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.