Quiescent current determination using in-package voltage measurements
First Claim
1. An amplifier system comprising:
- an amplifier device comprising an output interface, an amplifier arrangement having an amplifier input and an amplifier output, and impedance matching circuitry coupled between the amplifier output and the output interface; and
a control system coupled to the amplifier output and the output interface to determine an estimated current through the amplifier arrangement based on a voltage between the amplifier output and the output interface and adjust a bias voltage at the amplifier input based on the estimated current.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus, systems, and fabrication methods are provided for biasing amplifier arrangements inside device packages to a target quiescent current. In one embodiment, an amplifier device has an output interface and includes an amplifier arrangement having an amplifier output and impedance matching circuitry coupled between the amplifier output and the output interface. A method for biasing the amplifier arrangement involves measuring or otherwise obtaining a voltage between the amplifier output and the output interface, determining an estimated quiescent current through the amplifier arrangement based on that voltage, and adjusting a bias voltage provided to the input of the amplifier arrangement based on a difference between the estimated quiescent current. In exemplary embodiments, the bias voltage is adjusted until the estimated quiescent current is substantially equal to a target quiescent current.
15 Citations
17 Claims
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1. An amplifier system comprising:
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an amplifier device comprising an output interface, an amplifier arrangement having an amplifier input and an amplifier output, and impedance matching circuitry coupled between the amplifier output and the output interface; and a control system coupled to the amplifier output and the output interface to determine an estimated current through the amplifier arrangement based on a voltage between the amplifier output and the output interface and adjust a bias voltage at the amplifier input based on the estimated current. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. An amplifier system comprising:
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an amplifier device comprising an output interface, an amplifier arrangement having an amplifier output, and impedance matching circuitry coupled between the amplifier output and the output interface; and a control system coupled to the amplifier output and the output interface to determine an estimated current through the amplifier arrangement based on a voltage between the amplifier output and the output interface, the control system including a first high impedance input node coupled to the amplifier output and a second high impedance input node coupled to the output interface, wherein an input impedance between the first high impedance input node and the second high impedance input node is greater than an impedance of the impedance matching circuitry. - View Dependent Claims (6)
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7. An amplifier system comprising:
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an amplifier device comprising an output interface, an amplifier arrangement having an amplifier output, and impedance matching circuitry coupled between the amplifier output and the output interface; and a control system coupled to the amplifier output and the output interface to determine an estimated current through the amplifier arrangement based on a voltage between the amplifier output and the output interface, the control system including a first high impedance input node coupled to the amplifier output and a second high impedance input node coupled to the output interface, wherein the control system includes a voltage measuring arrangement coupled to the first high impedance input node and the second high impedance input node to obtain a measured voltage between the amplifier output and the output interface. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9)
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10. An amplifier system comprising:
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an amplifier device comprising an output interface, an amplifier arrangement having an amplifier output, and impedance matching circuitry coupled between the amplifier output and the output interface; and a control system coupled to the amplifier output and the output interface to determine an estimated current as a function of a voltage between the amplifier output and the output interface based on a relationship between a voltage across the impedance matching circuitry and a corresponding current through the impedance matching circuitry.
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11. An amplifier system comprising:
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an amplifier device comprising an output interface, an amplifier arrangement having an amplifier output, and impedance matching circuitry coupled between the amplifier output and the output interface, wherein the impedance matching circuitry comprises a shunt inductance impedance matching circuit or a shunt capacitance impedance matching circuit; and a control system coupled to the amplifier output and the output interface to determine an estimated current through the amplifier arrangement based on a voltage between the amplifier output and the output interface.
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12. An amplifier device package comprising:
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an amplifier arrangement having an output terminal; an output interface electrically connected to the output terminal; a first conductive element connected between the output terminal and a first node; a second conductive element connected between the output interface and a second node, wherein an input impedance between the first node and the second node is greater than an impedance between the output terminal and the output interface; and a voltage measuring arrangement coupled to the first node and the second node to obtain a measured voltage between the output terminal and the output interface. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
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15. A method for biasing an amplifier system, the amplifier system comprising a plurality of bondwires coupled between the output of the amplifier arrangement and the output interface, the method comprising:
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obtaining a voltage difference between an output of an amplifier arrangement and an output interface of the amplifier system, wherein obtaining the voltage difference between the output of the amplifier arrangement and the output interface comprises; obtaining a first voltage at a first node via a first individual bondwire connected to the first node; obtaining a second voltage at a second node via a second individual bondwire connected to the second node; and measuring a difference between the first voltage and the second voltage to obtain the voltage between the output of the amplifier arrangement and the output interface; determining an estimated quiescent current through the amplifier arrangement based on the voltage difference; and adjusting a bias voltage provided to an input of the amplifier arrangement based on the estimated quiescent current.
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16. A method for biasing an amplifier system, the method comprising:
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obtaining a voltage difference between an output of an amplifier arrangement and an output interface of the amplifier system; determining an estimated quiescent current through the amplifier arrangement based on the voltage difference; and adjusting a bias voltage provided to an input of the amplifier arrangement based on a difference between the estimated quiescent current and a target quiescent current until the difference is less than a threshold value.
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17. A method for biasing an amplifier system, the method comprising:
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obtaining a voltage difference between an output of an amplifier arrangement and an output interface of the amplifier system; determining an estimated quiescent current through the amplifier arrangement based on the voltage difference; adjusting a bias voltage provided to an input of the amplifier arrangement based on the estimated quiescent current; and adjusting a second bias voltage provided to a second input of a second amplifier arrangement of the amplifier system based on the estimated quiescent current to maintain a desired operation of the second amplifier arrangement with respect to the amplifier arrangement.
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Specification