a variable gain circuit configured to receive a radio-frequency signal from an antenna and configured to selectively provide any of a plurality of gains to the radio-frequency signal to produce an output signal, the plurality of gains spanning a first range and including at least one positive gain and at least one negative gain;

an output communicatively coupled to the variable gain circuit and configured to receive the output signal and to provide the output signal to a conversion circuit configured to convert the output signal from an analog signal at a radio frequency to a digital signal at a baseband frequency, the conversion circuit having a dynamic range spanning a second range that is smaller than the first range, and wherein the variable gain circuit is configured to provide a coarse gain adjustment to the output signal before being provided to the conversion circuit and the conversion circuit is configured to provide a fine gain adjustment to the output signal; and

a controller communicatively coupled to the variable gain circuit and configured to control which of the plurality of gains the variable gain circuit provides such that an energy of the output signal is within the dynamic range of the conversion circuit.