A wireless computer data network includes several untethered mobile units that
make ad-hoc data connections with an Internet-connected base station using the
IEEE-802.11a standard. Each unit includes a radio transceiver fully integrated
on a single semiconductor chip. The receiver portion is a double-conversion superheterodyne
type, and shares the same intermediate and local oscillator frequencies with a
two-stage up-conversion transmitter. Two on-chip synthesizers that each include
a voltage-controlled oscillator and phase-locked loop can be operated independently
for each conversion stage, or operated in offset mode. External reference frequencies
can be injected for voltage-controlled oscillator and phase-locked loop testing,
chip characterization, and automatic compensation modeling. Each mobile and base
unit can be outfitted with transmit/receive antenna transfer switches, RF-power
amplifiers, and low-noise receiver amplifiers to increase operating range.