Methods and Systems for Down-Converting a Signal Using a Complementary Transistor Structure

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatuses for down-converting an electromagnetic (EM) signal by aliasing the EM signal is described herein. Briefly stated, such methods, systems, and apparatuses operate by receiving an EM signal and an aliasing signal having an aliasing rate. The EM signal is aliased according to the aliasing signal to down-convert the EM signal. The term aliasing, as used herein, refers to both down-converting an EM signal by under-sampling the EM signal at an aliasing rate, and down-converting an EM signal by transferring energy from the EM signal at the aliasing rate. In an embodiment, the EM signal is down-converted to an intermediate frequency (IF) signal. In another embodiment, the EM signal is down-converted to a demodulated baseband information signal. In another embodiment, the EM signal is a frequency modulated (FM) signal, which is down-converted to a non-FM signal, such as a phase modulated (PM) signal or an amplitude modulated (AM) signal.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for down-converting an electromagnetic input signal to a lower frequency signal comprising:
 a differential aliasing module comprising a first and a second switching device and an energy storage module coupled between said first and second switching devices, the aliasing module differentially receiving an RF information signal at a first input terminal connected to the first switching device, and at a second input terminal connected to the second switching device, and the aliasing module providing as an output a differential down-converted signal; and   each switching device of the aliasing module receiving a control signal that controls a charging and discharging cycle of the energy storage module by controlling the first and second switching devices so that for each switching device a portion of energy is transferred from the RF information signal to the energy storage module during a charging part of the cycle and a portion of the transferred energy is discharged during a discharging part of the cycle for each respective switching device, and said control signal operating at an aliasing rate selected so that energy of the RF information signal is sampled and differentially applied to the energy storage module at a frequency, and the energy storage module generating said differential down-converted signal from the alternate charging and discharging applied to the energy storage module differentially applied by each said switching device using said control signal.