Wireless transceiver with switch to reduce harmonic leakage

• US 10,284,235 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2016
• Issued: 05/07/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Skyworks Solutions Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Skyworks Solutions Incorporated
• Inventors: Thompson, Philip H., Seiz, Steven T., Arkiszewski, Roman Zbigniew, Banowetz, Matthew Lee, Green, Duane A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yang, Jianxun
• Application Number:
  US15/214,727
• Publication Number:
  US 20170026136A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,021 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/006 using switches for selecting the desired band H04B1/0057 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/525 with means for reducing leakage of transmitter signal into the receiver

Abstract

Disclosed herein are wireless transceivers with switches to reduce harmonic leakage. In some embodiments, a transmitter system includes a power amplification system including a first power amplifier configured to amplify a signal at a first cellular frequency band and a second power amplifier configured to amplify a signal at a second cellular frequency band. The transmitter includes a switch coupled between an output of the second power amplifier and a ground potential. The transmitter includes a controller configured to, based on a band select signal, control the switch and selectively enable or disable each of the first power amplifier and the second power amplifier. Selective control of the switch can reduce harmonic leakage compared to a system that does not include the disclosed switches and controls.

Claims

1. A transmitter system comprising:

a power amplification system including a first power amplifier configured to amplify a signal within a first set of frequency bands and a second power amplifier configured to amplify a signal within a second set of frequency bands;

a first band select switch having a plurality of output ports and an input port coupled to an output of the first power amplifier, the first band select switch configured to route a received signal from the output of the first power amplifier to one of the plurality of output ports corresponding to a frequency band of the first set of frequency bands;

a second band select switch having a plurality of output ports and an input port coupled to an output of the second power amplifier, the second band select switch configured to route a received signal from the output of the second power amplifier to one of the plurality of output ports corresponding to a frequency band of the second set of frequency bands;

a plurality of switches, individual switches being coupled between an output port of the second band select switch and a ground potential; and

a controller configured to, based on a band select signal indicating a first frequency band within the first set of frequency bands as a first transmission band and a second frequency band within the second set of frequency bands as a reception band but not a transmission band and a third frequency band within the second set of frequency bands as a second transmission band, enable the first power amplifier and the second power amplifier, to close a first switch of the plurality of switches corresponding to a harmonic of the first transmission band, and to open a second switch of the plurality of switches corresponding to the second transmission band in response to the band select signal.

2. The transmitter system of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to open a targeted switch of the plurality of switches in response to the band select signal indicating a third frequency band within the second set of frequency bands as a transmission band.

3. The transmitter system of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to control the first band select switch or the second band select switch based on the band select signal.

4. The transmitter system of claim 3 wherein the plurality of switches and the second band select switch are integrated into a switching module.

5. The transmitter system of claim 4 wherein the switching module includes a single chip.

6. The transmitter system of claim 5 wherein individual switches of the plurality of switches are coupled between the output of the second band select switch and a ground terminal of the switching module.

7. The transmitter system of claim 5 wherein individual switches of the plurality of switches are coupled between a shunt input terminal of the switching module and a ground terminal of the switching module.

8. The transmitter system of claim 1 wherein the first set of cellular frequency bands includes Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Band 17 and the second set of cellular frequency bands includes UMTS Band 4.

9. The transmitter system of claim 1 wherein the first set of cellular frequency bands includes Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Band 17 and the second set of cellular frequency bands includes Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) Band 1900.

10. The transmitter system of claim 1 further comprising a receiver system configured to amplify received signals within the first set of frequency bands and received signals within the second set of frequency bands.

11. The transmitter system of claim 10 wherein closing of the targeted switch by the controller reduces noise in the receiver system from coupling of the harmonic of the uplink sub-band of the transmission band into the receiver system.

12. A radio-frequency (RF) module comprising:

a packaging substrate configured to receive a plurality of components; and

a transmitter system implemented on the packaging substrate, the transmitter system including a power amplification system including a first power amplifier configured to amplify a signal within a first set of frequency bands and a second power amplifier configured to amplify a signal within a second set of frequency bands, a first band select switch having a plurality of output ports and an input port coupled to an output of the first power amplifier, the first band select switch configured to route a received signal from the output of the first power amplifier to one of the plurality of output ports corresponding to a frequency band of the first set of frequency bands, a second band select switch having a plurality of output ports and an input port coupled to an output of the second power amplifier, the second band select switch configured to route a received signal from the output of the second power amplifier to one of the plurality of output ports corresponding to a frequency band of the second set of frequency bands, a plurality of switches, individual switches being coupled between an output port of the second band select switch and a ground potential, and a controller configured to, based on a band select signal indicating a first frequency band within the first set of frequency bands as a first transmission band and a second frequency band within the second set of frequency bands as a reception band but not a transmission band and a third frequency band within the second set of frequency bands as a second transmission band, enable the first power amplifier and the second power amplifier, to close a first switch of the plurality of switches corresponding to a harmonic of the first transmission band, and to open a second switch of the plurality of switches corresponding to the second transmission band in response to the band select signal.

13. The RF module of claim 12 wherein the RF module is a front-end module (FEM).

14. The RF module of claim 12 wherein the first power amplifier and the second power amplifier are implemented with separate chips.

15. The RF module of claim 14 wherein the separate chips are coupled to separate die attach ground pads of the RF module.

16. The RF module of claim 12 wherein a first plurality of output terminals of the RF module coupled to outputs of the first band select switch and a second plurality of output terminals coupled to outputs of the second band select switch are spatially separated.

17. The RF module of claim 12 wherein the RF module further includes a receiver system configured to amplify received signals within the first set of frequency bands and received signals within the second set of frequency bands.

18. The RF module of claim 17 wherein closing of the targeted switch by the controller reduces noise in the receiver system from coupling of the harmonic of the uplink sub-band of the transmission band into the receiver system.

19. A wireless device comprising:

a transceiver configured to generate a radio-frequency (RF) signal;

a front-end module (FEM) in communication with the transceiver, the FEM including a packaging substrate configured to receive a plurality of components, the FEM further including a transmitter system implemented on the packaging substrate, the transmitter system including a power amplification system including a first power amplifier configured to amplify a signal within a first set of frequency bands and a second power amplifier configured to amplify a signal within a second set of frequency bands, a first band select switch having a plurality of output ports and an input port coupled to an output of the first power amplifier, the first band select switch configured to route a received signal from the output of the first power amplifier to one of the plurality of output ports corresponding to a frequency band of the first set of frequency bands, a second band select switch having a plurality of output ports and an input port coupled to an output of the second power amplifier, the second band select switch configured to route a received signal from the output of the second power amplifier to one of the plurality of output ports corresponding to a frequency band of the second set of frequency bands, a plurality of switches, individual switches being coupled between an output port of the second band select switch and a ground potential, and a controller configured to, based on a band select signal indicating a first frequency band within the first set of frequency bands as a first transmission band and a second frequency band within the second set of frequency bands as a reception band but not a transmission band and a third frequency band within the second set of frequency bands as a second transmission band, enable the first power amplifier and the second power amplifier, to close a first switch of the plurality of switches corresponding to a harmonic of the first transmission band, and to open a second switch of the plurality of switches corresponding to the second transmission band in response to the band select signal; and

an antenna in communication with the FEM, the antenna configured to transmit an amplified version of the signal received from the transmitter system.

20. the wireless device of claim 19 wherein the FEM further includes a receiver system configured to amplify received signals within the first set of frequency bands and received signals within the second set of frequency bands such that closing of the targeted switch by the controller reduces noise in the receiver system from coupling of the harmonic of the uplink sub-band of the transmission band into the receiver system.