Integrated variable gain power amplifier and method
First Claim
1. An integrated, variable gain power amplifier, comprising:
- a plurality of amplifier stages which have a common input and respective outputs, anda switching network which is operable to include selectable ones of said amplifier stages in contributing to a power amplifier output, said power amplifier output having a variable gain that depends upon the selected amplifier stages, said switching network comprising a plurality of micro-electromechanical (MEM) switches integrated with said amplifier stages on a common substrate, said MEM switches providing lower insertion losses and thereby higher amplifier efficiency than would be provided by similarly employed solid state switches.
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Abstract
An integrated, variable gain microwave frequency power amplifier comprises a number of individual amplifier stages which contain microwave frequency active devices. Each stage is fed with a common input signal, and the individual stage outputs are connected to respective micro-electromechanical (MEM) switches which, when closed, connect the individual outputs together to form the power amplifier'"'"'s output. The power amplifier'"'"'s gain is determined by the number of outputs connected together. The preferred switch provides low insertion loss and excellent electrical isolation, enabling a number of amplifier stages to be efficiently interconnected to provide a wide dynamic range power amplifier. The switches are preferably integrated on a common substrate with the active devices, eliminating the need for wire bonds and reducing parasitic capacitances. A variable impedance network comprising a number of impedance matching networks selected using MEM switches can be connected to and integrated with a variable gain power amplifier to provide impedance matching that is appropriate for each of the power amplifier'"'"'s possible output power levels.
119 Citations
35 Claims
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1. An integrated, variable gain power amplifier, comprising:
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a plurality of amplifier stages which have a common input and respective outputs, and a switching network which is operable to include selectable ones of said amplifier stages in contributing to a power amplifier output, said power amplifier output having a variable gain that depends upon the selected amplifier stages, said switching network comprising a plurality of micro-electromechanical (MEM) switches integrated with said amplifier stages on a common substrate, said MEM switches providing lower insertion losses and thereby higher amplifier efficiency than would be provided by similarly employed solid state switches. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 35)
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4. An integrated, variable gain power amplifier, comprising:
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a plurality of amplifier stages which have a common input and respective outputs, a switching network which is operable to include selectable ones of said amplifier stages in contributing to a power amplifier output, said power amplifier output having a variable gain that depends upon the selected amplifier stages, and a variable impedance network for said amplifier stages, said switching network being operable to vary the effective output impedance of said variable impedance network in accordance with the selected amplifier stages to provide impedance matching for said selected stages. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6)
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15. An integrated, variable gain power amplifier with variable impedance matching, comprising:
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a plurality of amplifier stages which have a common input and respective outputs, a plurality of impedance matching networks, and a plurality of switches operable to interconnect the respective outputs of said stages together to provide a gain for said common input signal which varies with the number of said interconnected outputs, and to interconnect said impedance matching networks to the outputs of said stages such that output power is efficiently transferred from said stages to a load. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A variable impedance network, comprising:
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a plurality of impedance matching networks, each of said impedance matching networks comprising at least one integrated reactive component, and a switching network comprising a plurality of integrated micro-electro mechanical (MEM) switches, said switching network connected to said matching networks and operable to vary the effective output impedance presented to an amplifier output connected to said switching network in accordance with the amplifier'"'"'s output power level to provide impedance matching for said amplifier, said impedance matching networks and said switching network integrated together on a common substrate, said MEM switches providing lower insertion losses and thereby higher amplifier efficiency than would be provided by other types of similarly employed integratable switches. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32)
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33. A method of varying the matching impedance presented to the output of a variable gain amplifier, comprising the steps of:
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determining a proper matching impedance for a particular output power level produced by a variable gain amplifier, operating a switching network comprising integrated micro-electro mechanical (MEM) switches to direct the output of said amplifier to selected impedance matching networks to vary the effective impedance presented to said amplifier in accordance with said output power level to achieve said proper matching impedance, each of said impedance matching networks comprising at least one reactive component which is integrated with said switching network on a common substrate. - View Dependent Claims (34)
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Specification