calculated for the channel.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein

the monitoring the swing value is performed continuously while a valid frame is being received.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

scaling a digital signal output by the ADC by a scaling factor to produce a scaled signal with smoother transitions, wherein the scaling factor is inversely proportional to a gain adjustment factor based on an adjustment made to the gain setting.

13. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

calculating a difference between two consecutive samples of the output of the ADC, wherein a first sample is taken before an adjustment is made to the correction setting, and a second sample is taken after the adjustment is made to the correction setting;

generating a digital compensation signal that initially cancels out the difference and gradually ramps down to zero; and

adding the digital compensation signal to a digital signal output by the ADC to provide a compensated signal with smoother transitions.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein

the digital compensation signal is generated in response to an update signal that is set high when the adjustment to the correction setting is made.

15. A method for operating a receiver system, the receiver system comprising one or more channels, the method comprising:

continuously monitoring a residual DC (direct current) offset in a present channel while a valid frame is being received by sampling an output of an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) of the present channel;

calculating an average maximum ADC value of samples of the output of the ADC;

calculating an average minimum ADC value of the samples of the output of the ADC;

estimating the residual DC offset by calculating a mean value of the average maximum ADC value and the average ADC minimum value;

calculating, for each channel, a respective swing value of the output of the ADC, wherein each respective swing value is a difference between the average maximum ADC value and the average minimum ADC value calculated for the channel;

adjusting a gain setting of an amplifier that amplifies the analog signal of the present channel, in response to the swing value falling outside of a desired range defined by a programmable minimum threshold and a programmable maximum threshold, by:

increasing the gain setting in all channels in response to all respective swing values of the one or more channels being less than the programmable minimum threshold, and

decreasing the gain setting in all channels in response to at least one of the respective swing values being greater than the programmable maximum threshold;

adjusting a DCO (direct current offset) correction signal that corresponds to the residual DC offset in response to an absolute value of the residual DC offset exceeding a programmable DCO threshold; and

subtracting the DCO correction signal from an analog signal provided to the ADC to reduce the residual DC offset below the programmable DCO threshold.