WIRELESS TRANSCEIVER WITH SWITCH TO REDUCE HARMONIC LEAKAGE

• US 20170026136A1
• Filed: 07/20/2016
• Published: 01/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Skyworks Solutions Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Skyworks Solutions Incorporated
• Inventors: Seiz, Steven T., Thompson, Philip H., Arkiszewski, Roman Zbigniew, Banowetz, Matthew Lee, Green, Duane A.
• Granted Patent: US 10,284,235 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 at a first cellular frequency band and a second power amplifier configured to amplify a signal at a second cellular frequency band;

a switch coupled between an output of the second power amplifier and a ground potential; and

a controller configured to, based on a band select signal, control the switch and enable or disable the first power amplifier and the second power amplifier.

2. The transmitter system of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to open the switch in response to the band select signal indicating the second cellular frequency band as a transmission band.

3. The transmitter system of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to close the switch in response to the band select signal indicating the second cellular frequency band as a reception band, but not a transmission band.

4. The transmitter system of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to control a band select switch of the power amplification system based on the band select signal.

5. The transmitter system of claim 4 wherein the switch and the band select switch are integrated into a switching module.

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

7. The transmitter system of claim 6 wherein the switch is coupled between an output of the band select switch and a ground terminal of the switching module.

8. The transmitter system of claim 6 wherein the switch is coupled between a shunt input terminal of the switching module and a ground terminal of the switching module.

9. The transmitter system of claim 1 wherein a harmonic of the first cellular frequency band lies within the second cellular frequency band.

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

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

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 at a first cellular frequency band and a second power amplifier configured to amplify a signal at a second cellular frequency band, a switch coupled between an output of the second power amplifier and a ground potential, and a controller configured to, based on a band select signal, control the switch and enable or disable the first power amplifier and the second power amplifier.

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 controller is configured to close the switch in response to the band select signal indicating the second cellular frequency band as a reception band, but not a transmission band.

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

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

17. The RF module of claim 12 wherein a first output terminal of the RF module coupled to an output of the first power amplifier and a second output terminal coupled to an output of the second power amplifier are spatially separated.

18. 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 at a first cellular frequency band and a second power amplifier configured to amplify a signal at a second cellular frequency band, a switch coupled between an output of the second power amplifier and a ground potential, and a controller configured to, based on a band select signal, control the switch and enable or disable the first power amplifier and the second power amplifier; and

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

19. The wireless device of claim 18 wherein the controller is configured to close the switch in response to the band select signal indicating the second cellular frequency band as a reception band, but not a transmission band.

20. The wireless device of claim 18 wherein a harmonic of the first cellular frequency band lies within the second cellular frequency band.