PA bias power supply efficiency optimization

• US 8,699,973 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2011
• Issued: 04/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qorvo US, Inc. (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: RF Micro Devices Incorporated (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Inventors: Southcombe, William David, Levesque, Chris, Berchtold, Jean-Christophe, Oh, Wonseok, Jones, David E., Yoder, Scott, Stockert, Terry J.
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, NHAN T
• Application Number:
  US13/288,478
• Publication Number:
  US 20120161877A1
• Time in Patent Office: 894 Days
• Field of Search: 455/102, 455/108, 455/110, 455/126, 455/127.1, 455/127.2, 375/297, 375/300, 375/302
• US Class Current: 455/127.2
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0227 using supply converters
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0261 with control of the polarisation voltage or current, e.g. gliding Class A
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0277 Selecting one or more amplifiers from a plurality of amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/171 A filter circuit coupled to the output of an amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/222 A circuit being added at the input of an amplifier to adapt the input impedance of the amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/27 A biasing circuit node being switched in an amplifier circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/318 A matching circuit being used as coupling element between two amplifying stages
• 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 2200/387 A circuit being added at the output of an amplifier to adapt the output impedance of the amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/411 the output amplifying stage of an amplifier comprising two power stages
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/414 A switch being coupled in the output circuit of an amplifier to switch the output on/off
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/417 A switch coupled in the output circuit of an amplifier being controlled by a circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/451 the amplifier being a radio frequency amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/504 the supply voltage or current being continuously controlled by a controlling signal, e.g. the controlling signal of a transistor implemented as variable resistor in a supply path for, an IC-block showed amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/534 Transformer coupled at the input of an amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/537 A transformer being used as coupling element between two amplifying stages
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/541 Transformer coupled at the output of an amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2203/21106 An input signal being distributed in parallel over the inputs of a plurality of power amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2203/21142 Output signals of a plurality of power amplifiers are parallel combined to a common output
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2203/21157 A filter circuit being added at the output of a power amplifier stage
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/195 : in integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/211 : using a combination of several amplifiers H03F3/60 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/245 : with semiconductor devices only
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/602 : Combinations of several amplifiers
• 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 charge pump of a PA bias power supply, PA bias circuitry, and a process to optimize efficiency of the PA bias power supply are disclosed. The charge pump operates in one of multiple bias supply pump operating modes, which include at least a bias supply pump-up operating mode and a bias supply bypass operating mode. The process prevents selection of the bias supply bypass operating mode unless a DC power supply voltage is adequate to allow the PA bias circuitry to provide minimum output regulation voltage at a specified current. Otherwise, the bias supply pump-up operating mode is selected. The charge pump operates more efficiently in the bias supply bypass operating mode than in the bias supply pump-up operating mode; therefore, selection of the bias supply bypass operating mode, when possible, increases efficiency.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining if a direct current (DC) power supply voltage is adequate to allow power amplifier (PA) bias circuitry to provide a minimum output regulation voltage;

if the DC power supply voltage is adequate, selecting a bias supply bypass operating mode of a charge pump of a PA bias power supply; and

if the DC power supply voltage is not adequate, selecting a bias supply pump-up operating mode of the charge pump.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the PA bias power supply receives a DC power supply signal from a DC power supply, such that the DC power supply signal has the DC power supply voltage.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the DC power supply is a battery.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the PA bias power supply provides a bias power supply signal to the PA bias circuitry.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the PA bias power supply provides at least one bias signal to at least a first radio frequency (RF) PA based on the bias power supply signal.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein:

during the bias supply pump-up operating mode, the charge pump receives and pumps-up the DC power supply signal to provide the bias power supply signal, such that a voltage of the bias power supply signal is greater than the DC power supply voltage; and

during the bias supply bypass operating mode, the charge pump bypasses charge pump circuitry to forward the DC power supply signal to provide the bias power supply signal, such that the voltage of the bias power supply signal is about equal to the DC power supply voltage.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the charge pump operates more efficiently in the bias supply bypass operating mode than in the bias supply pump-up operating mode.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising preventing selection of the bias supply bypass operating mode unless the DC power supply voltage is adequate to keep digital-to-analog (DAC) noise levels sufficiently low.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising preventing selection of the bias supply bypass operating mode unless the DC power supply voltage is high enough to provide adequately high switch linearity of switching circuitry.

10. Circuitry comprising:

a power amplifier (PA) bias power supply;

PA bias circuitry; and

control circuitry adapted to;

determine if a direct current (DC) power supply voltage is adequate to allow the PA bias circuitry to provide a minimum output regulation voltage;

if the DC power supply voltage is adequate, select a bias supply bypass operating mode of a charge pump of the PA bias power supply; and

if the DC power supply voltage is not adequate, select a bias supply pump-up operating mode of the charge pump.

11. The circuitry of claim 10 wherein the PA bias power supply is adapted to receive a DC power supply signal from a DC power supply, such that the DC power supply signal has the DC power supply voltage.

12. The circuitry of claim 11 wherein the DC power supply is a battery.

13. The circuitry of claim 11 wherein the PA bias power supply is adapted to provide a bias power supply signal to the PA bias circuitry.

14. The circuitry of claim 13 wherein the PA bias power supply is further adapted to provide at least one bias signal to at least a first radio frequency (RF) PA based on the bias power supply signal.

15. The circuitry of claim 13 wherein:

during the bias supply pump-up operating mode, the charge pump is adapted to receive and pump-up the DC power supply signal to provide the bias power supply signal, such that a voltage of the bias power supply signal is greater than the DC power supply voltage; and

during the bias supply bypass operating mode, the charge pump is further adapted to bypass charge pump circuitry to forward the DC power supply signal to provide the bias power supply signal, such that the voltage of the bias power supply signal is about equal to the DC power supply voltage.

16. The circuitry of claim 10 wherein the charge pump is adapted to operate more efficiently in the bias supply bypass operating mode than in the bias supply pump-up operating mode.

17. The circuitry of claim 10 further comprising:

a first radio frequency (RF) PA comprising;

a first non-quadrature PA path having a first single-ended output; and

a first quadrature PA path coupled between the first non-quadrature PA path and an antenna port, such that the first quadrature PA path has a first single-ended input, which is coupled to the first single-ended output; and

a second RF PA comprising a second quadrature PA path coupled to the antenna port,

wherein the antenna port is configured to be coupled to an antenna.

18. The circuitry of claim 10 further comprising:

a first multi-mode multi-band quadrature radio frequency (RF) PA coupled to multi-mode multi-band alpha switching circuitry via a single alpha PA output; and

the multi-mode multi-band alpha switching circuitry having;

a first alpha non-linear mode output associated with a first non-linear mode RF communications band; and

a plurality of alpha linear mode outputs, such that each of the plurality of alpha linear mode outputs is associated with a corresponding one of a first plurality of linear mode RF communications bands.

19. The circuitry of claim 10 further comprising:

a first radio frequency (RF) PA comprising a first final stage having a first final bias input, such that bias of the first final stage is via the first final bias input;

PA control circuitry;

a PA-digital communications interface (DCI) coupled between a digital communications bus and the PA control circuitry; and

a final stage current digital-to-analog converter (IDAC) coupled between the PA control circuitry and the first final bias input, such that the PA bias circuitry comprises the final stage IDAC.

20. The circuitry of claim 10 further comprising:

a first radio frequency (RF) PA having a first final stage and adapted to;

receive and amplify a first RF input signal to provide a first RF output signal; and

receive a first final bias signal to bias the first final stage;

a DC-DC converter comprising the PA bias power supply, which is adapted to receive a DC power supply signal having the DC power supply voltage from a DC power supply and provide a bias power supply signal based on the DC power supply signal, such that a voltage of the bias power supply signal is greater than a voltage of the DC power supply signal,

wherein the PA bias circuitry is adapted to receive the bias power supply signal and provide the first final bias signal based on the bias power supply signal.

21. The circuitry of claim 10 further comprising:

a DC-DC converter comprising;

a PA envelope power supply comprising a charge pump buck converter coupled to radio frequency (RF) PA circuitry; and

the PA bias power supply comprising the charge pump coupled to the RF PA circuitry; and

the RF PA circuitry, which comprises the PA bias circuitry.

22. The circuitry of claim 10 further comprising:

multi-mode multi-band radio frequency (RF) power amplification circuitry having at least a first RF input and a plurality of RF outputs, such that;

configuration of the multi-mode multi-band RF power amplification circuitry associates one of the at least the first RF input with one of the plurality of RF outputs; and

the configuration is associated with at least a first look-up table (LUT);

PA control circuitry coupled between the multi-mode multi-band RF power amplification circuitry and a PA-digital communications interface (DCI), such that the PA control circuitry has at least the first LUT, which is associated with at least a first defined parameter set; and

the PA-DCI, which is coupled to a digital communications bus.