Transmit/receive switch

• US 7,702,296 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2007
• Issued: 04/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MediaTek USA Incorporated (MediaTek, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MediaTek USA Incorporated (MediaTek, Inc.)
• Inventors: Siu, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Tuan A
• Application Number:
  US11/832,094
• Publication Number:
  US 20090036065A1
• Time in Patent Office: 993 Days
• Field of Search: 455/552.1, 455/553.1, 455/550.1, 455/73, 455 78- 83, 455120-121, 455124-125, 455/127.1, 455280-282, 455284-293, 333100-104, 333/124, 333/134, 333/175
• US Class Current: 455/78
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/223 with MOSFET's
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/565 using inductive elements
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/211 the input of an amplifier can be attenuated by a continuously controlled transistor attenuator
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/294 the amplifier being a low noise amplifier [LNA]
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2203/7239 the gated amplifier being switched on or off by putting into parallel or not, by choosing between amplifiers and shunting lines by one or more switch(es)
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/24 of transmitter output stages
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/72 Gated amplifiers, i.e. amplifiers which are rendered operative or inoperative by means of a control signal

Abstract

A radio frequency (RF) transmit/receive switch. The transmit/receive switch comprises an impedance matching circuit and a voltage scaling circuit. The impedance matching circuit matches an incoming RF signal to a low noise amplifier and an outgoing RF signal from a power amplifier. The voltage scaling circuit, coupled to the impedance matching circuit, the power amplifier, and the low noise amplifier, attenuates the outgoing RF signal to a scaled signal within a breakdown voltage of a transistor device in the low noise amplifier during transmission of the outgoing RF signal.

Claims

1. A radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC), comprising:

a transmitter module for converting an outgoing baseband signal to an outgoing RF signal, comprising a power amplifier (PA) transmitting the outgoing RF signal;

a receiver module for converting an incoming RF signal to an incoming baseband signal, comprising a low noise amplifier (LNA) receiving the incoming RF signal; and

a transmit/receive switch, coupled to the power amplifier (PA) and the low noise amplifier (LNA), comprising;

an impedance matching circuit, coupled to the power amplifier (PA) and the low noise amplifier (LNA), for impedance matching the incoming and outgoing RF signals; and

a voltage scaling circuit, coupled to the impedance matching circuit, the power amplifier (PA), and the low noise amplifier (LNA), attenuating the outgoing RF signal into a scaled signal, wherein the voltage of the scaled signal is within a breakdown voltage of a transistor in the low noise amplifier (LNA).

2. The RFIC of claim 1, wherein the voltage scaling circuit is a voltage divider, attenuating the outgoing RF signal to generate the scaled signal.

3. The RFIC of claim 1, wherein the voltage scaling circuit is enabled during signal transmission and is disabled during signal reception.

4. The RFIC of claim 1, wherein the voltage scaling circuit comprises:

first and second capacitors, the first and the second capacitors being connected in series, the first capacitor being coupled to the impedance matching circuit and the power amplifier (PA) and receiving the outgoing RF signal, the second capacitor being coupled to the low noise amplifier (LNA) and producing the scaled signal during transmission of the outgoing RF signal; and

a first transistor, coupled to the second capacitor, grounding the second capacitor during transmission of the outgoing RF signal and disconnecting the second capacitor from ground during receipt of the incoming RF signal.

5. The RFIC of claim 1, wherein the voltage scaling circuit comprises:

a first capacitor, coupled to the impedance matching circuit and the power amplifier (PA);

a bias resistor, providing a bias voltage;

a first transistor, coupled to the first capacitor and the bias transistor, receiving the bias voltage to function as a second capacitor or the low noise amplifier (LNA); and

a second transistor, coupled to the first transistor, controlling the first transistor to enable the second capacitor during transmission of the outgoing RF signal and to disable the second capacitor during receipt of the incoming RF signal.

6. The RFIC of claim 5, wherein the low noise amplifier (LNA) comprises a high gain path and a low gain path, the high gain path amplifies the incoming RF signal with a higher gain than that of the low gain path;

and the voltage scaling circuit further comprises;

a third capacitor, coupled to the low gain path, the first capacitor, and the first transistor; and

a third transistor coupled to the third capacitor, grounding the third capacitor during transmission of the outgoing RF signal, and disconnecting the third capacitor from ground during receipt of the incoming RF signal.

7. The RFIC of claim 1, wherein the voltage scaling circuit comprises:

a first capacitor; and

a first transistor, coupled to the capacitor, grounding the first capacitor during transmission of the output RF signal.

8. The RFIC of claim 1, wherein the power amplifier (PA) comprises thick oxide transistors and the low noise amplifier (LNA) comprises thin oxide transistors.

9. The RFIC of claim 1, wherein a power supply of the power amplifier (PA) exceeds than that of the low noise amplifier (LNA).

10. The RFIC of claim 1, wherein the low noise amplifier (LNA) is a cascode amplifier.

11. A transmit/receive switch, coupled to a power amplifier (PA) and a low noise amplifier (LNA) of a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC), comprising:

an impedance matching circuit, providing impedance matching an incoming RF signal to a low noise amplifier (LNA) and an outgoing RF signal from a power amplifier (PA); and

a voltage scaling circuit, coupled to the impedance matching circuit, the power amplifier (PA), and the low noise amplifier (LNA), attenuating the outgoing RF signal into a scaled signal, wherein the voltage of the scaled signal is within a breakdown voltage of a transistor in the low noise amplifier (LNA).

12. The transmit/receive switch of claim 11, wherein the voltage scaling circuit is a voltage divider, attenuating the outgoing RF signal to generate the scaled signal.

13. The transmit/receive switch of claim 11, wherein the voltage scaling circuit is enabled during signal transmission, and disabled during signal reception.

14. The transmit/receive switch of claim 11, wherein the voltage scaling circuit comprises:

first and second capacitors, connected in series, the first capacitor coupled to the impedance matching circuit and the power amplifier (PA) and receiving the outgoing RF signal, the second capacitor coupled to the low noise amplifier (LNA) and producing the scaled signal during transmission of the outgoing RF signal; and

a first transistor, coupled to the second capacitor, grounding the second capacitor during transmission of the outgoing RF signal and disconnecting the second capacitor from ground during receipt of the incoming RF signal.

15. The transmit/receive switch of claim 11, wherein the voltage scaling circuit comprises:

a first capacitor, coupled to the impedance matching circuit and the power amplifier (PA);

a bias resistor, providing a bias voltage;

a first transistor, coupled to the first capacitor and the bias transistor, receiving the bias voltage to function as a second capacitor or the low noise amplifier (LNA); and

a second transistor, coupled to the first transistor, controlling the first transistor to enable the second capacitor during transmission of the outgoing RF signal and to disable the second capacitor during receipt of the incoming RF signal.

16. The transmit/receive switch of claim 15, wherein the low noise amplifier (LNA) comprises a high gain path and a low gain path, the high gain path amplifies the incoming RF signal with a higher gain than that of the low gain path;

and the voltage scaling circuit further comprises;

a third capacitor, coupled to the low gain path, the first capacitor, and the first transistor; and

a third transistor coupled to the third capacitor, grounding the third capacitor during transmission of the outgoing RF signal, and disconnecting the third capacitor from ground during receipt of the incoming RF signal.

17. The transmit/receive switch of claim 11, wherein the voltage scaling circuit comprises:

a first capacitor; and

a first transistor, coupled to the capacitor, grounding the first capacitor during transmission of the output RF signal.

18. The transmit/receive switch of claim 11, wherein the power amplifier (PA) comprises thick oxide transistors and the low noise amplifier (LNA) comprises thin oxide transistors.

19. The transmit/receive switch of claim 11, wherein a power supply of the power amplifier (PA) exceeds that of the low noise amplifier (LNA).

20. The transmit/receive switch of claim 11, wherein the low noise amplifier (LNA) is a cascode amplifier.