Method and system for a linearized transmitter including a power amplifier

• US 7,894,780 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2007
• Issued: 02/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pan, Meng-An, Afsahi, Ali, Behzad, Arya, Magoon, Vikram
• Primary Examiner(s): Trinh; Sonny
• Application Number:
  US11/762,573
• Publication Number:
  US 20080139132A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,350 Days
• Field of Search: 455/91, 455/114.1, 455/114.3, 455/118, 455/125, 455/126, 455/115.1, 455/127.1, 455/127.3, 455/93, 455/127.2, 330/285, 330/136, 330/129
• US Class Current: 455/91
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/32 Modifications of amplifiers to reduce non-linear distortion by negative feedback H03F1/34
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/168 Two amplifying stages are coupled by means of a filter circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/321 Use of a microprocessor in an amplifier circuit or its control circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/336 A I/Q, i.e. phase quadrature, modulator or demodulator being used in an amplifying circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/24 of transmitter output stages
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/005 adapting radio receivers, transmitters andtransceivers for operation on two or more bands, i.e. frequency ranges
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/02 Transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/0408 with power amplifiers

Abstract

Various aspect of a system for a linearized transmitter including a power amplifier may include at least one transconductance amplifier that enables generation of a single analog quadrature signal. Transmitter mixers may enable generation of a plurality of upconverted RF signals in a corresponding plurality of RF processing chains based on the generated single analog quadrature signal. In various embodiments of the invention, a gain stage, for example gain stage, may also be referred to as an RF processing chain. Power amplifier circuit may enable generation of a corresponding plurality of RF output signals within a wireless communication system based on the generated plurality of upconverted RF signals.

Claims

1. A method for generating signals in a transmitter circuit within a wireless communications system, the method comprising:

generating a single analog quadrature signal;

generating a plurality of upconverted RF signals in a corresponding plurality of RF processing chains based on said generated single analog quadrature signal; and

generating, within a wireless communication system, a corresponding plurality of RF output signals based on said generated plurality of upconverted RF signals.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said signal analog quadrature signal comprises an in-phase component and a quadrature-phase component.

3. The method according to claim 1, comprising generating said each of said plurality of upconverted RF signals based on said generated single analog quadrature signal and a selected center frequency.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein said selected center frequency is selected from a frequency range.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein said frequency range is distinct from one or both of:

a previous frequency range and a subsequent frequency range, utilized for generating one or both of;

a previous one of and a subsequent one of, said plurality of upconverted RF signals.

6. The method according to claim 1, comprising independently adjusting a center frequency for each of said generated plurality of upconverted RF signals.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein said independent adjusting increases, decreases or leaves unchanged, said center frequency for said each of said generated plurality of upconverted RF signals.

8. The method according to claim 6, comprising generating a plurality of first stage amplified signals each based on a corresponding said each of said generated plurality of upconverted RF signals following said independent adjusting said center frequency for said each of said generated plurality of upconverted RF signals.

9. The method according to claim 8, comprising independently adjusting a center frequency for each of said generated plurality of first stage amplified signals.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein said independent adjusting increases, decreases or leaves unchanged, said center frequency for said each of said generated plurality of first stage amplified signals.

11. The method according to claim 9, comprising generating at least one plurality of subsequent stage amplified signals based on said generated plurality of first stage amplified signals following said independent adjusting said center frequency for said each of said generated plurality of first stage amplified signals.

12. The method according to claim 11, comprising independently adjusting a center frequency for each individual signal in said generated at least one plurality of subsequent stage amplified signals.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein said independent adjusting increases, decreases or leaves unchanged, said center frequency for said each individual signal in said generated at least one plurality of subsequent stage amplified signals.

14. The method according to claim 12, comprising generating each of said generated corresponding plurality of RF signals based on a corresponding last of said generated at least one plurality of subsequent stage amplified signals following said independent adjusting said center frequency for said each individual signal in said generated at least one plurality of subsequent stage amplified signals.

15. The method according to claim 14, comprising transmitting at least a portion of said each of said generated corresponding plurality of RF signals via a wireless communication medium.

16. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

selecting one of said corresponding plurality of generated RF output signals;

generating one or more feedback signals by performing a frequency downconversion operation on said selected one of said corresponding plurality of generated RF output signals within a corresponding one or more feedback mixer circuits; and

inserting said generated one or more feedback signals at a corresponding one or more insertion points in a receiver circuit, wherein each of said corresponding one or more insertion points is between a corresponding receiver mixer circuit and a corresponding one or more circuits that generates a baseband signal based on a corresponding one of said generated one or more feedback signals.

17. The method according to claim 1, comprising generating said single analog quadrature signal in a single transconductance stage circuit.

18. A system for generating signals in a transmitter circuit within a wireless communications system, the system comprising:

one or more circuits, comprising at least one transconductance amplifier, that enable generation of a single analog quadrature signal;

said one or more circuits, comprising at least a transmitter mixer, enable generation of a plurality of upconverted RF signals in a corresponding plurality of RF processing chains based on said generated single analog quadrature signal; and

said one or more circuits, comprising at least one power amplifier circuit, enable generation, within a wireless communication system, of a corresponding plurality of RF output signals based on said generated plurality of upconverted RF signals.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein said single analog quadrature signal comprises an in-phase component and a quadrature-phase component.

20. The system according to claim 18, wherein said one or more circuits comprise at least said transmitter mixer and enable generation of said each of said plurality of upconverted RF signals based on said generated single analog quadrature signal and a selected center frequency.

21. The system according to claim 20, wherein said selected center frequency is selected from a frequency range.

22. The system according to claim 21, wherein said frequency range is distinct from one or both of:

a previous frequency range and a subsequent frequency range, utilized for generating one or both of;

a previous one of and a subsequent one of, said plurality of upconverted RF signals.

23. The system according to claim 18, wherein said one or more circuits comprise at least a first tunable capacitor and enable independent adjustment of a center frequency for each of said generated plurality of upconverted RF signals.

24. The system according to claim 23, wherein said independent adjustment increases, decreases or leaves unchanged, said center frequency for said each of said generated plurality of upconverted RF signals.

25. The system according to claim 23, wherein said one or more circuits comprise at least one RF programmable gain amplifier circuit, at least one power amplifier driver circuit and/or said at least one power amplifier circuit and enable generation of a plurality of first stage amplified signals each based on a corresponding said each of said generated plurality of upconverted RF signals following said independent adjustment of said center frequency for each of said generated plurality of upconverted RF signals.

26. The system according to claim 25, wherein said one or more circuits comprise at least a second tunable capacitor and enable independent adjustment of a center frequency for each individual signal in said generated plurality of first stage amplified signals.

27. The system according to claim 26, wherein said independent adjustment increases, decreases or leaves unchanged, said center frequency for said each of said generated plurality of first stage amplified signals.

28. The system according to claim 26, wherein said one or more circuits comprise said at least one RF programmable gain amplifier circuit, said at least one power amplifier driver circuit and/or said at least one power amplifier circuit and enable generation of at least one plurality of subsequent stage amplified signals based on said generated plurality of first stage amplified signals following said independent adjustment of said center frequency for said each of said generated plurality of first stage amplified signals.

29. The system according to claim 28, wherein said one or more circuits comprise at least one subsequent tunable capacitor and enable independent adjustment of a center frequency for each individual signal in said generated at least one plurality of subsequent stage amplified signals.

30. The system according to claim 29, wherein said independent adjustment increases, decreases or leaves unchanged, said center frequency for said each generated at least one plurality of subsequent stage amplified signals.

31. The system according to claim 29, wherein said one or more circuits comprise said power amplifier circuit and enable generation of each of said generated corresponding plurality of RF signals based on a corresponding last of said generated at least one subsequent stage amplified signal following said independent adjustment of said center frequency for each individual signal in said generated at least one plurality of subsequent stage amplified signals.

32. The system according to claim 31, wherein said one or more circuits comprise said at least one power amplifier circuit and enable transmission of at least a portion of said each of said generated corresponding plurality of RF signals via a wireless communication medium.

33. The system according to claim 18, comprising:

one or more circuits, comprising at least a switch, that enable selection of one of said corresponding plurality of generated RF output signals;

said one or more circuits, comprising at least a corresponding one or more feedback mixer circuits, enable generation of one or more feedback signals by performing a frequency downconversion operation on said selected one of said corresponding plurality of generated RF output signals; and

said one or more circuits, comprising at least one path selector switch, enable insertion of said generated one or more feedback signals at a corresponding one or more insertion points in a receiver circuit, wherein each of said corresponding one or more insertion points is between a corresponding receiver mixer circuit and a corresponding one or more circuits that generates a baseband signal based on a corresponding one of said generated one or more feedback signals.

34. The system according to claim 18, wherein said one or more circuits comprise at least said at least one transconductance amplifier and enable generation of said single analog quadrature signal in a single transconductance stage circuit.