WIDE DYNAMIC RANGE AMPLIFIER SYSTEM
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A broadband amplifier assembly having a signal input and a signal output, comprising:
- a fixed gain amplifier having an input and an output, the input coupled to the signal input;
an adjustable attenuator having an input and an output, the input of the adjustable attenuator being coupled to the output of the fixed gain amplifier;
a variable gain amplifier having an input coupled to the output of the adjustable attenuator and an output coupled to the signal output, the variable gain amplifier having a substantially constant input-referred linearity across a range of gain levels; and
a controller configured to control an amount of attenuation provided by the adjustable attenuator and an amount of gain provided by the variable gain amplifier.
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Abstract
Amplifier systems and methods are provided that include a fixed gain amplification stage coupled to an adjustable attenuation stage further coupled to a variable gain amplification stage. A controller controls an amount of attenuation provided by the adjustable attenuation stage and an amount of gain provided by the variable gain amplification stage to maintain any of various noise, efficiency, and/or linearity requirements of the amplifier system.
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Citations
35 Claims
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1. A broadband amplifier assembly having a signal input and a signal output, comprising:
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a fixed gain amplifier having an input and an output, the input coupled to the signal input; an adjustable attenuator having an input and an output, the input of the adjustable attenuator being coupled to the output of the fixed gain amplifier; a variable gain amplifier having an input coupled to the output of the adjustable attenuator and an output coupled to the signal output, the variable gain amplifier having a substantially constant input-referred linearity across a range of gain levels; and a controller configured to control an amount of attenuation provided by the adjustable attenuator and an amount of gain provided by the variable gain amplifier. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A broadband amplifier assembly having a signal input and a signal output, comprising:
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a fixed gain amplifier having an input and an output, the input coupled to the signal input; an adjustable attenuator having an input and an output and having a range of attenuation levels, the input of the adjustable attenuator coupled to the output of the fixed gain amplifier; a variable gain amplifier having an input coupled to the output of the adjustable attenuator and an output coupled to the signal output, the variable gain amplifier having a range of gain levels; and a controller configured to control an amount of attenuation provided by the adjustable attenuator and an amount of gain provided by the variable gain amplifier to maintain a noise factor at the signal output across combinations of the range of gain levels and the range of attenuation levels. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A broadband amplifier assembly having a signal input and a signal output, comprising:
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a fixed gain amplifier having an input and an output, the input coupled to the signal input; an adjustable attenuator having an input and an output and having a range of attenuation levels, the input of the adjustable attenuator coupled to the output of the fixed gain amplifier; a variable gain amplifier having an input coupled to the output of the adjustable attenuator and an output coupled to the signal output, the variable gain amplifier having a range of gain levels; and a controller configured to control an amount of attenuation provided by the adjustable attenuator, to control a gain provided by the variable gain amplifier, and to control a bias signal provided to the variable gain amplifier across the range of gain levels. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A multi-chip module having a signal input and a signal output, comprising:
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a first die constructed from a GaAs ED-pHEMT technology and including components that form a fixed gain amplifier having an input and an output, the input of the fixed gain amplifier being coupled to the signal input; a second die constructed from a SOI technology and including components that form an adjustable attenuator having an input and an output, the input of the adjustable attenuator being coupled to the output of the fixed gain amplifier; and a third die constructed from a BCD-LDMOS technology and including components that form a variable gain amplifier having an input and an output, the input of the variable gain amplifier being switchably coupled to the output of the adjustable attenuator, and the output of the variable gain amplifier being switchably coupled to the signal output. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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Specification