Group delay calibration method for power amplifier envelope tracking

• US 8,942,313 B2
• Filed: 02/07/2012
• Issued: 01/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qorvo US, Inc. (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: RF Micro Devices Incorporated (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Inventors: Khlat, Nadim, Horlander, Karl Francis
• Primary Examiner(s): Guarino, Rahel
• Application Number:
  US13/367,973
• Publication Number:
  US 20130034139A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,085 Days
• Field of Search: 375/295, 375/297, 375/318, 455/114.3, 455/127.3, 455/311, 455/253.2, 455/293, 455/341, 327/52, 327/89, 327/96, 327/127, 327/246, 327/274, 327/266, 327/280, 327/287, 327/560, 327/563, 327/561, 327/359
• US Class Current: 375/297
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0227 using supply converters
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/411 the output amplifying stage of an amplifier comprising two power stages
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/447 the amplifier being protected to temperature influence
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/465 Power sensing
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/24 of transmitter output stages

Abstract

An open loop envelope tracking system calibration technique and circuitry are proposed. A radio frequency power amplifier receives a modulated signal. An envelope tracker power converter generates a modulated power amplifier supply voltage for the radio frequency power amplifier based on a control signal derived from the modulated signal. A first output power and a second output power of the radio frequency power amplifier are measured when the control signal is respectively delayed by a first delay period and a second delay period. A sensitivity of the output power of the radio frequency power amplifier is near a maximum near the first delay period and the second delay period. The first delay period and/or the second delay period are adjusted until the first output power substantially equals the second output power. The first delay period and the second delay period are used to obtain a calibrated fine tuning delay offset.

Claims

1. An open loop envelope tracking system comprising:

a digital baseband circuit configured to;

generate a modulated signal based on a calibration test signal;

generate a control signal based on the calibration test signal and a fine tuning delay setting of a fine tuning delay circuit;

an envelope tracker power converter configured to generate a modulated power amplifier supply voltage based on the control signal;

a radio frequency power amplifier configured to generate a radio frequency power amplifier output signal based on the modulated signal and the modulated power amplifier supply voltage; and

a detector configured to generate an output power measurement for the radio frequency power amplifier output signal;

controller circuitry configured to;

set the fine tuning delay setting to a first fine tuning delay setting;

obtain a first measured output power from the radio frequency power amplifier output signal based on the output power measurement generated by the detector while the fine tuning delay setting is set to the first fine tuning delay setting;

set the fine tuning delay setting to a second fine tuning delay setting;

obtain a second measured output power from the radio frequency power amplifier output signal based on the output power measurement generated by the detector while the fine tuning delay setting is set to the second fine tuning delay setting; and

determine a calibrated fine tuning offset delay setting based on the first fine tuning delay setting and the second fine tuning delay setting.

2. The open loop envelope tracking system of claim 1 wherein:

the first fine tuning delay setting is near a positive fine tuning delay setting at which an output power of the radio frequency power amplifier output signal has a maximum sensitivity to a change in the fine tuning delay setting; and

the second fine tuning delay setting is near a negative fine tuning delay setting at which the output power of the radio frequency power amplifier output signal has the maximum sensitivity to a change in the fine tuning delay setting.

3. The open loop envelope tracking system of claim 1 wherein the controller circuitry is further configured to:

calculate a power difference between the first measured output power and the second measured output power;

determine whether the first measured output power substantially equals the second measured output power based on the power difference and a maximum power difference threshold;

based on a determination that the power difference fails to exceed the maximum power difference threshold, determine that the first measured output power substantially equals the second measured output power; and

store the calibrated fine tuning offset delay setting in a memory associated with the controller circuitry.

4. The open loop envelope tracking system of claim 3 wherein the controller circuitry is further configured to set the calibrated fine tuning offset delay setting substantially equal to half a sum of the first fine tuning delay setting and the second fine tuning delay setting.

5. The open loop envelope tracking system of claim 3 wherein:

the first fine tuning delay setting is a positive fine tuning delay setting;

the second fine tuning delay setting is a negative fine tuning delay setting; and

the controller circuitry is further configured to set the calibrated fine tuning offset delay setting substantially equal to half a sum of the positive fine tuning delay setting and the negative fine tuning delay setting.

6. The open loop envelope tracking system of claim 1 wherein the modulated signal has a substantially sinusoidal envelope.

7. The open loop envelope tracking system of claim 1 wherein the modulated signal is a carrier wave tone signal.

8. The open loop envelope tracking system of claim 1 wherein a frequency of the modulated signal is based on a band of operation of a communication network for which a communication device is configured to operate.

9. The open loop envelope tracking system of claim 3 wherein the controller circuitry is further configured to:

obtain a temperature measurement from the envelope tracker power converter based on the determination that the power difference fails to exceed the maximum power difference threshold; and

store the temperature measurement as a calibrated temperature in association with the calibrated fine tuning offset delay setting in the memory.

10. The open loop envelope tracking system of claim 9 wherein the controller circuitry is further configured to:

obtain a supply voltage measurement from the envelope tracker power converter based on the determination that the power difference fails to exceed the maximum power difference threshold; and

store the supply voltage measurement as a calibrated supply voltage in association with the calibrated fine tuning offset delay setting in the memory.

11. The open loop envelope tracking system of claim 10, wherein the controller circuitry is further configured to:

prior to initiation of a data transmission, obtain an operational temperature of the envelope tracker power converter;

determine a fine tuning delay temperature compensation adjustment based on the operational temperature and the calibrated temperature; and

determine a fine tuning offset delay setting for the fine tuning delay circuit based on the calibrated fine tuning offset delay setting and the fine tuning delay temperature compensation adjustment; and

set the fine tuning delay setting of the fine tuning delay circuit equal to the fine tuning offset delay setting.

12. The open loop envelope tracking system of claim 3 wherein the controller circuitry is further configured to:

based on a determination that the power difference exceeds the maximum power difference threshold, determine that the first measured output power is unequal to the second measured output power; and

incrementally adjust at least one of the first fine tuning delay setting and the second fine tuning delay setting to determine the first fine tuning delay setting and the second fine tuning setting at which the first measured output power substantially equals the second measured output power.

13. The open loop envelope tracking system of claim 12 wherein the controller circuitry is further configured to incrementally adjust both the first fine tuning delay setting and the second fine tuning delay setting to determine the first fine tuning delay setting and the second fine tuning delay setting at which the first measured output power substantially equals the second measured output power.

14. The open loop envelope tracking system of claim 12 wherein the controller circuitry is further configured to incrementally adjust only one of the first fine tuning delay setting and the second fine tuning delay setting to determine the first fine tuning delay setting and the second fine tuning delay setting at which the first measured output power substantially equals the second measured output power.

15. The open loop envelope tracking system of claim 12 wherein the controller circuitry is further configured to:

determine whether the first measured output power is greater than the second measured output power based on the power difference; and

based on a determination that the first measured output power is greater than the second measured output power, incrementally adjust only the first fine tuning delay setting to determine the first fine tuning delay setting and the second fine tuning delay setting at which the first measured output power substantially equals the second measured output power.

16. The open loop envelope tracking system of claim 12 wherein the controller circuitry is further configured to:

determine whether the first measured output power is greater than the second measured output power based on the power difference; and

based on a determination that the second measured output power is less than the first measured output power, incrementally adjust only the second fine tuning delay setting to determine the second fine tuning delay setting at which the first measured output power substantially equals the second measured output power.

17. The open loop envelope tracking system of claim 12 wherein:

the first fine tuning delay setting is greater than the second fine tuning delay setting; and

the controller circuitry is further configured to incrementally adjust only the first fine tuning delay setting to determine the first fine tuning delay setting at which the first measured output power substantially equals the second measured output power.

18. The open loop envelope tracking system of claim 12 wherein:

the first fine tuning delay setting is greater than the second fine tuning delay setting; and

the controller circuitry is further configured to incrementally adjust only the second fine tuning delay setting to determine the second fine tuning delay setting at which the first measured output power substantially equals the second measured output power.

19. A method for calibrating a group delay for an open loop envelope tracking system comprising:

generating a radio frequency power amplifier output signal having a first output power at an output of a radio frequency power amplifier based on a modulated signal as a function of a control signal delayed in time by a first delay relative to the modulated signal;

generating the radio frequency power amplifier output signal having a second output power at the output of the radio frequency power amplifier as the function of the control signal delayed in time by a second delay relative to the modulated signal;

determining a calibrated offset delay as a function of the second delay and the first delay;

calculating a power difference between the first output power and the second output power; and

determining that the first output power substantially equals the second output power based on the power difference.

20. The method for calibrating the group delay for the open loop envelope tracking system of claim 19 wherein determining that the first output power substantially equals the second output power based on the power difference comprises:

comparing a magnitude of the power difference to a maximum power difference threshold; and

based on a determination that the magnitude of the power difference fails to exceed the maximum power difference threshold, determining that the first output power substantially equals the second output power.

21. The method for calibrating the group delay for the open loop envelope tracking system of claim 20 wherein the calibrated offset delay is a calibrated fine tuning offset delay setting for a fine tuning delay circuit located in a baseband processing circuit in communication with an envelope tracker power converter.

22. The method for calibrating the group delay for the open loop envelope tracking system of claim 21 further comprising adjusting a group delay between the control signal and the modulated signal based on a fine tuning delay setting of the fine tuning delay circuit.

23. The method for calibrating the group delay for the open loop envelope tracking system of claim 19 wherein determining the calibrated offset delay as the function of the second delay and the first delay comprises:

setting the calibrated offset delay substantially equal to half a sum of the second delay and the first delay.

24. The method for calibrating the group delay for the open loop envelope tracking system of claim 19 wherein:

the second delay is less than zero and the first delay is greater than zero; and

determining the calibrated offset delay as the function of the second delay and the first delay comprises setting the calibrated offset delay substantially equal to a sum of the second delay and the first delay.

25. The method for calibrating the group delay for the open loop envelope tracking system of claim 19 wherein:

the second delay is less than the first delay; and

determining the calibrated offset delay as the function of the first delay and the second delay comprises setting the calibrated offset delay substantially equal to half a sum of the first delay and the second delay.

26. The method for calibrating the group delay for the open loop envelope tracking system of claim 19 wherein:

the first delay is a positive fine tuning delay and the second delay is a negative fine tuning delay; and

determining the calibrated offset delay as the function of the second delay and the first delay comprises setting the calibrated offset delay substantially equal to half a sum of the positive fine tuning delay and the negative fine tuning delay.

27. The method for calibrating the group delay for the open loop envelope tracking system of claim 19 wherein:

the first delay is a positive fine tuning delay and the second delay is a negative fine tuning delay; and

determining the calibrated offset delay as the function of the second delay and the first delay comprises setting the calibrated offset delay substantially equal to half a magnitude of the positive fine tuning delay less a magnitude of the negative fine tuning delay.

28. The method for calibrating the group delay for the open loop envelope tracking system of claim 19 further comprising:

providing a test signal to a digital baseband circuit;

generating the modulated signal having a substantially symmetric envelope characteristic with the digital baseband circuit based on the test signal; and

receiving the modulated signal at the radio frequency power amplifier.

29. The method for calibrating the group delay for the open loop envelope tracking system of claim 28 wherein the modulated signal has a substantially sinusoidal envelope.

30. The method for calibrating the group delay for the open loop envelope tracking system of claim 28 wherein the modulated signal is a carrier wave tone signal.

31. The method for calibrating the group delay for the open loop envelope tracking system of claim 28 wherein the modulated signal is modulated at about 10 MHz.

32. The method for calibrating the group delay for the open loop envelope tracking system of claim 28 wherein a frequency of the modulated signal is based on a band of operation of a communication network.

33. The method for calibrating the group delay for the open loop envelope tracking system of claim 28 wherein generating the radio frequency power amplifier output signal having the first output power at the output of the radio frequency power amplifier based on the modulated signal as the function of the control signal delayed in time by the first delay relative to the modulated signal comprises:

receiving, at an envelope tracker power converter, the control signal delayed in time by the first delay;

generating a modulated power amplifier supply voltage based on the control signal delayed in time by the first delay;

generating the radio frequency power amplifier output signal having the first output power based on the modulated signal and the modulated power amplifier supply voltage; and

measuring an output power at the output of the radio frequency power amplifier to obtain the first output power.

34. The method for calibrating the group delay for the open loop envelope tracking system of claim 33 wherein generating the radio frequency power amplifier output signal having the second output power at the output of the radio frequency power amplifier based on the modulated signal as the function of the control signal delayed in time by the second delay relative to the modulated signal comprises:

receiving, at the envelope tracker power converter, the control signal delayed in time by the second delay;

generating the modulated power amplifier supply voltage based on the control signal delayed in time by the second delay;

generating the radio frequency power amplifier output signal having the second output power based on the modulated signal and the modulated power amplifier supply voltage; and

measuring the output power at the output of the radio frequency power amplifier to obtain the second output power.

35. The method for calibrating the group delay for the open loop envelope tracking system of claim 19 further comprising:

obtaining a temperature of an envelope tracker power converter upon determination of the calibrated offset delay; and

storing the temperature as a calibrated temperature in association with the calibrated offset delay.

36. The method for calibrating the group delay for the open loop envelope tracking system of claim 35 further comprising:

configuring an offset delay of a fine tuning delay circuit of a digital baseband circuit based on the calibrated offset delay;

providing the control signal to the envelope tracker power converter based on the offset delay of the fine tuning delay circuit;

generating a modulated power amplifier supply voltage based on the control signal; and

providing the modulated power amplifier supply voltage to the radio frequency power amplifier.

37. The method for calibrating the group delay for the open loop envelope tracking system of claim 36 further comprising:

prior to initiation of a data transmission, obtaining an operational temperature of the envelope tracker power converter;

determining a fine tuning delay temperature compensation adjustment based on the operational temperature and the calibrated temperature; and

adjusting the offset delay of a fine tuning delay circuit based on the fine tuning delay temperature compensation adjustment.

38. The method for calibrating the group delay for the open loop envelope tracking system of claim 36 further comprising:

obtaining a supply voltage measurement of the envelope tracker power converter upon determination of the calibrated offset delay; and

storing the supply voltage measurement as a calibrated supply voltage in association with the calibrated offset delay.

39. The method for calibrating the group delay for the open loop envelope tracking system of claim 38 further comprising:

prior to initiation of a data transmission, obtaining an operational temperature and an operational supply voltage measurement of the envelope tracker power converter;

determining a fine tuning delay temperature compensation adjustment based on the operational temperature and the calibrated temperature;

determining a fine tuning delay supply voltage compensation adjustment based on the operational supply voltage measurement and the calibrated supply voltage; and

adjusting the offset delay of a fine tuning delay circuit based on the fine tuning delay temperature compensation adjustment and the fine tuning delay supply voltage compensation adjustment.

40. The method for calibrating the group delay for the open loop envelope tracking system of claim 19 wherein:

a sensitivity of an output power of a radio frequency power amplifier output signal generated by the radio frequency power amplifier based on the modulated signal as the function of the control signal delayed in time by the first delay is substantially near a maximum value; and

the sensitivity of the output power of the radio frequency power amplifier output signal generated by the radio frequency power amplifier based on the modulated signal as the function of the control signal delayed in time by the second delay is substantially near the maximum value.

41. A method for calibrating a group delay for the open loop envelope tracking system comprising:

obtaining an initial value for a negative fine tuning delay and an initial value for a positive fine tuning delay;

receiving a substantially symmetric modulated signal with a radio frequency power amplifier;

until a determination that a negative fine tuning delay output power is substantially equal to a positive fine tuning delay output power, iteratively performing sub-steps of;

generating a modulated power amplifier supply control signal related to the substantially symmetric modulated signal based on the positive fine tuning delay;

generating a modulated power amplifier supply voltage related to the substantially symmetric modulated signal based on the modulated power amplifier supply control signal advanced in time by the negative fine tuning delay;

measuring the negative fine tuning delay output power of the radio frequency power amplifier;

generating the modulated power amplifier supply control signal related to the substantially symmetric modulated signal based on the positive fine tuning delay;

generating the modulated power amplifier supply voltage related to the substantially symmetric modulated signal based on the modulated power amplifier supply control signal delayed in time by the positive fine tuning delay;

measuring the positive fine tuning delay output power of the radio frequency power amplifier;

determining whether the negative fine tuning delay output power is substantially equal to the positive fine tuning delay output power; and

in response to a determination that the negative fine tuning delay output power is not substantially equal to the positive fine tuning delay output power, adjusting the negative fine tuning delay and the positive fine tuning delay based on the negative fine tuning delay output power and the positive fine tuning delay output power; and

after the determination that the negative fine tuning delay output power is substantially equal to the positive fine tuning delay output power, determining a calibrated fine tuning delay based on the negative fine tuning delay and the positive fine tuning delay.

42. A method for calibrating a group delay for an open loop envelope tracking system comprising:

at a first time, generating a radio frequency power amplifier output signal having a first output power at an output of a radio frequency power amplifier based on a modulated signal as a function of a control signal delayed in time by a first delay relative to the modulated signal;

at a different time, generating the radio frequency power amplifier output signal, such that the radio frequency power amplifier output signal has a second output power at the output of the radio frequency power amplifier as a function of the control signal delayed in time by a second delay relative to the modulated signal; and

determining a calibrated offset delay as a function of the second delay and the first delay.