Apparatus, methods and articles of manufacture for multiband signal processing

• US 7,187,231 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2002
• Issued: 03/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pine Valley Investments, Inc. (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: M/A Com, Inc. (MACOM Technology Solutions Holdings, Inc.), M/A-Com Eurotec BV (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Inventors: Heaney, Eugene, Grebennikov, Andrei V., McGrath, Finbarr J., Nagle, Pierce J.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KHANH V
• Application Number:
  US10/307,653
• Publication Number:
  US 20040104768A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,555 Days
• Field of Search: 330/51, 330/126, 330/133, 330/302, 330/310
• US Class Current: 330/51
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0277 Selecting one or more amplifiers from a plurality of amplifiers

Abstract

Apparatus, methods and articles of manufacture for multiband transmitter power amplification are provided wherein one or more amplifying devices, of which at least one may be one or more current sources, have impedances matched for different input and output frequencies by way of various impedance matching circuits.

Claims

1. A method for amplification or attenuation comprising:

providing an input signal;

providing a converter for converting amplitude characteristics of said input signal into digital pulses, said digital pulses comprising control instructions;

providing at least a first transistor and at least a second transistor for receiving digital pulses from the converter and for generating control signals according to said received digital pulses;

providing at least a first non-linear current source and at least a second non-linear current source for receiving a portion of said input signal and at least one first control signal generated by the at least one first transistor and at least one second control signal generated by the second transistor;

matching impedance of said first and second non-linear current sources, upon provision of said input signal thereto, through an input impedance matching circuit;

combining any current generated by said first and second non-linear current sources, in order to generate an output signal comprising linear amplification of said input signal at certain desired times and attenuation of said input signal at certain other desired times.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the input signal further comprises a phase characteristic of an input wave.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing an output impedance matching circuit through which said output signal passes for simultaneously matching impedances at different frequencies of said input signal.

4. A method for amplification or attenuation comprising:

providing an input signal of a first bandwidth;

providing an input signal of a second bandwidth;

providing an input impedance matching circuit;

providing a first amplifying device;

providing an interstage impedance matching circuit;

providing a second amplifying device;

wherein when said input signal of first bandwidth or said input signal of second bandwidth passes to said input impedance matching circuit, said input impedance matching circuit matches impedance with said first amplifying device, and when said input signal of first bandwidth or said input signal of second bandwidth passes to said second amplifying device, said interstage impedance matching circuit matches impedance with said second amplifying device; and

wherein at least one of said first amplifying device and said second amplifying device comprises at least first and second current sources operatively connected so that any current generated by said first and second current sources comprises linear amplification or attenuation of at least one of said input signal of first bandwidth or said input signal of second bandwidth, said current sources generating current according to digital control instructions received from a converter and based on amplitude characteristics of said input signals.

5. The method in claim 4 further comprising matching impedance upon output from said second amplifying device, via an output impedance matching circuit.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the input signal further comprises a phase characteristic of an input wave.

7. A method of amplification comprising:

providing a plurality of amplifying devices, at least one of said plurality of amplifying devices comprising a plurality of current sources operatively connected so that any output signal generated by said plurality of current sources provides at least one of linear amplification or attenuation of an input signal;

providing one or more interstage impedance matching circuits each positioned between two of the plurality of amplifying devices;

providing an output impedance matching circuit through which a signal from a last of the plurality of amplifying devices passes, said output impedance matching circuit comprising a switching output impedance matching circuit; and

providing a band diplexer for connection of the last of the plurality of amplifying devices to a load.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein at least one of said one or more interstage impedance matching circuits further comprises an RLC circuit.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein at least one of said at least one of the plurality of amplifying devices comprises at least one field effect transistor.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein at least one of said at least one of the plurality of amplifying devices comprises at least one bipolar transistor.

11. The method of claim 7 further comprising generating an output power.

12. The method of claim 7 further comprising generating an output power that is substantially the same for a plurality of operating frequencies.

13. The method of claim 7 further comprising simultaneously matching impedances at different frequencies of said input signal.

14. An apparatus for amplification or attenuation comprising:

a converter for converting amplitude characteristics of an input signal into digital pulses, said digital pulses comprising control instructions;

at least a first transistor and at least a second transistor for receiving digital pulses from the converter and for generating control signals according to said received digital pulses;

at least a first non-linear current source and at least a second non-linear current source for receiving a portion of the input signal and at least one first control signal generated by the at least one first transistor and at least one second control signal generated by the second transistor;

an input impedance matching circuit for matching impedance of said first and second non-linear current sources, upon provision of said input signal thereto;

wherein any current generated by said first and second non-linear current sources, is combined in order to generate linear amplification of said input signal at certain desired times and attenuation of said input signal at certain other desired times.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the input signal further comprises a phase characteristic of an input wave.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising a band diplexer for connection of a last non-linear current source to a load.

17. An apparatus for amplification or attenuation comprising:

means for providing an input signal of a first bandwidth;

means for providing an input signal of a second bandwidth;

an input impedance matching circuit;

a first amplifying device;

an interstage impedance matching circuit;

a second amplifying device;

wherein, when said input signal of first bandwidth or said input signal of second bandwidth passes to said input impedance matching circuit, said input impedance matching circuit matches impedance with said first amplifying device, and when said input signal of first bandwidth or said input signal of second bandwidth passes to said second amplifying device, said interstage impedance matching circuit matches impedance with said second amplifying device; and

wherein at least one of said first amplifying device and said second amplifying device comprises at least first and second current sources operatively connected so that any current generated by said first and second current sources comprises linear amplification or attenuation of at least one of said input signal of first bandwidth or said input signal of second bandwidth, said current sources generating current according to digital control instructions received from a converter means and based on amplitude characteristics of said input signals.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein impedances are matched upon output from said second amplifying device, via an output impedance matching circuit.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the input signal further comprises a phase characteristic of an input wave.

20. An apparatus for amplification or attenuation comprising:

a plurality of amplifying devices;

one or more interstage impedance matching circuits each positioned between two of the plurality of amplifying devices, at least one of said plurality of amplifying devices comprising a plurality of current sources operatively connected so that any output signal generated by said plurality of current sources provides at least one of linear amplification or attenuation of an input signal;

an output impedance matching circuit through which a signal from a last of the plurality of amplifying devices passes, said output impedance matching circuit comprising a switching output impedance matching circuit; and

a band diplexer for connection of the last of the plurality of amplifying devices to a load.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein at least one of said one or more interstage impedance matching circuits further comprises an RLC circuit.

22. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein at least one of said at least one of the plurality of amplifying devices comprises at least one field effect transistor.

23. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein at least one of said at least one of the plurality of amplifying devices comprises at least one bipolar transistor.

24. The apparatus of claim 20 further comprising generating an output power via said last of the plurality of amplifying devices for input to said band diplexer.

25. The apparatus of claim 20 further comprising generating an output power via said last of the plurality of amplifying devices that is substantially the same for a plurality of operating frequencies for input to said band diplexer.

26. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein said one or more interstage impedance matching circuits each positioned between two of the plurality of amplifying devices;

and said output impedance matching circuit simultaneously match impedances at different frequencies of said input signal.

27. An integrated circuit for electromagnetic processing comprising:

a plurality of amplifying devices for receiving a common input signal, at least one of said plurality of amplifying devices comprising a plurality of current sources operatively connected so that any output signal generated by said plurality of current sources comprises at least one of linear amplification or attenuation of an input signal; and

a plurality of control components for receiving digital control pulses generated from amplitude characteristics of said input signal and coupled to the respective inputs of the plurality of current sources, the plurality of control components being regulated by said digital control pulses for controlling said plurality of current sources; and

one or more interstage matching circuits each positioned between two of the plurality of amplifying devices.

28. The integrated circuit of claim 27, further comprising an output impedance matching circuit through which a signal from a last of the plurality of amplifying devices passes, with said output impedance matching circuit simultaneously matching impedances at different frequencies of said input signal.

29. The integrated circuit of claim 27, further comprising a band diplexer for connection of a last of said plurality of amplifying devices to a load.