Switchable balanced amplifier

• US 8,049,558 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2008
• Issued: 11/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Skyworks Solutions Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Skyworks Solutions Incorporated
• Inventors: Wyse, Russell, Young, James P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mottola; Steven J
• Application Number:
  US12/666,570
• Publication Number:
  US 20110006841A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,212 Days
• Field of Search: 330/124.R, 330/295
• US Class Current: 330/124.R
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/111 the amplifier being a dual or triple band amplifier, e.g. 900 and 1800 MHz, e.g. switched or not switched, simultaneously or not
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/192 A hybrid coupler being used at the input of an amplifier circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/204 A hybrid coupler being used at the output of an amplifier circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2203/21109 An input signal being distributed by switching to a plurality of paralleled power amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2203/21145 Output signals are combined by switching a plurality of paralleled power amplifiers to a common output
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2203/7209 the gated amplifier being switched from a first band to a second band
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/211 using a combination of several amplifiers H03F3/60 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/602 Combinations of several amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/68 Combinations of amplifiers, e.g. multi-channel amplifiers for stereophonics power amplifiers using a combination of several semiconductor amplifiers H03F3/211; combinations of amplifiers using coupling networks with distributed constants H03F3/602
• 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 switchable balanced amplifier having multiple, configurable independent input/output paths. Switching networks coupled to the input and/or output quadrature couplers of the balanced amplifier are used to configurably direct any of one or more input signals to any of one or more output ports. In one example, each output port is coupled to circuitry tailored to a specific type of input signal, operating protocol and/or operating frequency band.

Claims

1. A switchable balanced amplifier comprising:

an input quadrature coupler having a first port switchably connected to one of an input termination load and at least one first input signal terminal, and a second port switchably connected to one of the input termination load and at least one second input signal terminal;

an output quadrature coupler having a first port switchably connected to one of an output termination load and at least one first output signal terminal, and a second port switchably connected to one of the output termination load and at least one second output signal terminal; and

an amplifier stage electrically coupled between the input quadrature coupler and the output quadrature coupler.

20. The switchable balanced amplifier of claim 1 further comprising:

a first input switch configured to switchably connect the first port of the input quadrature coupler to one of the input termination load and the at least one first input signal terminal; and

a second input switch configured to switchably connect the second port of the input quadrature coupler to one of the input termination load and the at least one second input signal terminal.

21. The switchable balanced amplifier of claim 1 further comprising:

first input circuitry optimized for a first operating mode and electrically coupled to the first input signal terminal; and

second input circuitry optimized for a second operating mode, different than the first operating mode, and electrically coupled to the second input signal terminal.

22. The switchable balanced amplifier of claim 1 further comprising:

a first output switch configured to switchably connect the first port of the output quadrature coupler to one of the output termination load and the at least one first output signal terminal; and

a second output switch configured to switchably connect the second port of the output quadrature coupler to one of the output termination load and the at least one second output signal terminal.

2. A switchable balanced amplifier comprising:

an input quadrature coupler having a first port and a second port, each of the first and second ports of the input quadrature coupler switchably connected to one of an input termination load and at least one input signal terminal;

an output quadrature coupler having a first port and a second port, each of the first and second ports of the output quadrature coupler switchably connected to one of an output termination load and one of a plurality of output signal terminals; and

an amplifier stage electrically coupled between the input quadrature coupler and the output quadrature coupler.

3. The switchable balanced amplifier of claim 2 wherein each of the first and second ports of the input quadrature coupler are switchably connected to one of the input termination load and the at least one input signal terminal by respective first and second input switches.

4. The switchable balanced amplifier as claimed in claim 3, wherein the first and second input switches are single-pole double-throw switches.

5. A switchable balanced amplifier comprising:

an input quadrature coupler having a first port and a second port, each of the first port and the second port of the input quadrature coupler is switchably connected to one of an input termination load and one of a plurality of input signal terminals;

an output quadrature coupler having a first port and a second port, each of the first port and the second port of the output quadrature coupler switchably connected to one of an output termination load and at least one output signal terminal; and

an amplifier stage electrically coupled between the input quadrature coupler and the output quadrature coupler.

6. The switchable balanced amplifier of claim 5 further comprising input switching means configured to switchably connect the first and second ports of the input quadrature coupler to one of the input termination load and the one of the plurality of input signal terminals.

8. The switchable balanced amplifier of claim 5 wherein each of the first and second ports of the output quadrature coupler are switchably connected to one of the output termination load and the at least one output signal terminal by respective first and second output switches.

9. The switchable balanced amplifier as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first and second output switches are single-pole double-throw switches.

10. The switchable balanced amplifier of claim 5 further comprising output switching means configured to switchably connect each of the first and second ports of the output quadrature coupler to one of the output termination load and the at least one output signal terminal.

11. The switchable balanced amplifier of claim 10, wherein the at least one output signal terminal includes a plurality of output signal terminals and the output switching means is configured to connect one of the first and second ports of the output quadrature coupler to the output termination load and the other of the first and second ports of the output quadrature coupler to one of the plurality of output signal terminals.

12. The switchable balanced amplifier of claim 11, wherein the plurality of output signal terminals includes a first output signal terminal and a second output signal terminal, the first signal terminal is coupled to first output circuitry optimized for a first operating mode, and the second signal terminal is coupled to second output circuitry optimized for a second operating mode that is different than the first operating mode.

7. A switchable balanced amplifier comprising:

an input quadrature coupler having a first port and a second port, each of the first and second ports of the input quadrature coupler being switchably connected to one of an input termination load and at least one input signal terminal;

an output quadrature coupler having a first port and a second port, each of the first and second ports of the output quadrature coupler being switchably connected to one of an output termination load and at least one output signal terminal; and

an amplifier stage electrically coupled between the input quadrature coupler and the output quadrature coupler the at least one input signal terminal that is switchably connected to the first port of the input quadrature coupler being electrically coupled to first input circuitry optimized for a first operating mode and the at least one input signal terminal that is switchably connected to the second port of the input quadrature coupler being electrically coupled to second input circuitry optimized for a second operating mode that is different than the first operating mode.

13. A switchable balanced amplifier comprising:

an input quadrature coupler having a first port and a second port, each of the first and second ports of the input quadrature coupler being switchably connected to one of an input termination load and at least one input signal terminal;

an output quadrature coupler having a first port and a second port, each of the first and second ports of the output quadrature coupler being switchably connected to one of an output termination load and at least one output signal terminal; and

an amplifier stage electrically coupled between the input quadrature coupler and the output quadrature coupler, the at least one output signal terminal that is switchably connected to the first port of the output quadrature coupler being electrically coupled to first output circuitry optimized for a first operating mode, and the at least one output signal terminal that is switchably connected to the second port of the output quadrature coupler being electrically coupled to second output circuitry optimized for a second operating mode that is different than the first operating mode.

14. A method of configuring a balanced amplifier, the method comprising:

switchably connecting each of a first input port of the balanced amplifier and a second input port of the balanced amplifier to one of an input termination load and a selected one of a plurality of input signal terminals; and

switchably connecting each of a first output port of the balanced amplifier and a second output port of the balanced amplifier to one of an output termination load and at least one output signal terminal.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the at least one output signal terminal includes a plurality of output signal terminals;

and

wherein switchably connecting each of the first and second output ports of the balanced amplifier to one of the output termination load and the at least one output signal terminal includes;

selecting one of the plurality of output signal terminals; and

switchably connecting each of the first and second output ports of the balanced amplifier to one of the output termination load and the selected one of the plurality of output signal terminals.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein selecting one of the plurality of output signal terminals is performed responsive to switchably connecting each of the first and second input ports of the balanced amplifier to one of the input termination load and the selected one of the plurality of input signal terminals.

17. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein selecting one of the plurality of output signal terminals is performed responsive to selecting one of the plurality of input signal terminals.

18. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein switchably connecting each of the first and second output ports of the balanced amplifier to one of the output termination load and the at least one output signal terminal is performed responsive to switchably connecting each of the first and second input ports of the balanced amplifier to one of the input termination load and the selected one of the plurality of input signal terminals.

19. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein

switchably connecting each of the first input port of the balanced amplifier and the second input port of the balanced amplifier to one of the input termination load and the selected one of the plurality of input signal terminals includes switchably connecting the first input port of the balanced amplifier to the input termination load and switchably connecting the second input port of the balanced amplifier to the selected one of the plurality of input signal terminals;

and

wherein switchably connecting each of the first output port of the balanced amplifier and the second output port of the balanced amplifier to one of the output termination load and the at least one output signal terminal includes switchably connecting the first output port of the balanced amplifier to the output termination load and switchably connecting the second output port of the balanced amplifier to the at least one output signal terminal.