Electronic Design (March 23, 1998)
From the engineers @ Electronic Design (March 23, 1998) comes this on the chip that Boeing tested. PRKR has advanced past this stage to the "Direct2Data" digital technology capability, but this article provides some credibility to PRKR's claims.
penton.com
Novel Direct Conversion Receiver Reduces Component Count
By demonstrating specifications with a sensitivity of -104 dB, a 1-GHz bandwidth, an IP3 of +15 dB, and a 5-dB noise figure, a new direct-conversion-receiver architecture is setting its sights on becoming a key building block for wireless systems. While the details are still sketchy, pending patent filings, the new design promises to reduce both component count and power requirements in applications such as audio, video, and data links; cellular phones; pagers; cordless phones; and cordless computer peripherals.
Prototype versions of the receiver have been fabricated in both CMOS and GaAs. Early tests show that it can substantially reduce parts count in most applications. The circuit's developers, ParkerVision Inc., claim that it only takes five components, worth about $5, to implement a 900-MHz radio. Using a conventional approach with that same radio, parts count soars to around 30, and it would have a BOM of $12.
At a recent demonstration, a prototype receiver IC was shown to receive a wideband signal centered around 980 MHz with almost no discernable amplitude or phase distortion while drawing less than 10 mA of 3.5-V power. Requiring no narrowband LNA front end, the receiver can convert two or more signals down to its baseband simultaneously. If this seems like science fiction, parties interested in licensing the technology or purchasing components will soon be able to obtain test results from an independent lab. Contact Joe Scovron at Parker Vision Inc., 11000 S.W. Stratus, Suite 330, Beaverton, OR 97008; (503) 526-5891; fax (503) 526-5893 for more information. lg
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