Linearizing scheme for baseband filter with active feedback

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9608569-B2
Application number	US-201514806334-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 22, 2015
Priority date	Apr 1, 2015
Publication date	Mar 28, 2017
Grant date	Mar 28, 2017

Abstract

A method and apparatus for linearizing a baseband filter are provided. The apparatus is configured to, via a first conducting module, receive a first current signal. The apparatus is further configured to, via a converting module, receive a second current signal, generate a voltage signal based on the second current signal, and apply the voltage signal to the first conducting module. An amount of the second current signal received by the converting module is based on an amount of the first current signal flowing through the first conducting module. The apparatus is also configured to, via a second conducting module, control an output current signal based on the voltage signal. The output current signal is controlled to be a linear replica of the first current signal for in-band frequencies.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for linearizing a baseband filter, comprising:
a first conducting module configured to receive a first current signal;
a converting module configured to receive a second current signal, generate a voltage signal based on the second current signal, and apply the voltage signal to the first conducting module, wherein an amount of the second current signal received by the converting module is based on an amount of the first current signal flowing through the first conducting module; and
a second conducting module configured to control an output current signal based on the voltage signal, wherein the output current signal is controlled to be a linear replica of the first current signal for in-band frequencies.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the converting module comprises a biquadratic amplifier and the first conducting module comprises a first capacitor, a first resistor, and a first transistor configured to operate based on the voltage signal from the biquadratic amplifier,
wherein a non-inverting input of the biquadratic amplifier is coupled to a current source,
wherein a drain of the first transistor is coupled to the current source, a gate of the first transistor is coupled to an output of the biquadratic amplifier, and a source of the first transistor is coupled to a first node of the first capacitor and a first node of the first resistor, and
wherein a second node of the first capacitor and a second node of the first resistor are coupled to a ground node.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein when the first transistor is configured to operate based on the voltage signal from the biquadratic amplifier, the first transistor is configured to flow the first current signal from the drain to the source of the first transistor toward the first capacitor and the first resistor, and wherein the amount of the first current signal flowing through the first transistor is based on an amount of energy associated with the first current signal stored by the first capacitor and an amount of energy associated with the first current signal dissipated by the first resistor.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein, at a frequency higher than a highest in-band frequency, the amount of the first current signal flowing through the first transistor reduces the amount of the second current signal received by the biquadratic amplifier.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the second conducting module comprises a second resistor, a second capacitor, a third resistor, and a second transistor,
wherein a first node of the second resistor is coupled to the output of the biquadratic amplifier and the gate of the first transistor, and a second node of the second resistor is coupled to a first node of the second capacitor and a gate of the second transistor,
wherein the first node of the second capacitor is coupled to the second node of the second resistor and the gate of the second transistor, and a second node of the second capacitor is coupled to the ground node,
wherein a first node of the third resistor is coupled to a source of the second transistor, and a second node of the third resistor is coupled to the ground node,
wherein the source of the second transistor is coupled to the first node of the third resistor, and
wherein the output current signal flows through a drain of the second transistor.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the output current signal is controlled to be the linear replica of the first current signal by:
the biquadratic amplifier flowing the voltage signal across the second resistor to be applied to the gate of the second transistor, and
the second transistor operating based on the voltage signal applied to the gate of the second transistor and flowing the output current signal between the drain and the source of the second transistor.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein an amount of the voltage signal at the gate of the second transistor is based on an amount of energy associated with the voltage signal dissipated by the second resistor and an amount of energy associated with the voltage signal stored by the second capacitor after the dissipation.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the amount of the output current signal flowing through the second transistor is based on an amount of energy associated with the output current signal dissipated by the third resistor.

9. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein a size of the second transistor is n times a size of the first transistor, where n is a real number.

10. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein a value of the first resistor is n times a value of the third resistor, wherein n is a real number.

11. A method for linearizing a baseband filter, comprising:
receiving a first current signal via a first conducting module;
receiving a second current signal via a converting module,
generating, via the converting module, a voltage signal based on the second current signal and applying the voltage signal to the first conducting module, wherein an amount of the second current signal received by the converting module is based on an amount of the first current signal flowing through the first conducting module; and
controlling, via a second conducting module, an output current signal based on the voltage signal, wherein the output current signal is controlled to be a linear replica of the first current signal for in-band frequencies.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the converting module comprises a biquadratic amplifier and the first conducting module comprises a first capacitor, a first resistor, and a first transistor configured to operate based on the voltage signal from the biquadratic amplifier,
wherein a non-inverting input of the biquadratic amplifier is coupled to a current source,
wherein a drain of the first transistor is coupled to the current source, a gate of the first transistor is coupled to an output of the biquadratic amplifier, and a source of the first transistor is coupled to a first node of the first capacitor and a first node of the first resistor, and
wherein a second node of the first capacitor and a second node of the first resistor are coupled to a ground node.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein when the first transistor operates based on the voltage signal from the biquadratic amplifier, the first transistor flows the first current signal from the drain to the source of the first transistor toward the first capacitor and the first resistor, and
wherein the amount of the first current signal flowing through the first transistor is based on an amount of energy associated with the first current signal stored by the first capacitor and an amount of energy associated with the first current signal dissipated by the first resistor.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein, at a frequency higher than a highest in-band frequency, the amount of the first current signal flowing through the first transistor reduces the amount of the second current signal received by the biquadratic amplifier.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the second conducting module comprises a second resistor, a second capacitor, a third resistor, and a second transistor,
wherein a first node of the second resistor is coupled to the output of the biquadratic amplifier and the gate of the first transistor, and a second node of the second resistor is coupled to a first node of the second capacitor and a gate of the second transistor,
wherein the first node of the second capacitor is coupled to the second node of the second resistor and the gate of the second transistor, and a second node of the second capacitor is coupled to th

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Asuri Bhushan Shanti
• Joshi Alok Prakash
• Rajendran Gireesh

Classifications

• H03F2200/129

  there being a feedback over the complete amplifier · CPC title

• H03C3/08 Primary

  Modifications of modulator to linearise modulation, e.g. by feedback, and clearly applicable to more than one type of modulator · CPC title

• H03F2200/451

  the amplifier being a radio frequency amplifier · CPC title

• H04B1/30

  for homodyne or synchrodyne receivers (demodulator circuits H03D1/22) · CPC title

• H04B1/0042

  Digital filtering (H04B1/0035 takes precedence; digital filters per se H03H17/00) · CPC title