Linearized transmitter including a power amplifier

• US 8,369,798 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2011
• Issued: 02/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pan, Meng-An, Afsahi, Ali, Magoon, Vikram, Behzad, Arya
• Primary Examiner(s): Trinh, Sonny
• Application Number:
  US13/031,331
• Publication Number:
  US 20110143791A1
• Time in Patent Office: 715 Days
• Field of Search: 455/91, 455/127.2, 455/127.3, 455/114.1, 455/114.3, 455/118, 455/125, 455/115.1, 455/73, 455/333, 455/78, 455/88
• US Class Current: 455/78
• 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

A method and system for wireless communication is provided and may include generating a single analog quadrature signal in a chip including RF transmitters and receivers using a baseband processor, and generating output RF signals based on the quadrature signal in corresponding RF transmitters. The output RF signals may be communicated to the RF receivers via a feedback path including circuitry external to the RF receivers. The dedicated circuitry may include a transmit/receive switch and/or an on-chip or off-chip balun. The quadrature signal may include in-phase and quadrature-phase components. The output RF signal communicated via the feedback path may be down-converted utilizing mixers in the RF receivers and communicated to the baseband processor. Distortion in the quadrature signal may be estimated utilizing the communicated down-converted output RF signals and subsequently generated quadrature signals may be predistorted based on the distortion estimation.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication, the method comprising:

in a chip comprising a plurality of RF transmitters and a plurality of RF receivers;

generating a single analog quadrature signal using a baseband processor;

generating one or more output RF signals based on said generated single analog quadrature signal in a corresponding one or more of said plurality of RF transmitters; and

communicating one or more of said output RF signals to one or more of said plurality of RF receivers via a feedback path comprising circuitry external to said plurality of RF receivers.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said circuitry comprises a transmit/receive switch.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said circuitry comprises a balun.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein said balun is integrated external to said chip.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein said balun is integrated in said chip.

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

7. The method according to claim 1, comprising down-converting said output RF signal communicated via said feedback path utilizing one or more mixers in said one or more RF receivers.

8. The method according to claim 1, comprising communicating said down-converted output RF signals to said baseband processor.

9. The method according to claim 1, comprising estimating distortion in said generated single analog quadrature signal utilizing said communicated down-converted output RF signals.

10. The method according to claim 1, comprising predistorting subsequently generated single analog quadrature signals based on said distortion estimation.

11. A system for wireless communication, the system comprising:

one or more circuits for use in a wireless device, said one or more circuits in a chip comprising a plurality of RF transmitters and a plurality of RF receivers are operable to;

generate a single analog quadrature signal using a baseband processor;

generate one or more output RF signals based on said generated single analog quadrature signal in a corresponding one or more of said plurality of RF transmitters; and

communicate one or more of said output RF signals to one or more of said plurality of RF receivers via a feedback path comprising circuitry external to said plurality of RF receivers.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein said circuitry comprises a transmit/receive switch.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein said circuitry comprises a balun.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein said balun is integrated external to said chip.

15. The system according to claim 13, wherein said balun is integrated in said chip.

16. The system according to claim 11, wherein said single analog quadrature signal comprises an in-phase component and a quadrature-phase component.

17. The system according to claim 11, wherein said one or more circuits are operable to down-convert said output RF signal communicated via said feedback path utilizing one or more mixers in said one or more RF receivers.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein said one or more circuits are operable to communicate said down-converted output RF signals to said baseband processor.

19. The system according to claim 11, wherein said one or more circuits are operable to estimate distortion in said generated single analog quadrature signal utilizing said communicated down-converted output RF signals.

20. The system according to claim 11, wherein said one or more circuits are operable to predistort subsequently generated single analog quadrature signals based on said distortion estimation.