Radio frequency power amplifier circuit

• US 7,482,878 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2006
• Issued: 01/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Electronics Corporation (Renesas Electronics Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakai, Kazuhito
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Khanh V
• Application Number:
  US11/541,537
• Publication Number:
  US 20070075782A1
• Time in Patent Office: 847 Days
• Field of Search: 330/133, 330/207.P, 330/298, 330/302, 330/310
• US Class Current: 330/298
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/52 Circuit arrangements for protecting such amplifiers monitoring arrangements G01R31/28; increasing reliability in communication systems, e.g. using redundancy H04B1/74
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/105 A non-specified detector of the power of a signal being used in an amplifying circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/12 A bias circuit for some stages being shown using transmission lines
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/191 Tuned amplifiers H03F3/193, H03F3/195 take precedence

Abstract

A radio frequency power amplifier, having a first amplifying transistor 103-1 and a second amplifying transistor 103-2, comprises a detection circuit 101 that detects an output power and outputs a voltage according to the output power, and a protection transistor 102, controlled by an output of the detection circuit 101, for shunting a current flowing into the base terminal of the first amplifying transistor 103-1. The influence of a circuit for protecting against output load abnormalities on RF characteristics is suppressed.

Claims

1. A radio frequency power amplifier for receiving and power-amplifying an input signal for outputting, comprising:

amplifying transistors in a plurality of stages;

a detection circuit that detects an output power; and

a protection circuit that controls to shunt a current flowing through a signal input terminal of at least one amplifying transistor disposed in a stage preceding a final stage out of said amplifying transistors in a plurality of stages according to a detector output of said detection circuit,

wherein said protection circuit comprises a switch ON/OFF controlled according to a detector output from said detection circuit, and

wherein a current flowing through a signal input terminal of said at least one amplifying transistor is shunted to a low potential power supply when said switch is ON.

2. The radio frequency power amplifier as defined in claim 1, said switch being inserted between a signal input terminal of said at least one amplifying transistor disposed in the stage preceding said final stage and the low potential power supply.

3. The radio frequency power amplifier as defined in claim 1 wherein said protection circuit is connected to an amplifying transistor in a first stage out of said amplifying transistors in a plurality of stages.

4. The radio frequency power amplifier as defined in claim 3 wherein said protection circuit comprises a switching transistor whose control terminal is connected to an output of said detection circuit and ON/OFF controlled, said switch being connected between a signal input terminal of said amplifying transistor in the first stage and a low potential power supply.

5. The radio frequency power amplifier as defined in claim 1, comprising a matching circuit whose input is connected to a signal output terminal of said amplifying transistor in the final stage, wherein said detection circuit detects an output power of said matching circuit and supplies a detector output voltage corresponding to said output power to said protection circuit.

6. The radio frequency power amplifier as defined in claim 2, comprising a matching circuit whose input is connected to a signal output terminal of said amplifying transistor in the final stage, wherein said detection circuit detects an output power of said matching circuit and supplies a detector output voltage corresponding to said output power to said protection circuit.

7. The radio frequency power amplifier as defined in claim 3, comprising a matching circuit whose input is connected to a signal output terminal of said amplifying transistor in the final stage, wherein said detection circuit detects an output power of said matching circuit and supplies a detector output voltage corresponding to said output power to said protection circuit.

8. The radio frequency power amplifier as defined in claim 5, further comprising a matching circuit between a signal input terminal of at least one amplifying transistor out of said amplifying transistors in a plurality of stages and a signal output terminal of an amplifying transistor in a preceding stage or an input terminal receiving said input signal.

9. The radio frequency power amplifier as defined in claim 6 comprising a matching circuit between a signal input terminal of at least one amplifying transistor out of said amplifying transistors in a plurality of stages and a signal output terminal of an amplifying transistor in a preceding stage or an input terminal receiving said input signal.

10. The radio frequency power amplifier as defined in claim 7 comprising a matching circuit between a signal input terminal of at least one amplifying transistor out of said amplifying transistors in a plurality of stages and a signal output terminal of an amplifying transistor in a preceding stage or an input terminal receiving said input signal.

11. The radio frequency power amplifier as defined in claim 1, further comprising a matching circuit whose input is connected to a signal output terminal of said amplifying transistor in the final stage.

12. The radio frequency power amplifier according to claim 1, wherein the protection circuit is adapted to shunt the current to a ground.

13. A module comprising the radio frequency power amplifier as defined in claim 1.

14. A module comprising the radio frequency power amplifier as defined in claim 2.

15. A module comprising the radio frequency power amplifier as defined in claim 3.

16. A module comprising the radio frequency power amplifier as defined in claim 5.

17. A wireless communication device comprising the radio frequency power amplifier as defined in claim 1 as a power amplifier for power amplifying a transmission signal.

18. A wireless communication device comprising the radio frequency power amplifier as defined in claim 2 as a power amplifier for power amplifying a transmission signal.

19. A wireless communication device comprising the radio frequency power amplifier as defined in claim 3 as a power amplifier for power amplifying a transmission signal.

20. A wireless communication device comprising the radio frequency power amplifier as defined in claim 5 as a power amplifier for power amplifying a transmission signal.

21. A radio frequency power amplifier for receiving and power-amplifying an input signal for outputting, comprising:

amplifying transistors in a plurality of stages;

a detection circuit that detects an output power;

a protection circuit that controls to shunt a current flowing through a signal input terminal of at least one amplifying transistor disposed in a stage preceding a final stage out of said amplifying transistors in a plurality of stages according to a detector output of said detection circuit; and

a matching circuit between a signal input terminal of at least one amplifying transistor out of said amplifying transistors in a plurality of stages and a signal output terminal of an amplifying transistor in a preceding stage of an input terminal receiving said input signal,

wherein said protection circuit comprises a switch ON/OFF controlled according to a detector output from said detection circuit.