Low distortion multiple power amplifier power supply

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10693420-B2
Application number	US-201816119402-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 31, 2018
Priority date	Dec 17, 2015
Publication date	Jun 23, 2020
Grant date	Jun 23, 2020

Abstract

A PA power supply, which includes a first ET power supply, power supply control circuitry, a first PMOS switching element, and a second PMOS switching element, is disclosed. During a first operating mode, the power supply control circuitry selects an OFF state of the first PMOS switching element, selects an ON state of the second PMOS switching element, and adjusts a voltage of a first switch control signal to maintain the OFF state of the first PMOS switching element using a voltage at a source of the first PMOS switching element and a voltage at a drain of the first PMOS switching element; the PA power supply provides a first PA power supply signal; and the first ET power supply provides a first ET power supply signal, such that the first PA power supply signal is based on the first ET power supply signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A power amplifier (PA) power supply comprising a first PA connection node, a first power supply, power supply control circuitry, a first switching element, and a second switching element, wherein:
the PA power supply is configured to:
operate in one of a plurality of operating modes; and
during a first operating mode of the plurality of operating modes, provide a first PA power supply signal via the first PA connection node;

the first switching element is coupled to the first PA connection node;
the second switching element is coupled between the first power supply and the first PA connection node; and
during the first operating mode, the power supply control circuitry is configured to:
select an OFF state of the first switching element using a first switch control signal; and
adjust a voltage of the first switch control signal to maintain the OFF state of the first switching element using a highest one of at least a voltage at a source of the first switching element and a voltage at a drain of the first switching element.

2. The PA power supply of claim 1 wherein during the first operating mode, the power supply control circuitry is further configured to adjust the voltage of the first switch control signal to maintain the OFF state of the first switching element using a highest one of the voltage at the source of the first switching element, the voltage at the drain of the first switching element, and a direct current (DC) source voltage.

3. The PA power supply of claim 1 wherein the highest one of the voltage at the source of the first switching element and the voltage at the drain of the first switching element is provided by a highest voltage extraction circuit comprising:
a third switching element coupled between a first current source and the source of the first switching element;
a fourth switching element coupled between a second current source and the drain of the first switching element; and
a capacitive element coupled between the third switching element and the fourth switching element.

4. The PA power supply of claim 3 wherein the capacitive element provides alternating current (AC) hysteresis to reduce noise in the highest voltage extraction circuit.

5. The PA power supply of claim 3 wherein the highest voltage extraction circuit detects the highest one of the voltage at the source of the first switching element and the voltage at the drain of the first switching element within 4 nanoseconds.

6. The PA power supply of claim 1 wherein during the first operating mode:
the first power supply is configured to provide a first power supply signal, such that the first PA power supply signal is based on the first power supply signal; and
the power supply control circuitry is further configured to select an ON state of the second switching element using a second switch control signal.

7. The PA power supply of claim 1 wherein a propagation delay in transitioning the first switching element from an ON state to the OFF state is less than eight nanoseconds.

8. The PA power supply of claim 1 wherein during the first operating mode, a bandwidth of the first PA power supply signal is greater than 15 megahertz.

9. The PA power supply of claim 1 further comprising a second power supply wherein the first switching element is coupled between the second power supply and the first PA connection node.

10. The PA power supply of claim 9 wherein during a second operating mode of the plurality of operating modes:
the power supply control circuitry is further configured to select an ON state of the first switching element using the first switch control signal and select an OFF state of the second switching element using a second switch control signal;
the first power supply is configured to provide a first power supply signal, such that a second PA power supply signal is based on the first power supply signal; and
the second power supply is configured to provide a second power supply signal, such that the first PA power supply signal is based on the second power supply signal.

11. The PA power supply of claim 10 wherein during the second operating mode, the power supply control circuitry is further configured to adjust a voltage of the second switch control signal to maintain the OFF state of the second switching element using a highest one of a voltage at a source of the second switching element and a voltage at a drain of the second switching element.

12. The PA power supply of claim 9 wherein during the first operating mode:
the power supply control circuitry is further configured to select an ON state of the second switching element using a second switch control signal;
the first power supply is configured to provide a first power supply signal, such that the first PA power supply signal is based on the first power supply signal; and
the second power supply is configured to provide a second power supply signal, such that a second PA power supply signal is based on the second power supply signal.

13. The PA power supply of claim 12 wherein during the first operating mode:
a first radio frequency (RF) PA is configured to receive and amplify a first RF input signal to provide a first RF transmit signal using the first PA power supply signal;
a second RF PA is configured to receive and amplify a second RF input signal to provide a second RF transmit signal using the second PA power supply signal; and
the first RF transmit signal and the second RF transmit signal are transmit uplink carrier aggregation signals.

14. The PA power supply of claim 1 wherein:
the first switching element is a first P-type metal oxide semiconductor (PMOS) switching element;
the second switching element is a second PMOS switching element;
the PA power supply further comprises a first N-type metal oxide semiconductor (NMOS) switching element and a second NMOS switching element;
the first NMOS switching element is coupled across the first PMOS switching element and the second NMOS switching element is coupled across the second PMOS switching element; and
during the first operating mode, the power supply control circuitry is further configured to select an OFF state of the first NMOS switching element using a first NMOS switch control signal and select an ON state of the second NMOS switching element using a second NMOS switch control signal, such that the second NMOS switching element is configured to assist the second PMOS switching element.

15. The PA power supply of claim 1 wherein:
the first power supply is a first envelope tracking (ET) power supply; and
during the first operating mode:
the first ET power supply is configured to provide a first ET power supply signal, such that the first PA power supply signal is based on the first ET power supply signal; and
the power supply control circuitry is further configured to select an ON state of the second switching element using a second switch control signal.

16. The PA power supply of claim 15 further having a second PA connection node and further comprising an average power tracking power supply, a third switching element, and a fourth switching element, wherein:
the first switching element is further coupled between the average power tracking power supply and the first PA connection node;
the third switching element is coupled between the average power tracking power supply and the second PA connection node;
the fourth switching element is coupled between the first ET power supply and the second PA connection node;
during the first operating mode, the average power tracking power supply is conf

Assignees

• Qorvo Us Inc

Inventors

• Nag Manbir Singh
• Kay Michael R
• Gorisse Philippe
• Khlat Nadim

Classifications

• H03F2200/451

  the amplifier being a radio frequency amplifier · CPC title

• H03F2200/507

  A switch being used for switching on or off a supply or supplying circuit in an IC-block amplifier circuit · CPC title

• H04W52/52

  using AGC [Automatic Gain Control] circuits or amplifiers · CPC title

• H03F2200/102

  A non-specified detector of a signal envelope being used in an amplifying circuit · CPC title

• H03F3/193

  with field-effect devices (H03F3/195 takes precedence) · CPC title