System and Method for a Directional Coupler Module

• US 20160079649A1
• Filed: 08/24/2015
• Published: 03/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Original Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Inventors: Ilkov, Nikolay, Kehrer, Daniel, Solomko, Valentyn
• Granted Patent: US 9,866,260 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 7/48 Networks for connecting several sources or loads, working on the same frequency or frequency band, to a common load or source phase shifters providing two or more output signals H03H7/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0458 Arrangements for matching and coupling between power amplifier and antenna or between amplifying stages matching circuits in general H03H
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/44 Transmit/receive switching

Abstract

In accordance with an embodiment, a circuit includes a first directional coupler comprising a first input port, a first transmitted port, a first isolated port and a first coupled port, where the first directional coupler disposed on a first substrate. The circuit also includes a first direction select switch having a first switch input port coupled to the first isolated port, a second switch input port coupled to the first coupled port, and a first switch output port, where the first direction select switch is disposed on the first substrate along with the directional coupler.

Claims

1. A circuit comprising:

a first directional coupler comprising a first input port, a first transmitted port, a first isolated port and a first coupled port, the first directional coupler disposed on a first substrate; and

a first direction select switch having a first switch input port coupled to the first isolated port, a second switch input port coupled to the first coupled port, and a first switch output port, wherein the first direction select switch is disposed on the first substrate along with the directional coupler.

2. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the first directional coupler is disposed on a first integrated circuit, the first direction select switch is disposed on a second integrated circuit, and the first integrated circuit and the second integrated circuit are disposed on the first substrate.

3. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the first substrate comprises a semiconductor substrate of a first integrated circuit.

4. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the first direction select switch comprises a first switch configured to couple the isolated port to the output port in a first switch setting and configured to couple the coupled port to the output port in a second switch setting.

5. The circuit if claim 1, wherein the first direction select switch further comprises a second that couples a first termination to the first coupled port in the first switch setting and couples a second termination to the first isolated port in the second switch setting.

6. The circuit of claim 1, further comprising an attenuator coupled to the first switch output port.

7. The circuit of claim 6, wherein the attenuator comprises a plurality of resistors coupled to a plurality of switches.

8. The circuit of claim 7, wherein the plurality of resistors is coupled in series, and the each of the plurality of resistors are configured to bypass a corresponding resistor of the plurality of resistors.

9. The circuit of claim 7, wherein the each of the plurality of resistors are coupled in series with a corresponding switch of the plurality of switches to form switch-resistor branch, and wherein the attenuator comprises a plurality of switch-resistors branches coupled in parallel.

10. The circuit of claim 1, further comprising:

a second directional coupler comprising a second input port, a second transmitted port, a second isolated port and a second coupled port, the second directional coupler disposed on the first substrate;

a second direction select switch having a third switch input port coupled to the second isolated port, a third switch input port coupled to the second coupled port, and a second switch output port, wherein the second direction select switch is disposed on the first substrate along with the second directional coupler; and

a coupler select switch having a first coupler select input coupled to the first switch output of the first direction select switch, a second coupler select input coupled to the second switch output of the second direction select switch and a select output.

11. The circuit of claim 10, further comprising an attenuator coupled to the second switch output port.

12. The circuit of claim 10, further comprising a first antenna coupled to the first transmitted port, and a second antenna coupled to the second transmitted port.

13. The circuit of claim 12, further comprising a first antenna switch coupled to the first input port, and a second antenna switch coupled to the second input port.

14. The circuit of claim 1, further comprising an antenna coupled to the first transmitted port.

15. The circuit of claim 14, further comprising an antenna switch coupled to the first input port.

16. A circuit comprising:

a first directional coupler comprising a first input port, a first transmitted port, a first isolated port and a first coupled port, the first directional coupler disposed on a first substrate; and

a second directional coupler comprising a second input port, a second transmitted port, a second isolated port and a second coupled port, the second directional coupler disposed on the first substrate; and

a commutation switch having a first commutation input coupled to the first isolated port, a second commutation input coupled to the first coupled port, a third commutation input coupled to the second isolated port and a fourth commutation input coupled to the second coupled port, the commutation switch being disposed on the first substrate, and a commutation output port.

17. The circuit of claim 16, further comprising an attenuator coupled to the commutation output port.

18. The circuit of claim 16, wherein first substrate comprises an integrated circuit.

19. The circuit of claim 16, wherein the commutation switch comprises:

a first switch configured to selectively couple the first commutation input port to one of the commutation output port and a first termination port;

a second switch configured to selectively couple the second commutation input port to one of the commutation output port and a second termination port;

a third switch configured to selectively couple the third commutation input port to one of the commutation output port and a third termination port; and

a fourth switch configured to selectively couple the fourth commutation input port to one of the commutation output port and a fourth termination port.

20. The circuit of claim 19, further comprising:

a first termination impedance coupled to the first termination port;

a second termination impedance coupled to the second termination port;

a third termination impedance coupled to the third termination port; and

a fourth termination impedance coupled to the fourth termination port.

21. The circuit of claim 20, wherein:

the first termination impedance comprises a first termination resistor;

the second termination impedance comprises a second termination resistor;

the third termination impedance comprises a third termination resistor; and

the fourth termination impedance comprises a fourth termination resistor.

22. A method of operating a circuit comprising a first directional coupler having a first input port, a first transmitted port, a first isolated port and a first coupled port, and a first direction select switch having a first switch input port coupled to the first isolated port, a second switch input port coupled to the first coupled port, and a first switch output port, wherein the first directional coupler and the first direction select switch are disposed on a same substrate, and the method comprises:

in a first state, coupling the first isolated port to the first switch output port comprising placing a first switch of the first direction select switch in a first position; and

in a second state, coupling the first coupled port to the first switch output comprising placing the first switch of the first direction select switch in a second position.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

in the first state, coupling the first coupled port to a first termination port comprising placing a second switch of the first direction select switch in the first position; and

in the second state, coupling the first isolated port to a second termination port comprising placing the second switch of the first direction select switch in the second position.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising receiving a signal at the first input port and measuring a power at the first switch output in the second state.

25. The method of claim 22, further comprising measuring a power at the first switch output in the first state.