Amplifier system and method for controlling amplifier

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9837974-B2
Application number	US-201615238729-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 17, 2016
Priority date	Nov 12, 2015
Publication date	Dec 5, 2017
Grant date	Dec 5, 2017

Abstract

An amplifier system includes a main amplifier, a cross-over current detector and a controller. The main amplifier includes at least a first driving transistor and a second driving transistor serving as a differential pair, wherein the first driving transistor and the second driving transistor are arranged to receive a first input signal and a second input signal, respectively. The cross-over current detector is coupled to the main amplifier, and is arranged for detecting a cross-over current of the main amplifier, wherein the cross-over current of the main amplifier is an overlapped current from the differential pair. The controller is coupled to the main amplifier and the cross-over current detector, and is arranged for generating a control signal to control a gain of the main amplifier according to an output of the main amplifier and the cross-over current of the main amplifier.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An amplifier system, comprising:
a main amplifier comprising at least a first driving transistor and a second driving transistor serving as a differential pair, wherein the first driving transistor and the second driving transistor are arranged to receive a first input signal and a second input signal, respectively;
a cross-over current detector, coupled to the main amplifier, for detecting a cross-over current of the main amplifier, wherein the cross-over current of the main amplifier is an overlapped current from the differential pair; and
a controller, coupled to the main amplifier and the cross-over current detector, for generating a control signal to control a gain of the main amplifier according to at least the cross-over current of the main amplifier.

2. The amplifier system of claim 1 , wherein the controller generates the control signal to control the gain of the main amplifier according to a difference between an output current of the main amplifier and the cross-over current of the main amplifier.

3. The amplifier system of claim 1 , wherein the main amplifier further comprises a first control transistor and a second control transistor, the first driving transistor and the first control transistor are coupled in cascode, the second driving transistor and the second control transistor are coupled in cascode, and the controller generates the control signal to gate electrodes of the first control transistor and the second control transistor to control the gain of the main amplifier.

4. The amplifier system of claim 3 , wherein the controller generates the control signal according to a difference between an output current of the main amplifier and the cross-over current of the main amplifier, to the gate electrodes of the first control transistor and the second control transistor to control the gain of the main amplifier.

5. The amplifier system of claim 3 , wherein the cross-over current detector comprises:
a first transistor, controlled by the control signal generated by the controller;
a second transistor and a third transistor connected in cascode, wherein the second transistor is coupled to the first transistor, and the second transistor and the third transistor receive the first input signal and the second input signal, respectively; and
a fourth transistor and a fifth transistor connected in cascode, wherein the fourth transistor is coupled to the first transistor, and the fourth transistor and the fifth transistor receive the second input signal and the first input signal, respectively;
wherein a current of the first transistor serves as the cross-over current of the main amplifier.

6. The amplifier system of claim 1 , wherein the controller comprises:
a current sensing circuit, for providing a sensed current related to a difference between an output current of the main amplifier and the cross-over current;
a load circuit, coupled to the current sensing circuit via a node, wherein the sensed current flows through the node and the load circuit to provide a loading voltage; and
an operational amplifier, coupled to the node and the main amplifier, for receiving a power indication signal and the loading voltage to generate the control signal to control the gain of the main amplifier.

7. The amplifier system of claim 1 , wherein the controller generates the control signal to bias gate electrodes of the first driving transistor and the second driving transistor according to the cross-over current of the main amplifier.

8. The amplifier system of claim 7 , wherein once the cross-over current is detected or the cross-over current is greater than a threshold, the controller lowers a voltage level of the control signal.

9. The amplifier system of claim 7 , wherein the main amplifier further comprises a first control transistor and a second control transistor, the first driving transistor and the first control transistor are connected in cascode, the second driving transistor and the second control transistor are connected in cascode, and the controller further generates another control signals to bias gate electrodes of the first control transistor and the second control transistor according to the cross-over current of the main amplifier.

10. The amplifier system of claim 9 , wherein once the cross-over current is detected or the cross-over current is greater than a threshold, the controller lowers the voltage levels of the control signal and the other control signal.

11. A method for controlling a main amplifier, wherein the main amplifier comprises at least a first driving transistor and a second driving transistor serving as a differential pair, and the first driving transistor and the second driving transistor are arranged to receive a first input signal and a second input signal, respectively, and the method comprises:
detecting a cross-over current of the main amplifier, wherein the cross-over current of the main amplifier is an overlapped current from the differential pair; and
generating a control signal to control a gain of the main amplifier according to at least the cross-over current of the main amplifier.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the step of generating the control signal comprises:
generating the control signal to control the gain of the main amplifier according to a difference between an output current of the main amplifier and the cross-over current of the main amplifier.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the main amplifier further comprises a first control transistor and a second control transistor, the first driving transistor and the first control transistor are connected in cascode, the second driving transistor and the second control transistor are connected in cascode, and the step of generating the control signal to control the gain of the main amplifier comprises:
generating the control signal to gate electrodes of the first control transistor and the second control transistor to control the gain of the main amplifier.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the step of generating the control signal to control the gain of the main amplifier comprises:
generating the control signal according to a difference between an output current of the main amplifier and the cross-over current of the main amplifier, to the gate electrodes of the first control transistor and the second control transistor to control the gain of the main amplifier.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the step of generating the control signal to control the gain of the main amplifier comprises:
generating the control signal to bias gate electrodes of the first driving transistor and the second driving transistor according to the cross-over current of the main amplifier.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the step of generating the control signal to bias the gate electrodes of the first driving transistor and the second driving transistor comprises:
once the cross-over current is detected or the cross-over current is greater than a threshold, lowering a voltage level of the control signal.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the main amplifier further comprises a first control transistor and a second control transistor, the first driving transistor and the first control transistor are connected in cascode, the second driving transistor and the second control transistor are connected in cascode, and the method further comprises:
generating another control signal to bias gate electrodes of the first control transistor and the second control transistor according to the cross-over current of the main amplifier.

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Assignees

• Mediatek Inc

Inventors

• Lin Lai-Ching

Classifications

• H03F2200/541

  Transformer coupled at the output of an amplifier · CPC title

• H03F3/245

  with semiconductor devices only · CPC title

• H03F2200/456

  A scaled replica of a transistor being present in an amplifier · CPC title

• H03F3/45179

  using MOSFET transistors as the active amplifying circuit (H03F3/45278 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H03F2200/09

  A balun, i.e. balanced to or from unbalanced converter, being present at the output of an amplifier · CPC title