Receive band selection and electrostatic discharge protection in a transceiver

• US 8,918,138 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2010
• Issued: 12/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mikhemar, Mohyee, Darabi, Hooman
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Lana N
• Application Number:
  US12/806,500
• Publication Number:
  US 20120040632A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,593 Days
• Field of Search: 4555521-5531, 455/63.1, 455/296, 361/56, 361/111
• US Class Current: 455/552.1
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/60 Protection against electrostatic charges or discharges, e.g. Faraday shields
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/18 Input circuits, e.g. for coupling to an antenna or a transmission line coupling networks between antennas or lines and receivers independent of the nature of the receiver H03H

Abstract

According to one embodiment, an input control unit to provide isolation and electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection for a circuit in an RF transceiver comprises a switching device coupled between an input of the circuit and ground. The switching device is configured to provide ESD protection while the circuit is activated. The switching device is further configured to ground the input while the circuit is non-activated, thereby concurrently isolating the input and providing ESD protection. A method for providing isolation and ESD protection for a circuit in an RF transceiver comprises activating the circuit, providing ESD protection while the circuit is activated, deactivating the circuit, and coupling an input of the circuit to ground, thereby concurrently isolating the input and providing ESD protection while the circuit is non-activated. The method and switching device can be used to provide isolation and ESD protection to receive bands in the RF transceiver.

Claims

1. A radio frequency (RF) receiver comprising:

a plurality of receive bands each having an input selectably coupled to an antenna; and

circuitry being coupled between said input and ground for each of the plurality of receive bands, and having a control terminal that is selectably coupled to a supply voltage or to ground for each of the plurality of receive bands,

wherein the circuitry is configured to;

activate an input of one of the plurality of receive bands by selectively grounding a control terminal related to the activated receive band; and

deactivate the remaining receive bands by selectively coupling the remaining control terminals to the supply voltage so as to couple the input of the remaining receive bands to ground, thereby providing band isolation and electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection to the plurality of receive bands.

2. The RF receiver of claim 1, wherein said supply voltage is provided by a positive power rail of said RF receiver.

3. The RF receiver of claim 1, wherein said remaining control terminals coupled to said supply voltage correspond to said remaining receive bands being non-activated, and

said control terminal coupled to ground corresponds to said one receive band being activated.

4. The RF receiver of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is biased so as to maintain a nominally non-conductive quiescent state when said one receive band is activated.

5. The RF receiver of claim 1, wherein said circuitry includes a field-effect transistor (FET).

6. The RF receiver of claim 1, wherein said RF receiver is part of a radio frequency transceiver implemented in a mobile communication device.

7. The RF receiver of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of transconductance amplifiers are each coupled to one of the inputs.

8. A method for utilizing a radio frequency (RF) receiver that includes a plurality of receive bands each having an input selectably coupled to an antenna, and circuitry being coupled between said input and ground for each of the plurality of receive bands, and having a control terminal that is selectably coupled to a supply voltage or to ground for each of the plurality of receive bands, the method comprising:

activating, by the circuitry, an input of one of the plurality of receive bands by selectively grounding a control terminal related to the activated receive band; and

deactivating, by the circuitry, the remaining receive bands by selectively coupling the remaining control terminals to the supply voltage so as to couple the input of the remaining receive bands to ground, thereby providing band isolation and electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection to the plurality of receive bands.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said supply voltage is provided by a positive power rail of said RF receiver.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said remaining control terminals coupled to said supply voltage correspond to said remaining receive bands being non-activated, and

said control terminal coupled to ground corresponds to said one receive band being activated.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the circuitry is biased so as to maintain a nominally non-conductive quiescent state when said one receive band is activated.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein said circuitry includes a field-effect transistor (FET).

13. The method of claim 8, wherein said RF receiver is part of a radio frequency transceiver implemented in a mobile communication device.