Signal Distribution System Cascadable AGC Device and Method

Abstract

A cascadable AGC amplifier in a signal distribution system includes a low noise cascadable amplifier having a through path and a cascadable output. The cascadable amplifier is also configured to provide AGC over a predetermined input power range. The cascadable AGC amplifier can be configured to provide gain or attenuation. When the cascadable AGC amplifier is implemented in a signal distribution system, typically as part of a signal distribution device, an input signal can be gain controlled and supplied to multiple signal paths without distortion due to degradation of signal to noise ratio or distortion due to higher order amplifier products. The distributed signal is not significantly degraded by distortion regardless of the number of cascadable AGC amplifiers connected in series or the position of the cascadable AGC amplifier in the signal distribution system.

1 . An apparatus comprising:
 switch having a plurality of switch inputs and a plurality of switch outputs, switch being operable to switchably couple any of the plurality of switch inputs to any one or more of the plurality of switch outputs;   a plurality of frequency translation devices, two or more frequency translation devices of the plurality of frequency translation devices being operably coupled to a respective switch output, the two or more frequency translation devices being operable to output two or more frequency translated switch outputs; and   a signal combiner operably coupled to the plurality of frequency translation devices, the signal combiner being operable to stack the two or more frequency translated switch outputs.   
     
     
         2 - 10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , the apparatus comprising a plurality of amplifiers, each amplifier having an amplifier input and an amplifier output, the amplifier output of each amplifier of the plurality of amplifiers being operably coupled to a respective switch input. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the amplifier input of each amplifier of the plurality of amplifiers is operably coupled to a low noise block converter. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein each amplifier of the plurality of amplifiers is a low noise amplifier. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein each of the two or more frequency translation devices comprises an amplifier and a mixer. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein an input of the amplifier in each of the two or more frequency translation devices is coupled to a respective switch output. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein an input of the amplifier in each of the two or more frequency translation devices is coupled to an output of the respective mixer in each of the two or more frequency translation. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the mixer in each of the two or more frequency translation devices is a downconverter. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each of the two or more frequency translation devices comprises a filter device. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the filter device comprises a bandpass filter. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of frequency translation devices comprises two or more additional frequency translation devices, each of the two or more frequency translation devices being connected to another frequency translation device of the two or more additional frequency translation devices, the two or more additional frequency translation devices being operable to further process the two or more frequency translated switch outputs. 
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus comprises a digital signal processor (DSP), the DSP comprising the switch, the plurality of frequency translation devices and the signal combiner. 
     
     
         22 . An apparatus comprising:
 a multiple-input/multiple-output switch coupled to receive and switch at least one satellite intermediate frequency (IF) signal of a plurality of satellite IF signals, wherein the plurality of satellite IF signals are received from a satellite front end device comprising a low noise block downconverter (LNB);   a plurality of channelizer devices coupled to the multiple-input/multiple-output switch and operable to channelize the at least one satellite IF signal to produce a plurality of channelized signals; and   a channel stacker coupled to the plurality of channelizer devices and operable to stack the plurality of channelized signals to produce a stacked channel signal.   
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 22 , the apparatus comprising a plurality of amplifiers, each amplifier having an amplifier input and an amplifier output, the amplifier output of each amplifier of the plurality of amplifiers being operably coupled to an input of the multiple-input/multiple-output switch. 
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein the amplifier input of each amplifier of the plurality of amplifiers is operably coupled to a low noise block converter. 
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein each amplifier of the plurality of amplifiers is a low noise amplifier. 
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein each channelizer device of the plurality of channelizer devices comprises an amplifier and a mixer. 
     
     
         27 . The apparatus of  claim 26 , wherein an input of the amplifier in each channelizer device is coupled to a respective output of the multiple-input/multiple-output switch. 
     
     
         28 . The apparatus of  claim 26 , wherein an input of the amplifier in each channelizer device is coupled to an output of the respective mixer in each channelizer device. 
     
     
         29 . The apparatus of  claim 26 , wherein the mixer in each channelizer device is a downconverter. 
     
     
         30 . The apparatus of  claim 22 , wherein each channelizer device comprises a filter device. 
     
     
         31 . The apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein the filter device comprises a bandpass filter. 
     
     
         32 . The apparatus of  claim 22 , wherein each channelizer device comprises two or more frequency translation devices. 
     
     
         33 . The apparatus of  claim 22 , wherein the apparatus comprises a digital signal processor (DSP), the DSP comprising the multiple-input/multiple-output switch, the plurality of channelizer devices, and the channel stacker. 
     
     
         34 . A method comprising:
 switching at least one satellite intermediate frequency (IF) signal of a plurality of satellite IF signals, wherein the plurality of satellite IF signals are received from a satellite front end device comprising a low noise block downconverter (LNB);   channelizing the at least one satellite IF signal to produce a plurality of channelized signals; and   stacking the plurality of channelized signals to produce a stacked channel signal.   
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , the method comprising amplifying an input of the multiple-input/multiple-output switch. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 34 , the method comprising amplifying an output of the multiple-input/multiple-output switch. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein channelizing comprises downconverting a band of frequencies. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein channelizing comprises filtering a band of frequencies. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the method comprises digital signal processing, the digital signal processing comprising the switching, the channelizing, and the stacking.