Methods and apparatus for adaptive grounding and noise mitigation in mixed-signal devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10103495-B2
Application number	US-201715672189-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 8, 2017
Priority date	Sep 1, 2016
Publication date	Oct 16, 2018
Grant date	Oct 16, 2018

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for providing adaptive grounding in mixed-signal electronic dies, circuits, modules, or other devices. In one example a module in which adaptive grounding is implemented includes a substrate having disposed thereon a plurality of signal contacts and a ground connection, and a mixed-signal die disposed on the substrate and including a signal section and a control section, the signal section having a plurality of radio frequency components each connected to a respective one of the plurality of signal contacts on the substrate by a corresponding signal connector, and the control section having at least two ground paths that selectively connect the control section to the ground connection on the substrate and which are physically spaced apart from one another, the mixed-signal die further including at least two switches, each operable to selectively connect one of the ground paths to the ground connection.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A module comprising:
a substrate having disposed thereon a plurality of signal contacts and a ground connection; and
a mixed-signal die disposed on the substrate and including a signal section and a control section, the signal section having a plurality of switching circuits each connected to a respective one of the plurality of signal contacts on the substrate by a corresponding signal connector, and the control section having at least two ground paths that selectively connect the control section to the ground connection on the substrate, the at least two ground paths being physically spaced apart from one another, the mixed-signal die further including at least two switches configured to operate substantially simultaneously and oppositely to one another so as to selectively connect one of the at least two ground paths to the ground connection and disconnect the other of the at least two ground paths from the ground connection.

2. The module of claim 1 wherein each corresponding signal connector includes at least one wirebond.

3. The module of claim 1 wherein each corresponding signal connector includes at least one solder bump.

4. The module of claim 1 wherein the control section is configured to provide control signals to actuate the at least two switches.

5. The module of claim 1 wherein the signal section is a radio frequency signal section, and the signal switching circuits are radio frequency switching circuits each including at least one transistor.

6. A mixed-signal electronic device comprising:
an on-die radio frequency section including first and second radio frequency components and corresponding first and second signal connectors for respectively connecting the first and second radio frequency components to off-die radio frequency circuitry;
an on-die control section coupled to the on-die radio frequency section and including grounding wiring;
a first grounding connector disposed physically closer to the first signal connector than to the second signal connector, the first grounding connector being electrically connected to an off-die ground;
a second grounding connector disposed physically closer to the second signal connector than to the first signal connector, the second grounding connector being electrically connected to the off-die ground;
a first switch operable to selectively connect the grounding wiring of the control section to the first grounding connector; and
a second switch operable to selectively connect the grounding wiring of the control section to the second grounding connector.

7. The mixed-signal electronic device of claim 6 wherein the first and second signal connectors and the first and second grounding connectors are wirebonds.

8. The mixed-signal electronic device of claim 6 wherein the first and second signal connectors and the first and second grounding connectors include solder bumps.

9. The mixed-signal electronic device of claim 6 wherein the first and second switches are configured to be substantially simultaneously and oppositely operable to connect one of the first and second grounding connectors to the grounding wiring at any given time.

10. The mixed-signal electronic device of claim 9 wherein the on-die control section is configured to provide control signals to actuate the first and second switches.

11. The mixed-signal device of claim 6 wherein the first and second radio frequency components are radio frequency switching circuits.

12. The mixed-signal device of claim 6 wherein the first and second radio frequency components are radio frequency amplifiers.

13. A module comprising:
a substrate having disposed thereon a plurality of signal contacts and a ground connection; and
a mixed-signal die disposed on the substrate and including a signal section and a control section, the signal section having a plurality of radio frequency components each connected to a respective one of the plurality of signal contacts on the substrate by a corresponding signal connector, and the control section having at least two ground paths that selectively connect the control section to the ground connection on the substrate, the at least two ground paths being physically spaced apart from one another, the mixed-signal die further including at least two switches configured to operate substantially simultaneously and oppositely to one another so as to selectively connect one of the at least two ground paths to the ground connection and disconnect the other of the at least two ground paths from the ground connection.

14. The module of claim 13 wherein the radio frequency components are radio frequency switching circuits.

15. The module of claim 13 wherein the radio frequency components are radio frequency amplifiers.

16. A method of adaptive grounding in a mixed-signal electronic device including a plurality of radio frequency (RF) components, a control section, and a plurality of grounding connectors, the method comprising:
determining whether more than one of the plurality of RF components is active;
responsive to determining that only one of the plurality of RF components is active, electrically connecting the control section to one grounding connector disposed physically farthest from the active one of the plurality of RF components among the plurality of grounding connectors;
responsive to determining that at least two RF components of the plurality of RF components are active, determining whether the one grounding connector is disposed physically farthest from both of the at least two active RF components; and
responsive to determining that the one grounding connector is disposed physically farthest from both of the at least two active RF components, connecting the one grounding connector to the control section.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the plurality of RF components includes a plurality of RF switching circuits.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the plurality of RF components includes a plurality of RF amplifiers.

Assignees

• Skyworks Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Blin Guillaume Alexandre

Classifications

• H10W70/60

  Insulating or insulated package substrates; Interposers; Redistribution layers (leadframes H10W70/40) · CPC title

• H01L23/12

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01R13/6471 Primary

  by special arrangement of ground and signal conductors, e.g. GSGS [Ground-Signal-Ground-Signal] · CPC title

• H05K1/0228

  Compensation of cross-talk by a mutually correlated lay-out of printed circuit traces, e.g. for compensation of cross-talk in mounted connectors (balanced signal pairs H05K1/0245) · CPC title

• H05K1/0215

  Grounding of printed circuits by connection to external grounding means · CPC title