Transmission arrangement and method for operating an amplifier in a transmission arrangement

• US 20050242879A1
• Filed: 03/31/2005
• Published: 11/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Muller, Jan-Erik
• Application Number:
  US11/096,882
• Publication Number:
  US 20050242879A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 330/259
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0205 in transistor amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/06 to raise the efficiency of amplifying modulated radio frequency waves; to raise the efficiency of amplifiers acting also as modulators modulation H03C
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/24 of transmitter output stages
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/406 with more than one transmission mode, e.g. analog and digital modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/0408 with power amplifiers

Abstract

A transmission arrangement includes a transmitter circuit for subjecting signals for transmission to signal conditioning, the signal output of said transmission arrangement being connected to a power amplifier. The power amplifier is produced in a semiconductor body and has at least one mode of operation that is characterized by at least one adjustable setting parameter. Outside of the semiconductor body, there is a programmable control circuit which is designed to send setting signals to the power amplifier in order to set the at least one adjustable setting parameter. The control circuit and the power amplifier are thus of separate design and can each be produced independently using the best technology.

Claims

1. A transmission arrangement, comprising:

a transmitter circuit configured to provide signal conditioning on transmission signals and provide such signals at a signal output thereof;

at least one power amplifier, formed in a semiconductor body, with a signal input coupled to the signal output of the transmitter circuit, and having a signal output and a setting input configured to set one of a plurality of possible modes of operation for the power amplifier based on at least one setting parameter applied to the setting input;

a programmable control circuit, produced outside of the semiconductor body, and configured to provide the at least one setting parameter to the setting input of the power amplifier, wherein the control circuit comprises a memory unit configured to store setting parameters for at least one of the plurality of modes of operation of the power amplifier, the control circuit further comprising an interface or input for programming the memory unit with the setting parameters;

the semiconductor body comprising at least one measuring apparatus configured to measure an operating parameter associated with the power amplifier, wherein the measuring apparatus is coupled to the control circuit, and wherein the control circuit is configured to output the at least one setting parameter based on the measured operating parameter.

2. The transmission arrangement of claim 1, further comprising another measuring apparatus provided outside of the semiconductor body, and configured to measure an operating parameter associated with the power amplifier, wherein another measuring apparatus is coupled to the control circuit, and wherein the control circuit is configured to output the at least one setting parameter based on the measured operating parameter from the another measuring apparatus.

3. The transmission arrangement of claim 1, wherein the control circuit interface is further configured to supply one or more dynamic tuning signals, and wherein the control circuit is configured to output the at least one setting parameter based on the supplied one or more tuning signals, wherein the one or more tuning signals are a function of the transmission signal that is to be amplified by the power amplifier.

4. The transmission arrangement of claim 1, wherein the interface is configured to supply a digital program data stream for programming the memory unit.

5. The transmission arrangement of claim 1, wherein the transmitter circuit is further configured to send a signal to a data input of the control circuit in order to set the mode of operation of the power amplifier.

6. The transmission arrangement of claim 1, wherein the measuring apparatus is configured to measure a temperature or a temperature change in the semiconductor body or in the power amplifier.

7. The transmission arrangement of claim 1, wherein the measuring apparatus is configured to measure a drawn current or current consumption in the power amplifier.

8. The transmission arrangement of claim 1, wherein the measuring apparatus is configured to measure a gain factor or an output power for the power amplifier.

9. The transmission arrangement of claim 2, wherein the another measuring apparatus is coupled to the output of the power amplifier and is configured to measure a standing-wave ratio, and provide the standing-wave ratio to the control circuit.

10. The transmission arrangement of claim 1, wherein the setting parameter for the power amplifier comprises a value of the quiescent current in the power amplifier.

11. The transmission arrangement of claim 1, wherein the setting parameter for the power amplifier comprises a gain factor setting in the power amplifier, or an output power setting in the power amplifier.

12. The transmission arrangement of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further configured to set a particular temperature dependency for the quiescent current in the power amplifier.

13. The transmission arrangement of claim 1, wherein the at least one mode of operation of the power amplifier comprises an inactive mode of operation, wherein the control circuit is configured to output a setting parameter for setting the inactive mode of operation.

14. A method for operating a power amplifier in a transmission arrangement, comprising:

providing a power amplifier in a semiconductor body having at least one mode of operation, configured to amplify a transmission signal;

providing a control circuit outside of the semiconductor body; and

choosing a mode of operation for the power amplifier using least one setting parameter,

wherein the at least one setting parameter is transferred to the power amplifier by the control circuit.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of providing the control circuit comprises programming the control circuit with a number of different modes of operation for the power amplifier.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein choosing the mode of operation comprises:

ascertaining an operating parameter for the power amplifier using a measuring apparatus in the semiconductor body of the power amplifier; and

producing a setting parameter which is optimum for the chosen mode of operation on the basis of the ascertained operating parameter.

17. A transmission system, comprising:

a transceiver configured to output transmission data in a transmission signal;

a control circuit formed on a first semiconductor body, and configured to ascertain an operation mode from the transceiver and output one or more setting parameters based thereon; and

a power amplifier circuit formed on a second semiconductor body different than the first semiconductor body, and configured to generate an amplified transmission signal based on the transmission signal and the one or more setting parameters.

18. The transmission system of claim 17, wherein the control circuit is further configured to vary the one or more setting parameters based on measurement data associated with an operation of the power amplifier circuit.

19. The transmission system of claim 17, further comprising a duplexer unit operably coupled to the power amplifier circuit and the transceiver, and configured to selectively couple one of a plurality of impedance matching networks to an output of the power amplifier based upon a control signal from the transceiver that is indicative of an operational mode of the transmission system.

20. The transmission system of claim 17, wherein the transceiver is further configured to provide signal conditioning to an incoming transmission signal and provide the conditioned transmission signal to the power amplifier, and further configured to receive a control data signal, generate an operational mode control signal in response thereto, and transmit the operational mode control signal to the control circuit.