High frequency amplifier

• US 6,731,175 B1
• Filed: 10/29/2002
• Issued: 05/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Faraday Technology Corp.
• Original Assignee: Faraday Technology Corp.
• Inventors: Chen, Yung-Hung
• Primary Examiner(s): Choe, Henry
• Application Number:
  US10/282,000
• Publication Number:
  US 20040080372A1
• Time in Patent Office: 553 Days
• Field of Search: 330/311, 330/310, 330/98, 330/305, 330/306, 330/295, 330/124.R, 330/84
• US Class Current: 330/311
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/223 with MOSFET's
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/213 A variable capacitor being added in the input circuit, e.g. base, gate, of an amplifier stage
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/222 A circuit being added at the input of an amplifier to adapt the input impedance of the amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/243 A series resonance being added in series in the input circuit, e.g. base, gate, of an amplifier stage
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/378 A variable capacitor being added in the output circuit, e.g. collector, drain, of an amplifier stage
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/387 A circuit being added at the output of an amplifier to adapt the output impedance of the amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/399 A parallel resonance being added in shunt in the output circuit, e.g. base, gate, of an amplifier stage
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/414 A switch being coupled in the output circuit of an amplifier to switch the output on/off
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/421 Multiple switches coupled in the output circuit of an amplifier are controlled by a circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/492 A coil being added in the source circuit of a transistor amplifier stage as degenerating element

Abstract

A high frequency amplifier. The amplifier includes two transistors for signal amplification, and input and output matching circuits. There are variable capacitors and resistors in the matching input and output circuits. A received signal strength indicator receives the band-pass filtered intermediate-frequency signal and generates an indication signal corresponding to the amplitude of the received signal. The variable capacitors and resistors are tuned by the indication signal from the received signal strength indicator. Thus, the gain of the high frequency amplifier is automatically controlled.

Claims

1. A high frequency amplifier comprising:

a first and second transistor, the first transistor having a drain connected to a source of the second transistor and the second transistor having a gate connected to receive a first voltage;

a first, second and third inductor, the first inductor having a first end connected to a gate of the first transistor, the second inductor having a first and second end respectively connected to a source of the first transistor and to receive a second voltage, and the third inductor having a first and second end respectively connected to a drain of the second transistor and to receive the first voltage;

a first, second, third, fourth and fifth capacitor, the first capacitor having a first and second end respectively connected to a second end of the first inductor and to receive an input signal, the second capacitor having a first end connected to receive the second voltage, the third capacitor having a first end connected to receive the second voltage, the fourth capacitor having a first and second end respectively connected to the drain of the second transistor and to receive the first voltage, and the fifth capacitor having a first end connected to the drain of the second transistor;

a first and second resistor, the first resistor having a first and second end respectively connected to a second end of the second capacitor and to receive the second voltage, and the second resistor having a first and second end respectively connected to a second end of the third capacitor and to receive the second voltage;

a first and second variable capacitor, the first variable capacitor having a first and second end respectively connected to a second end of the second capacitor and a second end of the third capacitor, and the second variable capacitor having a first and second end respectively connected to a second end of the fifth capacitor and to output an output signal;

a variable resistor having a first and second end respectively connected to the second end of the fifth capacitor and to receive the second voltage; and

a received signal strength indicator receiving the output signal and generating an indication signal corresponding to an amplitude of the output signal, by which the first and second variable capacitor, and the variable resistor are tuned.

2. The high frequency amplifier as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first variable capacitor comprises a third and fourth variable capacitor connected in series.

3. The high frequency amplifier as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fifth capacitor is a variable capacitor tuned by the indication signal.

4. The high frequency amplifier as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

a sixth and seventh capacitor, the sixth capacitor having a first end connected to the second end of the fifth capacitor;

a third and fourth resistor, the third resistor having a first and second end respectively connected to a second end of the sixth capacitor and to receive the second voltage, and the fourth resistor having a first and second end respectively connected to a first end of the seventh capacitor and to receive the second voltage;

a mixer receiving a carrier signal and mixes the output signal with the carrier signal;

a filter band-pass filtering the output signal mixed with the carrier signal and outputting the filtered signal to the received signal strength indicator; and

an analog-to-digital converter converting the analog indication signal to a digital indication signal.

5. The high frequency amplifier as claimed in claim 4, wherein the variable resistor comprises:

a plurality of switches, each of which has a first end connected to the second end of the fifth capacitor and controlled by the digital indication signal; and

a plurality of resistors, each of which has a first and second end respectively connected to a second end of one of the switches and to receive the second voltage.

6. The high frequency amplifier as claimed in claim 1, wherein the received signal strength indicator comprises a plurality of limiting amplifiers.

7. A high frequency amplifier comprising:

a first and second transistor, the first transistor having a drain connected to a source of the second transistor and the second transistor having a gate connected to receive a first voltage;

a first, second and third inductor, the first inductor having a first end connected to a gate of the first transistor, the second inductor having a first and second end respectively connected to a source of the first transistor and to receive a second voltage, and the third inductor having a first and second end respectively connected to a drain of the second transistor and to receive the first voltage;

a first, second and third capacitor, the first capacitor having a first and second end respectively connected to a second end of the first inductor and to receive an input signal, the second capacitor having a first and second end respectively connected to the drain of the second transistor and to receive the first voltage, the third capacitor having a first end connected to the drain of the second transistor;

a first and second variable capacitor, the first variable capacitor having a first and second end respectively connected to a second end of the second capacitor and a second end of the third capacitor, and the second variable capacitor having a first and second end respectively connected to a second end of the third capacitor and to output an output signal;

a variable resistor having a first and second end respectively connected to the second end of the third capacitor and to receive the second voltage; and

a received signal strength indicator receiving the output signal and generating an indication signal corresponding to an amplitude of the output signal, by which the first and second variable capacitor, and the variable resistor are tuned.

8. The high frequency amplifier as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first variable capacitor comprises a third and fourth variable capacitor connected in series.

9. The high frequency amplifier as claimed in claim 7, wherein the third capacitor is a variable capacitor tuned by the indication signal.

10. The high frequency amplifier as claimed in claim 7 further comprising:

a fourth and fifth capacitor, the fourth capacitor having a first end connected to the second end of the third capacitor;

a first and second resistor, the first resistor having a first and second end respectively connected to a second end of the fourth capacitor and to receive the second voltage, and the second resistor having a first and second end respectively connected to a first end of the fifth capacitor and to receive the second voltage;

a mixer receiving a carrier signal and mixes the output signal with the carrier signal;

a filter band-pass filtering the output signal mixed with the carrier signal and outputting the filtered signal to the received signal strength indicator; and

an analog-to-digital converter converting the analog indication signal to a digital indication signal.

11. The high frequency amplifier as claimed in claim 10, wherein the variable resistor comprises:

a plurality of switches, each of which has a first end connected to the second end of the third capacitor and controlled by the digital indication signal; and

a plurality of resistors, each of which has a first and second end respectively connected to a second end of one of the switches and to receive the second voltage.

12. The high frequency amplifier as claimed in claim 7, wherein the received signal strength indicator comprises a plurality of limiting amplifiers.