Radio-frequency module and radio communication system

• US 8,546,980 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2011
• Issued: 10/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
• Inventors: Harasawa, Yoshiaki, Matsuoka, Tadashi, Shimamoto, Kenichi
• Primary Examiner(s): JAIN, RAJ K
• Application Number:
  US13/314,241
• Publication Number:
  US 20120163247A1
• Time in Patent Office: 663 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 307/109
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/006 using switches for selecting the desired band H04B1/0057 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/525 with means for reducing leakage of transmitter signal into the receiver

Abstract

There is provided a radio-frequency module and a radio communication system capable of supporting multiple bands at low cost or small size. A high-frequency power amplifier device includes a power amplifier circuit unit for GSM and a control circuit outputting antenna switch control signals with a VSW1 level or a VSW2 level in response to a mode setting signal for selecting GSM or W-CDMA. The VSW2 level is generated by boosting the VSW1 level using a clock signal from an oscillation circuit. When GSM is selected by the mode setting signal, the high-frequency power amplifier device stops the oscillation circuit and outputs the antenna switch control signals of the VSW1 level to an antenna switch device. When W-CDMA is selected by the mode setting signal, the high-frequency power amplifier device outputs the antenna switch control signals of the VSW2 level to the antenna switch device, using the oscillation circuit.

Claims

1. A radio-frequency module comprising:

a first semiconductor chip;

a second semiconductor chip; and

a wiring board where the first and second semiconductor chips are mounted,

the first semiconductor chip comprising;

a first power amplifier circuit which amplifies an input signal of a first frequency band and outputs a transmission signal of the first frequency band;

a voltage selection circuit which selects and outputs a first voltage level or a second voltage level; and

a control circuit which, in response to a mode setting signal indicative of the first frequency band or a second frequency band, controls the first power amplifier circuit and the voltage selection circuit and outputs a first control signal and a second control signal using output of the voltage selection circuit,

the second semiconductor chip comprising;

a first transmission terminal to which the transmission signal of the first frequency band from the first power amplifier circuit is inputted;

a second transmission terminal to which a transmission signal of the second frequency band is inputted;

an antenna coupling terminal;

a first switch which is provided between the first transmission terminal and the antenna coupling terminal and on/off-controlled by a voltage level of the first control signal; and

a second switch which is provided between the second transmission terminal and the antenna coupling terminal and on/off-controlled by a voltage level of the second control signal,

wherein the voltage selection circuit comprises an oscillation circuit and generates the second voltage level by boosting the first voltage level using a clock signal from the oscillation circuit,

wherein when the second frequency band is selected by the mode setting signal, the control circuit causes the voltage selection circuit to select the second voltage level, and respectively turns off the first switch and turns on the second switch by outputting the first and second control signals having an amplitude between a ground voltage level and the second voltage level,

wherein when the first frequency band is selected by the mode setting signal, the control circuit stops the oscillation circuit of the voltage selection circuit and causes the voltage selection circuit to select the first voltage level, and respectively turns on the first switch and turns off the second switch by outputting the first and second control signals having an amplitude between the ground voltage level and the first voltage level.

2. The radio-frequency module according to claim 1, wherein the second semiconductor chip further comprises a first booster circuit which boosts the voltage level of the first control signal using power inputted to the first transmission terminal and turns on the first switch using the boosted voltage.

3. The radio-frequency module according to claim 2, wherein the first and second switches are HEMT elements.

4. The radio-frequency module according to claim 2, wherein the first power amplifier circuit comprises a MISFET as an amplifying element.

5. The radio-frequency module according to claim 1, wherein the voltage selection circuit further comprises, in addition to the oscillation circuit:

a reference voltage generation circuit for generating a reference voltage independent of external environment;

a first voltage generation circuit for generating the first voltage level using the reference voltage;

a second booster circuit for generating the second voltage level by performing a charge pump operation using the first voltage level and the clock signal from the oscillation circuit; and

a selector switch for selecting the first voltage level or the second voltage level.

6. The radio-frequency module according to claim 5, wherein the second booster circuit comprises:

a first charge pump circuit for performing a charge pump operation using the first voltage level and a positive side of the clock signal from the oscillation circuit;

a second charge pump circuit for performing a charge pump operation using the first voltage level and a negative side of the clock signal from the oscillation circuit; and

a combination circuit for generating the second voltage level by alternately combining an output voltage from the first charge pump circuit and an output voltage from the second charge pump circuit every half cycle of the clock signal.

7. The radio-frequency module according to claim 1, wherein the first frequency band is a GSM frequency band, and the second frequency band is a W-CDMA frequency band.

8. A radio communication system comprising:

a first power amplifier device;

a second power amplifier device;

an antenna switch device; and

a duplexer,

the devices being configured with different semiconductor chips,

the second power amplifier device comprising;

a second power amplifier circuit which amplifies an input signal of a second frequency band and outputs a transmission signal of the second frequency band to the duplexer,

the first power amplifier device comprising;

a first power amplifier circuit which amplifies an input signal of a first frequency band and outputs a transmission signal of the first frequency band;

a voltage selection circuit which selects and outputs a first voltage level or a second voltage level; and

a control circuit which, in response to a mode setting signal indicative of the first frequency band or the second frequency band, controls the first power amplifier circuit and the voltage selection circuit and outputs a first control signal and a second control signal using output of the voltage selection circuit,

the antenna switch device comprising;

a first transmission terminal to which the transmission signal of the first frequency band from the first power amplifier circuit is inputted;

a first transmission/reception terminal to which the transmission signal of the second frequency band outputted through the duplexer from the second power amplifier circuit is inputted and from which a reception signal of the second frequency band is outputted to the duplexer;

an antenna coupling terminal;

a first switch which is provided between the first transmission terminal and the antenna coupling terminal and on/off-controlled by a voltage level of the first control signal; and

a second switch which is provided between the first transmission/reception terminal and the antenna coupling terminal and on/off-controlled by a voltage level of the second control signal,

wherein the voltage selection circuit comprises an oscillation circuit and generates the second voltage level by boosting the first voltage level using a clock signal from the oscillation circuit,

wherein when the second frequency band is selected by the mode setting signal, the control circuit causes the voltage selection circuit to select the second voltage level, and respectively turns off the first switch and turns on the second switch by outputting the first and second control signals having an amplitude between a ground voltage level and the second voltage level, and

wherein when the first frequency band is selected by the mode setting signal, the control circuit stops the oscillation circuit of the voltage selection circuit and causes the voltage selection circuit to select the first voltage level, and respectively turns on the first switch and turns off the second switch by outputting the first and second control signals having an amplitude between the ground voltage level and the first voltage level.

9. The radio communication system according to claim 8, wherein the antenna switch device further comprises:

a first booster circuit which boosts the voltage level of the first control signal using power inputted to the first transmission terminal and turns on the first switch using the boosted voltage.

10. The radio communication system according to claim 9, wherein the first and second switches are HEMT elements.

11. The radio communication system according to claim 10,

wherein the first power amplifier circuit comprises a MISFET as an amplifying element, and

wherein the second power amplifier circuit comprises a heterojunction bipolar transistor as an amplifying element.

12. The radio communication system according to claim 8, wherein the voltage selection circuit further comprises, in addition to the oscillation circuit:

a reference voltage generation circuit for generating a reference voltage independent of external environment;

a first voltage generation circuit for generating the first voltage level using the reference voltage;

a second booster circuit for generating the second voltage level by performing a charge pump operation using the first voltage level and the clock signal from the oscillation circuit; and

a selector switch for selecting the first voltage level or the second voltage level.

13. The radio communication system according to claim 12, wherein the second booster circuit comprises:

a first charge pump circuit for performing a charge pump operation using the first voltage level and a positive side of the clock signal from the oscillation circuit;

a second charge pump circuit for performing a charge pump operation using the first voltage level and a negative side of the clock signal from the oscillation circuit; and

a combination circuit for generating the second voltage level by alternately combining an output voltage from the first charge pump circuit and an output voltage from the second charge pump circuit every half cycle of the clock signal.

14. The radio communication system according to claim 8,

wherein the first frequency band is a GSM frequency band, and

wherein the second frequency band is a W-CDMA frequency band.

15. The radio communication system according to claim 8,

wherein the first power amplifier device and the antenna switch device are mounted over a same module wiring board, and

wherein the second power amplifier device and the duplexer are disposed outside the module wiring board.