RF power amplifier system having distributed modulation encoding
First Claim
1. An RF power amplifier system comprising:
- a plurality of RF power amplifier modules;
at least two encoders each associated with and controlling the operation of some of said plurality of power amplifier modules, and wherein each said encoder is associated with different ones of said plurality of amplifier modules;
an exciter that receives an amplitude varying input signal and periodically provides a command signal to each said modulation encoder instructing that modulation encoder as to how many of its associated power amplifier modules are to be turned on as a function of the value of said input signal;
each said modulation encoder responds to a received said command signal and selects which of its associated power amplifiers to turn on.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An RF power amplifier system is presented herein. It includes a plurality of RF power amplifier modules. At least two encoders are provided. Each encoder is associated with and controls the operation of some of the plurality of power amplifier modules. Each encoder is associated with different ones of the plurality of amplifier modules. An exciter receives an amplitude varying input signal and periodically provides a command signal to each of the modulation encoders and instructs that modulation encoder as to how many of its associated power amplifier modules are to be turned on as a function of the value of the input signal. Each modulation encoder responds to a received command signal and selects which of its associated power amplifiers to turn on.
33 Citations
28 Claims
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1. An RF power amplifier system comprising:
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a plurality of RF power amplifier modules;
at least two encoders each associated with and controlling the operation of some of said plurality of power amplifier modules, and wherein each said encoder is associated with different ones of said plurality of amplifier modules;
an exciter that receives an amplitude varying input signal and periodically provides a command signal to each said modulation encoder instructing that modulation encoder as to how many of its associated power amplifier modules are to be turned on as a function of the value of said input signal;
each said modulation encoder responds to a received said command signal and selects which of its associated power amplifiers to turn on. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An RF power amplifier system for amplitude modulating an RF carrier signal comprising:
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a plurality of RF power amplifier modules each, when turned on, providing a unit step signal;
at least two modulation encoders each associated with and controlling the operation of some of said plurality of power amplifier modules, and wherein each said encoder is associated with different ones of said plurality of amplifier modules;
an exciter having a resource available memory that stores amplifier availability data representing how many of said amplifier modules associated with each said encoder is available to be turned on, said exciter receives an amplitude varying input signal and periodically provides a command signal to each said modulation encoder instructing that modulation encoder as to how many of its associated power amplifier modules are to be turned on as a function of the value of said input signal and said stored availability data;
each said modulation encoder responds to a received said command signal and selects which of its associated power amplifiers to turn on. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. An RF power amplifier system having distributed modulation encoding for amplitude modulating a carrier signal by an amplitude varying input signal by turning on a plurality of power amplifier modules as a function of the value of said input signal, comprising:
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M groups of N power amplifier modules, each said module, when on, providing a unit step signal and each said module having a status output for providing a fault indication if the module has failed;
M modulation encoders each associated with a particular one of said M groups with each said modulation encoder receiving any said fault indications from said associated group and receiving a modulation encoder command that commands that a specific number of said amplifier modules in the associated group are to be turned on and in response thereto selects which said specific number of its associated power amplifiers to turn on; and
,an exciter that communicates with each of said M modulation encoders to obtain information from each as to how many of said amplifier modules in it'"'"'s associated group have provided a fault indication and in response thereto provides amplifier module resource availability data for each modulation encoder as to how many amplifier modules in the group associated with that modulation encoder are available for use;
said exciter having a priority encoder that provides a said encoder command to each said modulation encoder as to how many amplifier modules in said group associated with that modulation encoder are to be turned on based on said resource availability data and the value of said input signal.- View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification