Patent ID: 7928808

Claim:
A method for configuring a selectable local oscillator to provide an output frequency signal having a selectable frequency within a desired output frequency range, wherein the method comprises: determining first, second and third input frequency ranges; generating first, second and third selectable frequency signals from the first, second and third input frequency ranges respectively; mixing the first selectable frequency signal with the second selectable frequency signal to provide a first mixed product signal having an upper sideband and a lower sideband; selecting one of the upper and lower sidebands of the first mixed product signal; mixing the selected sideband with the third selectable frequency signal to provide a second mixed product signal having an upper sideband and a lower sideband; and selecting at least one of the upper and lower sidebands of the second mixed product signal as the output frequency signal wherein the step of determining the first, second and third input frequency ranges comprises: determining a number of frequencies, a frequency interval, a lower bound frequency, and an upper bound frequency for the desired output frequency range; determining a number of frequencies in each of the first, second and third input frequency ranges based on the number of frequencies of the desired output frequency range; and determining a frequency interval and a lower bound frequency for each of the first, second and third input frequency ranges.