Amplifiers operating in envelope tracking mode or non-envelope tracking mode

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9667195-B2
Application number	US-201313830680-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2013
Priority date	Dec 28, 2012
Publication date	May 30, 2017
Grant date	May 30, 2017

Abstract

Various envelope tracking amplifiers are presented that can be switched between an ET (envelope tracking) mode and a non-ET mode. Switches and/or tunable components are utilized in constructing the envelope tracking amplifiers that can be switched between the ET mode and the non-ET mode.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An amplifier arrangement configured to operate based on a mode of operation, comprising:
an adjustable power supply controlled by a first control signal to provide either a variable supply or a constant supply to the amplifier arrangement;
a power amplifier comprising a configuration arrangement controlled by secondary control signals, the configuration arrangement adapted to configure the power amplifier based on the mode of operation,
one or more bias terminal supply switches connected to one or more gate bias terminals of the power amplifier; and
one or more tunable matching networks, the one or more tunable matching networks connected to the input and/or output of the amplifier arrangement to provide a desired matching based on the mode of operation,
wherein the mode of operation comprises a first mode of operation and a second mode of operation, the first mode of operation corresponding to the adjustable power supply providing variable supply to the power amplifier, the second mode of operation corresponding to the adjustable power supply providing constant supply to the power amplifier, the mode of operation switching between the first mode of operation and the second mode of operation and vice versa based on an input signal to the power amplifier, and
wherein the bias terminal supply switches are adapted to select between providing the one or more gate bias terminals with bias voltages from either an external power supply or the adjustable power supply, the one or more bias terminal supply switches being controllable by the secondary control signals based on the mode of operation.

2. The amplifier arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the desired matching is tuned as a function of an envelope signal when the adjustable power supply provides variable supply to the power amplifier.

3. An amplifier arrangement configured to operate based on a mode of operation, comprising:
an adjustable power supply controlled by a first control signal to provide either a variable supply or a constant supply to the amplifier arrangement;
a power amplifier comprising a configuration arrangement controlled by secondary control signals, the configuration arrangement adapted to configure the power amplifier based on the mode of operation, and
a feedback loop, the feedback loop being connected between an input and an output of the amplifier arrangement and is adapted to adjust an amplitude and/or a phase response of the amplifier arrangement based on the mode of operation,
wherein:
the mode of operation comprises a first mode of operation and a second mode of operation, the first mode of operation corresponding to the adjustable power supply providing variable supply to the power amplifier, the second mode of operation corresponding to the adjustable power supply providing constant supply to the power amplifier, the mode of operation switching between the first mode of operation and the second mode of operation and vice versa based on an input signal to the power amplifier, and
the feedback loop comprises a resistor, a capacitor and a feedback loop switch, the feedback loop switch adapted to enable/disable an operation of the feedback loop with respect to the amplifier arrangement and is controlled by secondary control signals based on the mode of operation.

4. An amplifier arrangement configured to operate based on a mode of operation, comprising:
an adjustable power supply controlled by a first control signal to provide either a variable supply or a constant supply to the amplifier arrangement;
a power amplifier comprising a configuration arrangement controlled by secondary control signals, the configuration arrangement adapted to configure the power amplifier based on the mode of operation, and
a feedback loop, the feedback loop being connected between an input and an output of the amplifier arrangement and is adapted to adjust an amplitude and/or a phase response of the amplifier arrangement based on the mode of operation,
wherein:
the mode of operation comprises a first mode of operation and a second mode of operation, the first mode of operation corresponding to the adjustable power supply providing variable supply to the power amplifier, the second mode of operation corresponding to the adjustable power supply providing constant supply to the power amplifier, the mode of operation switching between the first mode of operation and the second mode of operation and vice versa based on an input signal to the power amplifier, and
the feedback loop comprises a tunable resistor and a tunable capacitor, the tunable resistor and the tunable capacitor adapted to tune the feedback loop with respect to the amplifier arrangement and controlled by secondary control signals based on the mode of operation.

5. A method for configuring an amplifier arrangement to operate based on a mode of operation comprising:
providing an adjustable power supply adapted to provide either variable supply or constant supply to the amplifier arrangement;
providing a first control signal to control the adjustable power supply, wherein the first control signal controls which supply to be provided to the amplifier arrangement;
providing a power amplifier adapted to amplify an input signal, the power amplifier further comprising a configuration arrangement adapted to configure the power amplifier based on the mode of operation;
providing one or more bias terminal supply switches connected to one or more gate bias terminals of the power amplifier;
providing a second control signal to control the configuration arrangement; and
providing one or more tunable matching networks,
wherein:
the mode of operation comprises a first mode of operation and a second mode of operation, the first mode of operation corresponding to the adjustable power supply providing variable supply to the power amplifier, the second mode of operation corresponding to the adjustable power supply providing constant supply to the power amplifier, the mode of operation switching between the first mode of operation and the second mode of operation and vice versa based on the first control signal and the second control signal,
the bias terminal supply switches are adapted to select between providing the one or more gate bias terminals with bias voltages from either an external power supply or the adjustable power supply, the one or more bias terminal supply switches being controllable by the second control signal based on the mode of operation, and
the one or more tunable matching networks connected to the input and/or output of the amplifier arrangement are used to provide a desired matching based on the mode of operation.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the desired matching is tuned as a function of an envelope signal when the adjustable power supply provides variable supply to the power amplifier.

7. A method for configuring an amplifier arrangement to operate based on a mode of operation comprising:
providing an adjustable power supply adapted to provide either variable supply or constant supply to the amplifier arrangement;
providing a first control signal to control the adjustable power supply, wherein the first control signal controls which supply to be provided to the amplifier arrangement;
providing a power amplifier adapted to amplify an input signal, the power amplifier further comprising a configuration arrangement adapted to configure the power amplifier based on the mode of operation;
providing a second control signal to control the configuration arrangement; and
providing a feedback loop connected between an input and an output of the amplifier arrangement;
wherein:
the mode of operation comprises a first mode of operation and a second mode of operation, the first mod

Assignees

• Peregrine Semiconductor Corp

Inventors

• Nobbe Dan William
• Dykstra Jeffrey A
• Olson Chris
• Cable James S

Classifications

• H03F2200/102

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

• H03F2201/3233

  Adaptive predistortion using lookup table, e.g. memory, RAM, ROM, LUT, to generate the predistortion · CPC title

• H03F2200/408

  the output amplifying stage of an amplifier comprising three power stages · CPC title

• H03F3/45188

  Non-folded cascode stages · CPC title

• H03F1/3282

  Acting on the phase and the amplitude of the input signal · CPC title