Method and system for a linearized transmitter including a power amplifier

• US 8,831,543 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2013
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• 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:
  US13/758,137
• Publication Number:
  US 20130149976A1
• Time in Patent Office: 582 Days
• Field of Search: 455/114.3, 455/115.1, 455/91, 455/114.2, 455/67.11, 330/149, 330/260, 375/296
• US Class Current: 455/114.3
• 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

Disclosed are various embodiments for transmitting radio frequency signals. A radio frequency transmitter may be configured to generate an analog signal comprising an in-phase component and a quadrature-phase component. The in-phase component and the quadrature-phase component of the analog signal may be provided to multiple radio frequency processing chains. One of the radio frequency processing chains may generate an output radio frequency signal based on the in-phase component and the quadrature-phase component.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a baseband signal;

generating, in a single transconductance stage, an analog signal that includes an in-phase component and a quadrature-phase component based on the baseband signal;

providing the in-phase component and the quadrature-phase component of the analog signal to a plurality of radio frequency processing chains; and

generating a first output radio frequency signal based on the in-phase component and the quadrature-phase component of the analog signal using a first one of the radio frequency processing chains.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising generating a second output radio frequency signal based on the in-phase component and the quadrature-phase component of the analog signal using a second one of the radio frequency processing chains.

3. The method of claim 2, comprising:

upconverting the in-phase component and the quadrature-phase component of the analog signal using the first one of the radio frequency processing chains such that the first output radio frequency signal is within a first radio frequency band; and

upconverting the in-phase component and the quadrature-phase component of the analog signal using the second one of the radio frequency processing chains such that the second output radio frequency signal is within a second radio frequency band.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first radio frequency band and the second radio frequency band are separate.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising:

attenuating the first output radio frequency signal to generate an attenuated signal; and

providing the attenuated signal to a receiver.

6. The method of claim 5, comprising:

determining a distortion associated with the attenuated signal; and

compensating a subsequent first output radio frequency signal based on the distortion.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is executed on a single chip.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

a radio frequency transmitter including to

a single transconductance stage configured to generate an analog signal that includes an in-phase component and a quadrature-phase component, and

a plurality of radio frequency processing chains configured to receive the in-phase component and the quadrature-phase component of the analog signal,

wherein the radio frequency transmitter is configured to generate a first output radio frequency signal based on the in-phase component and the quadrature-phase component of the analog signal using a first one of the radio frequency processing chains.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the radio frequency transmitter is configured to generate a second output radio frequency signal based on the in-phase component and the quadrature-phase component of the analog signal using a second one of the radio frequency processing chains.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the radio frequency transmitter further includes a baseband processor configured to provide a baseband signal, and the radio frequency transmitter is configured to generate the analog signal based on the baseband signal.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the baseband signal includes a digital baseband signal.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the baseband signal includes a baseband in-phase component and a baseband quadrature-phase component.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the radio frequency transmitter is configured to:

receive the first output radio frequency signal;

determine a distortion associated with the first output radio frequency signal; and

compensate a subsequent first output radio frequency signal based on the distortion.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the radio frequency transmitter is included a single chip.

15. A system, comprising:

a baseband processor configured to provide a baseband signal;

a multi-band transmitter configured to receive the baseband signal from the baseband processor, the multi-band transmitter including

a single transconductance stage configured to generate an analog signal based on the baseband signal, and

a plurality of radio frequency processing chains configured to receive the analog signal,

wherein the multi-band transmitter is configured to generate a first output radio frequency signal by upconverting the analog signal such that the first output radio frequency signal is within a first radio frequency band using a first one of the radio frequency processing chains.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the multi-band transmitter is further configured to generate a second output radio frequency signal by upconverting the analog signal such that the second output radio frequency signal is within a second radio frequency band using a second one of the radio frequency processing chains.

17. The system of claim 15, comprising:

a receiver configured to provide a received signal to the baseband processor; and

a feedback path configured to couple the first output radio frequency signal to the receiver,

wherein the baseband processor is configured to determine a distortion associated with the first output radio frequency signal, and provide a subsequent baseband signal that is compensated based on the distortion.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the baseband signal is a digital baseband signal and includes a digital in-phase component and a digital quadrature-phase component.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the analog signal includes an analog in-phase component and an analog quadrature-phase component.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the baseband processor and the multiband transmitter are located on a single chip.