Method and system for providing power management in a radio frequency power amplifier by dynamically adjusting supply and bias conditions

• US 6,900,697 B1
• Filed: 05/31/2002
• Issued: 05/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation (Texas Instruments, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation (Texas Instruments, Inc.)
• Inventors: Maksimovic, Dragan, Li, Yushan, Doyle, James T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Choe, Henry
• Application Number:
  US10/160,281
• Time in Patent Office: 1,096 Days
• Field of Search: 330/297, 330/296, 330/285, 330/207.P, 330/298, 455/572
• US Class Current: 330/297
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0222 by using a signal derived from the input signal
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0233 by using a signal derived from the output signal, e.g. bootstrapping the voltage supply
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0266 by using a signal derived from the input signal
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0272 by using a signal derived from the output signal

Abstract

A method for providing power management in a radio frequency power amplifier is provided. An input voltage is received. A digital power supply signal is generated. From the input voltage, a regulated power supply signal is generated based on the digital power supply signal.

Claims

1. A method for providing power management in a radio frequency power amplifier, comprising:

receiving an input voltage;

generating a first digital power supply signal;

generating a second digital power supply signal; and

generating from the input voltage both a first regulated power supply signal based on the first digital power supply signal and a second regulated power supply signal based on the second digital power supply signal.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a digital bias signal; and

generating a bias signal based on the digital bias signal.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising providing the bias signal to the power amplifier.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving at least the first regulated power supply signal and the bias signal at the power amplifier;

receiving a radio frequency input signal at the power amplifier; and

generating at the power amplifier a radio frequency output signal based on the regulated power supply signal, the bias signal, and the radio frequency input signal.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising providing the radio frequency output signal to an antenna for transmission over a wireless interface.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving an input voltage further comprises receiving the input voltage from a power source, the power source comprising a battery.

7. A method for providing power management in a radio frequency power amplifier, the power amplifier comprising a plurality of operational amplifiers, the operational amplifiers comprising a set of operational amplifiers and a final operational amplifier, the method comprising:

receiving an input voltage;

generating a first digital power supply signal;

generating a second digital power supply signal;

generating from the input voltage a first regulated power supply signal based on the first digital power supply signal;

generating from the input voltage a second regulated power supply signal based on the second digital power supply signal;

providing the first regulated power supply signal to the set of operational amplifiers; and

providing the second regulated power supply signal to the final operational amplifier.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

generating a first digital bias signal;

generating a second digital bias signal;

generating a first bias signal based on the first digital bias signal; and

generating a second bias signal based on the second digital bias signal.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

providing the first bias signal to the set of operational amplifiers; and

providing the second bias signal to the final operational amplifier.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving the first and second regulated power supply signals and the first and second bias signals at the power amplifier;

receiving a radio frequency input signal at the power amplifier; and

generating at the power amplifier a radio frequency output signal based on the first and second regulated power supply signals, the first and second bias signals, and the radio frequency input signal.

11. A method for providing power management in a radio frequency power amplifier, comprising:

receiving an input voltage;

generating a first digital power supply signal;

generating a second digital power supply signal;

generating from the input voltage a first regulated power supply signal based on the first digital power supply signal;

generating from the input voltage a second regulated power supply signal based on the second digital power supply signal;

generating a third digital power supply signal;

generating from the input voltage a third regulated power supply signal based on the third digital power supply signal;

generating a first digital bias signal;

generating a second digital bias signal;

generating a third digital bias signal;

generating a first bias signal based on the first digital bias signal;

generating a second bias signal based on the second digital bias signal; and

generating a third bias signal based on the third digital bias signal.

12. The method of claim 11, the power amplifier comprising a first operational amplifier, a second operational amplifier, and a third operational amplifier, the operational amplifiers coupled to each other in series, the method further comprising:

providing the first regulated power supply signal and the first bias signal to the first operational amplifier;

providing the second regulated power supply signal and the second bias signal to the second operational amplifier;

providing the third regulated power supply signal and the third bias signal to the third operational amplifier;

receiving a radio frequency input signal at the first operational amplifier; and

generating at the third operational amplifier a radio frequency output signal based on the first, second and third regulated power supply signals, the first, second and third bias signals, and the radio frequency input signal.

13. A system for providing power management in a radio frequency power amplifier, comprising:

a power amplifier operable to generate a radio frequency output signal based on a radio frequency input signal; and

a power regulator coupled to the power amplifier, the power regulator operable to receive an input voltage, to generate a first digital power supply signal and a second digital power supply signal, to generate a digital bias signal, to generate from the input voltage both a first regulated power supply signal based on the first digital power supply signal and a second regulated power supply signal based on the second digital power supply signal, to generate a bias signal based on the digital bias signal, and to provide the first regulated power supply signal, the second regulated power supply signal and the bias signal to in the power amplifier; and

the power amplifier further operable to generate the radio frequency output signal based on the first regulated power supply signal, the second regulated power supply signal and the bias signal.

14. The system of claim 13, the power amplifier comprising a plurality of operational amplifiers, wherein each of the operational amplifiers is operable to receive the regulated power supply signal and the bias signal.

16. The system of claim 13, further comprising a power source coupled to the power regulator, the power source operable to provide the input voltage, the power source comprising a battery.

17. The system of claim 13, further comprising an antenna coupled to the power amplifier, the antenna operable to receive the radio frequency output signal from the power amplifier and to transmit the radio frequency output signal over a wireless interface.

15. A system for providing power management in a radio frequency power amplifier, comprising:

a power amplifier operable to generate a radio frequency output signal based on a radio frequency input signal; and

a power regulator coupled to the power amplifier, the power regulator operable to receive an input voltage, to generate a digital power supply signal, to generate a digital bias signal, to generate from the input voltage a regulated power supply signal based on the digital power supply signal, to generate a bias signal based on the digital bias signal, and to provide the regulated power supply signal and the bias signal to the power amplifier;

wherein the power amplifier is further operable to generate the radio frequency output signal based on the regulated power supply signal and the bias signal;

wherein the power regulator comprises a baseband digital signal processor, a switcher coupled to the processor, and a digital-to-analog converter coupled to the processor;

wherein the processor is operable to generate the digital power supply signal;

wherein the switcher is operable to receive the input voltage and the digital power supply signal, to generate from the input voltage the regulated power supply signal based on the digital power supply signal, and to provide the regulated power supply signal to the power amplifier;

wherein at least one of the processor and the switcher is operable to generate the digital bias signal; and

wherein the digital-to-analog converter is operable to receive the digital bias signal, to generate the bias signal based on the digital bias signal, and to provide the bias signal to the power amplifier.