Linear amplifier power supply modulation for envelope tracking

• US 8,947,161 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2012
• Issued: 02/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qorvo US, Inc. (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: RF Micro Devices Incorporated (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Inventors: Khlat, Nadim, Gorisse, Philippe
• Primary Examiner(s): Choe, Henry
• Application Number:
  US13/692,084
• Publication Number:
  US 20130141169A1
• Time in Patent Office: 792 Days
• Field of Search: 330/136, 330/297, 330/285, 330/296
• US Class Current: 330/136
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0211 with control of the supply voltage or current
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0227 using supply converters
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/459 Ripple reduction circuitry being used in an amplifying circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/511 Many discrete supply voltages or currents or voltage levels can be chosen by a control signal in an IC-block amplifier circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/245 with semiconductor devices only

Abstract

Circuitry, which includes a linear amplifier and a linear amplifier power supply, is disclosed. The linear amplifier at least partially provides an envelope power supply signal to a radio frequency (RF) power amplifier (PA) using a selected one of a group of linear amplifier supply voltages. The linear amplifier power supply provides at least one of the group of linear amplifier supply voltages. Selection of the selected one of the group of linear amplifier supply voltages is based on a desired voltage of the envelope power supply signal.

Claims

1. Circuitry comprising:

a linear amplifier adapted to at least partially provide an envelope power supply signal to a radio frequency (RF) power amplifier (PA) using a selected one of a plurality of linear amplifier supply voltages;

power supply control circuitry adapted to select one of the plurality of linear amplifier supply voltages based on a desired voltage of the envelope power supply signal;

a linear amplifier power supply adapted to provide at least one of the plurality of linear amplifier supply voltages;

a setpoint of the envelope power supply signal is based on the desired voltage of the envelope power supply signal; and

an envelope power supply control signal is representative of the setpoint of the envelope power supply signal.

2. The circuitry of claim 1 wherein the linear amplifier is further adapted to regulate a voltage of the envelope power supply signal based on the setpoint of the envelope power supply signal.

3. The circuitry of claim 1 wherein the envelope power supply control signal is amplitude modulated to provide at least partial envelope tracking of an RF transmit signal.

4. The circuitry of claim 3 wherein the RF PA is adapted to receive and amplify an RF input signal to provide the RF transmit signal using the envelope power supply signal, which provides power for amplification.

5. The circuitry of claim 4 further comprising the RF PA.

6. The circuitry of claim 3 wherein a bandwidth of the envelope power supply control signal is greater than about 10 megahertz.

28. The circuitry of claim 1 wherein the linear amplifier power supply is further adapted to provide the entire plurality of linear amplifier supply voltages.

7. Circuitry comprising:

a linear amplifier adapted to at least partially provide an envelope power supply signal to a radio frequency (RF) power amplifier (PA) using a selected one of a plurality of linear amplifier supply voltages;

power supply control circuitry adapted to select one of the plurality of linear amplifier supply voltages based on a desired voltage of the envelope power supply signal;

a linear amplifier power supply adapted to provide at least one of the plurality of linear amplifier supply voltages; and

the linear amplifier is further adapted to receive a direct current (DC) source signal and a linear amplifier power supply output signal, such that one of the plurality of linear amplifier supply voltages is provided via the DC source signal and a balance of the plurality of linear amplifier supply voltages is provided via the linear amplifier power supply output signal.

8. The circuitry of claim 7 wherein the balance of the plurality of linear amplifier supply voltages is one linear amplifier supply voltage.

9. The circuitry of claim 7 wherein a DC power source is adapted to provide the DC source signal.

10. The circuitry of claim 9 wherein the DC power source is a battery.

11. The circuitry of claim 7 wherein the linear amplifier is further adapted to receive a first power source select signal, such that selection between using the one of the plurality of linear amplifier supply voltages and using the balance of the plurality of linear amplifier supply voltages is based on the first power source select signal.

12. The circuitry of claim 11 wherein the linear amplifier comprises first P-type field effect transistor (PFET) circuitry and second PFET circuitry, such that one of the first PFET circuitry and the second PFET circuitry is enabled based on the first power source select signal.

13. The circuitry of claim 12 wherein the first power source select signal is a two-bit signal.

14. The circuitry of claim 12 wherein the linear amplifier further comprises N-type field effect transistor (NFET) circuitry and is further adapted to disable the one of the first PFET circuitry and the second PFET circuitry and to enable an opposite of the first PFET circuitry and the second PFET circuitry only when the NFET circuitry is in an ON state, such that both the first PFET circuitry and the second PFET circuitry are in an OFF state.

15. The circuitry of claim 11 wherein the linear amplifier power supply is further adapted to receive a linear amplifier power supply select signal and to provide one of the balance of the plurality of linear amplifier supply voltages based on the linear amplifier power supply select signal.

16. The circuitry of claim 15 wherein the power supply control circuitry is adapted to provide the first power source select signal and the linear amplifier power supply select signal, such that the first power source select signal and the linear amplifier power supply select signal are based on an envelope power supply control signal.

17. The circuitry of claim 11 wherein an envelope power supply control signal is representative of a setpoint of the envelope power supply signal, such that the first power source select signal is delayed relative to receipt of the envelope power supply control signal to compensate for processing delays of the envelope power supply control signal.

18. The circuitry of claim 7 further comprising ripple cancellation circuitry adapted to at least partially cancel ripple current associated with at least one inductive element in a supply using one of the DC source signal and the linear amplifier power supply output signal.

19. The circuitry of claim 18 wherein the ripple cancellation circuitry is further adapted to receive a second power source select signal, such that selection between using the one of the DC source signal and the linear amplifier power supply output signal is based on the second power source select signal.

20. The circuitry of claim 19 wherein the second power source select signal is based on a maximum amplitude of the envelope power supply signal.

21. The circuitry of claim 7 wherein during envelope tracking, the linear amplifier is further adapted to toggle between using the DC source signal and using the linear amplifier power supply output signal to at least partially provide the envelope power supply signal.

22. The circuitry of claim 21 wherein the linear amplifier power supply output signal is based on a maximum amplitude of the envelope power supply signal.

23. The circuitry of claim 21 wherein toggling between using the DC source signal and using the linear amplifier power supply output signal to at least partially provide the envelope power supply signal is based on a programmable threshold associated with the envelope power supply signal.

24. The circuitry of claim 7 wherein the linear amplifier power supply comprises a capacitor-based charge pump adapted to receive the DC source signal and provide the linear amplifier power supply output signal based on the DC source signal.

25. The circuitry of claim 24 wherein the one of the plurality of linear amplifier supply voltages is less than each of the balance of the plurality of linear amplifier supply voltages.

26. The circuitry of claim 24 wherein the one of the plurality of linear amplifier supply voltages is greater than each of the balance of the plurality of linear amplifier supply voltages.

27. The circuitry of claim 24 wherein the one of the plurality of linear amplifier supply voltages is less than at least one of the balance of the plurality of linear amplifier supply voltages and is greater than at least one of the balance of the plurality of linear amplifier supply voltages.

29. Circuitry wherein a linear amplifier is adapted to at least partially provide an envelope power supply signal to a radio frequency (RF) power amplifier (PA) using a selected one of a plurality of linear amplifier supply voltages and comprising:

power supply control circuitry adapted to select one of the plurality of linear amplifier supply voltages based on a desired voltage of the envelope power supply signal;

a linear amplifier power supply adapted to provide at least one of the plurality of linear amplifier supply voltages;

a setpoint of the envelope power supply signal is based on the desired voltage of the envelope power supply signal; and

an envelope power supply control signal is representative of the setpoint of the envelope power supply signal.

30. A method comprising:

at least partially providing an envelope power supply signal to a radio frequency (RF) power amplifier (PA) using a selected one of a plurality of linear amplifier supply voltages, such that selection of the selected one of the plurality of linear amplifier supply voltages is based on a desired voltage of the envelope power supply signal; and

using a linear amplifier power supply to provide at least one of the plurality of linear amplifier supply voltages, such that a setpoint of the envelope power supply signal is based on the desired voltage of the envelope power supply signal and an envelope power supply control signal is representative of the setpoint of the envelope power supply signal.