Overvoltage detector for an RF switch

• US 10,498,327 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2016
• Issued: 12/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qorvo US, Inc. (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qorvo US, Inc. (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bolton, Eric K., Kerr, Daniel Charles, Iversen, Christian Rye, Phelps, Robert Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Thienvu V
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bellido, Nicolas
• Application Number:
  US15/292,650
• Publication Number:
  US 20170244402A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,146 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/0822 in field-effect transistor switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/693 Switching arrangements with several input- or output-terminals, e.g. multiplexers, distributors logic circuits H03K19/00; code converters H03M5/00, H03M7/00

Abstract

An overvoltage detector for an RF switch is disclosed. The overvoltage detector is made up of circuitry having a detector output that couples to a controller, a body voltage input that couples to a charge pump, and a body voltage output that couples to a body terminal of the RF switch. The overvoltage detector is configured to detect an overvoltage across the RF switch by monitoring body leakage current flowing between the body voltage input and the body voltage output. Upon detecting body leakage current over a predetermined level, the overvoltage detector generates an overvoltage signal at the detector output to indicate an overvoltage across the RF switch.

Claims

1. An overvoltage detector for an RF switch comprising circuitry having a detector output that couples to a controller, a body voltage input that couples to a charge pump, and a body voltage output that couples to a body terminal of the RF switch, wherein the circuitry is configured to detect an overvoltage across the RF switch by monitoring body leakage current flowing between the body voltage input and the body voltage output, and upon detecting body leakage current over a predetermined current level, generate an overvoltage signal at the detector output to indicate the overvoltage across the RF switch.

2. The overvoltage detector for the RF switch of claim 1 wherein the circuitry comprises:

a current sense resistor coupled between the body voltage input and the body voltage output; and

a voltage comparator having a first comparator input coupled to the body voltage input and a second comparator input coupled to the body voltage output, and a comparator output coupled to the detector output, wherein the voltage comparator is configured to generate the overvoltage signal at the detector output when a voltage difference between the first comparator input and the second comparator input exceeds a predetermined voltage level that is set to correspond to body leakage current that exceeds the predetermined current level.

3. The overvoltage detector for the RF switch of claim 2 wherein the circuitry further includes a Schmitt trigger buffer coupled between the comparator output and the detector output.

4. The overvoltage detector for the RF switch of claim 2 further comprising a shorting switch coupled across the current sense resistor, wherein the shorting switch is configured to close upon overvoltage detection.

5. The overvoltage detector for the RF switch of claim 4 wherein the shorting switch is further configured to close when the RF switch is transitioning between an off-state and an on-state.

6. The overvoltage detector for the RF switch of claim 2 wherein the circuitry further includes a reference resistor coupled between the comparator output, the first comparator input, and the body voltage input to set the predetermined voltage level.

7. The overvoltage detector for the RF switch of claim 2 wherein the current sense resistor has a digitally programmable resistance value.

8. An overvoltage detector for an RF switch comprising:

a detector output that couples to a controller;

a body voltage input that couples to a charge pump, and a body voltage output that couples to a body terminal of the RF switch;

a current sense resistor coupled between the body voltage input and the body voltage output; and

a voltage comparator having a first comparator input coupled to the body voltage input and a second comparator input coupled to the body voltage output, and a comparator output coupled to the detector output, wherein the voltage comparator is configured to generate an overvoltage signal at the detector output to indicate an overvoltage condition across the RF switch when a voltage difference between the first comparator input and the second comparator input exceeds a predetermined voltage level as body leakage current exceeds a predetermined current level.

9. The overvoltage detector for the RF switch of claim 8 further including a Schmitt trigger buffer coupled between the comparator output and the detector output.

10. The overvoltage detector for the RF switch of claim 8 further comprising a shorting switch coupled across the current sense resistor, wherein the shorting switch is configured to close upon overvoltage detection.

11. The overvoltage detector for the RF switch of claim 10 wherein the shorting switch is further configured to close when the RF switch is transitioning between an off-state and an on-state.

12. The overvoltage detector for the RF switch of claim 8 further including a reference resistor coupled between the comparator output, the first comparator input, and the body voltage input to set the predetermined voltage level.

13. The overvoltage detector for the RF switch of claim 8 wherein the current sense resistor has a digitally programmable resistance value.

14. A method of detecting an overvoltage on an RF switch comprising:

providing an overvoltage detector having a detector output that couples to a controller, a body voltage input that couples to a charge pump, and a body voltage output that couples to a body terminal of the RF switch;

detecting with the overvoltage detector an overvoltage across the RF switch by monitoring body leakage current flowing between the body voltage input and the body voltage output; and

generating an overvoltage signal at the detector output upon detecting body leakage current over a predetermined current level to indicate an overvoltage across the RF switch.

15. The method of detecting an overvoltage on the RF switch of claim 14 wherein the overvoltage detector includes a current sense resistor coupled between the body voltage input and the body voltage output and further including a shorting transistor coupled across the current sense resistor.

16. The method of detecting an overvoltage on the RF switch of claim 15 further comprising turning the shorting transistor on by way of an ON signal, thereby diverting body leakage current around the current sense resistor upon the overvoltage detector detecting an overvoltage on the RF switch.

17. The method of detecting an overvoltage on the RF switch of claim 16 further comprising turning the shorting transistor OFF by way of an OFF signal, thereby forcing body leakage current through the current sense resistor upon the shorting transistor receiving an OFF signal.

18. The method of detecting an overvoltage on the RF switch of claim 15 further comprising turning the shorting transistor ON by way of an ON signal, thereby diverting body leakage current around the current sense resistor upon the overvoltage detector receiving an RF switch transitioning signal.

19. The method of detecting an overvoltage on the RF switch of claim 15 wherein the current sense resistor has a digitally programmable resistance value.

20. The method of detecting an overvoltage on the RF switch of claim 19 further comprising changing the digitally programmable resistance value upon receiving a digital value indicative of a resistance value to be changed to.

21. A method for protecting an RF switch from an overvoltage comprising:

providing an antenna tuner with a tuning input and having an RF signal input coupled to a switch port of the RF switch;

providing an overvoltage detector with a detector output, a body voltage input that couples to a charge pump, and a body voltage output that couples to a body terminal of the RF switch;

providing a processor having a detector input coupled to the detector output and a tuning output coupled the tuning input of the antenna tuner;

detecting an overvoltage across the RF switch by monitoring body leakage current flowing between the body voltage input and the body voltage output; and

generating an overvoltage signal at the detector output upon detecting body leakage current over a predetermined current level to indicate an overvoltage across the RF switch; and

tuning the antenna tuner by way of the processor to reduce overvoltage on the RF switch upon the processor determining that the overvoltage signal has been generated.