Positive temperature coefficient bias compensation circuit
First Claim
1. A radio frequency amplifier including:
- (a) one or more amplifier stages, each having a corresponding bias input;
(b) one or more bias circuits, each configured to be coupled in series between a power supply voltage and a bias input of a corresponding amplifier stage, for providing a bias current to the corresponding amplifier stage; and
(c) at least one bias compensation circuit, each bias compensation circuit having an input configured to be coupled to the power supply voltage and an output configured to be coupled to the bias input of at least one of the one or more amplifier stages, the at least one bias compensation circuit being in parallel electrically with at least one of the bias circuits between the power supply voltage and the bias input of at least one of the one or more amplifier stages, the at least one bias compensation circuit and including a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) device coupled in series between the input of the bias compensation circuit and the output of the bias compensation circuit, the PTC device being positioned at a distance d1 from a specific one of the one or more amplifier stages and outputting a compensation current that is a function of the temperature of the PTC device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Temperature compensation circuits and methods for adjusting one or more circuit parameters of a power amplifier (PA) to maintain approximately constant Gain versus time during pulsed operation sufficient to substantially offset self-heating of the PA. Some embodiments compensate for PA Gain “droop” due to self-heating using a Sample and Hold (S&H) circuit. Other embodiments include bias compensation circuits that directly regulate a bias signal to an amplifier stage as a function of localized heating of one or more of amplifier stages. Such bias compensation circuits include physical placement of at least one bias compensation circuit element in closer proximity to at least one amplifier stage than other bias compensation circuit elements. One bias compensation circuit embodiment includes a temperature-sensitive current mirror circuit for regulating the bias signal. Another bias compensation circuit embodiment includes a temperature-sensitive element having a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) for regulating the bias signal.
67 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A radio frequency amplifier including:
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(a) one or more amplifier stages, each having a corresponding bias input; (b) one or more bias circuits, each configured to be coupled in series between a power supply voltage and a bias input of a corresponding amplifier stage, for providing a bias current to the corresponding amplifier stage; and (c) at least one bias compensation circuit, each bias compensation circuit having an input configured to be coupled to the power supply voltage and an output configured to be coupled to the bias input of at least one of the one or more amplifier stages, the at least one bias compensation circuit being in parallel electrically with at least one of the bias circuits between the power supply voltage and the bias input of at least one of the one or more amplifier stages, the at least one bias compensation circuit and including a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) device coupled in series between the input of the bias compensation circuit and the output of the bias compensation circuit, the PTC device being positioned at a distance d1 from a specific one of the one or more amplifier stages and outputting a compensation current that is a function of the temperature of the PTC device. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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2. A radio frequency amplifier including:
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(a) one or more amplifier stages each having a corresponding bias input; (b) one or more bias circuits, each configured to be coupled in series between a power supply voltage and a bias input of a corresponding one of the one or more amplifier stages and configured to output a bias current to the corresponding one amplifier stage; and (c) at least one bias compensation circuit, each bias compensation circuit having an input configured to be coupled to the power supply voltage and an output configured to be coupled to the bias input of at least one of the one or more amplifier stages, the at least one bias compensation circuit being in parallel electrically with at least one of the bias circuits between the power supply voltage and the bias input of at least one of the one or more amplifier stages, the at least one bias compensation circuit including a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) device coupled in series between the input of the bias compensation circuit and the output of the bias compensation circuit, the PTC device being positioned at a distance d1 from a specific one of the one or more amplifier stages and outputting a compensation current that is a function of the temperature of the PTC device; wherein each bias circuit coupled in parallel electrically with a specific one of the at least one bias compensation circuits is positioned at a distance of at least d2 from all amplifier stages, and d1<
d2.- View Dependent Claims (13)
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14. A radio frequency amplifier including:
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(a) one or more amplifier stages; (b) one or more bias circuits, each coupled to a corresponding one of the one or more amplifier stages and configured to output a corresponding bias current to the corresponding one amplifier stage; and (c) at least one bias compensation circuit, each bias compensation circuit having an output coupled in parallel with the output of at least one of the bias circuits and including a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) device configured to be coupled to a power supply voltage and being coupled to the output of the bias compensation circuit, the PTC device being positioned at a distance d1 from a specific one of the one or more amplifier stages and outputting a compensation current through the resistor that is a function of the temperature of the PTC device; wherein each bias circuit coupled to a specific one of the at least one bias compensation circuits is positioned at a distance of at least d2 from all amplifier stages, and d1<
d2;further including a compensation circuit configured to monitor a target circuit having one or more performance parameters affected by self-heating during operation of the target circuit, wherein the compensation circuit is configured to be coupled to and adjust one or more circuit parameters of the target circuit sufficient to substantially offset the effect of self-heating during operation of the target circuit on the one or more performance parameters, the compensation circuit including; (a) at least one sensor located with respect to the target circuit so as to measure the temperature T of the target circuit and generate an output signal representing such temperature T; (b) at least one tracking circuit, each coupled to at least one sensor, configured to capture a temperature T(t=t0) at a time t0 after the commencement of operation of the target circuit, and to sample a temperature T(t>
t0) at times after time to and during operation of the target circuit, the at least one tracking circuit including;(1) a differential amplifier having a first input coupled to the output signal of a corresponding sensor, a second input, and an output representing the difference between signals applied to the first input and the second input; and (2) a storage capacitor coupled to the second input of the differential amplifier and selectively coupled to the differential amplifier output; wherein; (A) in a first phase, the output of the differential amplifier is coupled to the storage capacitor and to the second input of the differential amplifier, such that a charge on the capacitor represents an initial temperature T(t=t0); (B) in a second phase, the output of the differential amplifier represents the difference Δ
T between (i) the output signal of the corresponding sensor coupled to the first input and representing the temperature T(t>
t0), and (ii) the storage capacitor charge coupled to the second input and representing the temperature T(t=t0); and(c) a correction circuit, coupled to at least one tracking circuit, for generating a correction signal as a function of Δ
T from the coupled at least one tracking circuit, the correction signal being configured to be coupled to and adjust the one or more circuit parameters of the target circuit sufficient to substantially offset the effect of self-heating during operation of the target circuit on the one or more performance parameters.
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15. A radio frequency amplifier including:
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(a) one or more amplifier stages; (b) one or more bias circuits, each coupled to a corresponding one of the one or more amplifier stages and configured to output a corresponding bias current to the corresponding one amplifier stage; and (c) at least one bias compensation circuit, each bias compensation circuit having an output coupled in parallel with the output of at least one of the bias circuits and including a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) device configured to be coupled to a power supply voltage and being coupled to the output of the bias compensation circuit, the PTC device being positioned at a distance d1 from a specific one of the one or more amplifier stages and outputting a compensation current through the resistor that is a function of the temperature of the PTC device; wherein each bias circuit coupled to a specific one of the at least one bias compensation circuits is positioned at a distance of at least d2 from all amplifier stages, and d1<
d2;further including a compensation circuit configured to monitor a target circuit having one or more performance parameters affected by self-heating during operation of the target circuit, wherein the compensation circuit is configured to be coupled to and adjust one or more circuit parameters of the target circuit sufficient to substantially offset the effect of self-heating during operation of the target circuit on the one or more performance parameters, the compensation circuit including; (a) at least one proximate sensor located relative to the target circuit so as to measure a temperature T(p) of the target circuit; (b) at least one distant sensor located relative to the target circuit so as to measure a temperature T(d); and (c) a comparison and correction circuit, coupled to at least one proximate sensor and at least one distant sensor, for determining Δ
T=T(p)−
T(d) and generating a correction signal as a function of Δ
T, the correction signal being configured to be coupled to and adjust the one or more circuit parameters of the target circuit sufficient to substantially offset the effect of self-heating during operation of the target circuit on the one or more performance parameters.
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Specification