Envelope power supply calibration of a multi-mode radio frequency power amplifier

• US 9,031,522 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2013
• Issued: 05/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qorvo US, Inc. (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: RF Micro Devices Incorporated (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Inventors: Baxter, Brian, Millard, Jason, Arkiszewski, Roman Zbigniew, Selby, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Simon
• Application Number:
  US14/010,630
• Publication Number:
  US 20130344833A1
• Time in Patent Office: 623 Days
• Field of Search: 4551141-1152, 4551271-1272, 455/127.4
• US Class Current: 455/127.1
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/20 Automatic control H03G3/005 takes precedence; combined with volume compression or expansion H03G7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/3042 in modulators, frequency-changers, transmitters or power amplifiers transmission power control in bidirectional transmission systems H04W52/04
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/62 for providing a predistortion of the signal in the transmitter and corresponding correction in the receiver, e.g. for improving the signal/noise ratio

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to envelope power supply calibration of a multi-mode RF power amplifier (PA) to ensure adequate headroom when operating using one of multiple communications modes. The communications modes may include multiple modulation modes, a half-duplex mode, a full-duplex mode, or any combination thereof. As such, each communications mode may have specific peak-to-average power and linearity requirements for the multi-mode RF PA. As a result, each communications mode may have corresponding envelope power supply headroom requirements. The calibration may include determining a saturation operating constraint based on calibration data obtained during saturated operation of the multi-mode RF PA. During operation of the multi-mode RF PA, the envelope power supply may be restricted to provide a minimum allowable magnitude based on an RF signal level of the multi-mode RF PA, the communications mode, and the saturation operating constraint to provide adequate headroom.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing calibration equipment;

selecting one of a calibration mode and a normal operation mode;

providing a first radio frequency (RF) power amplifier (PA);

during the normal operation mode;

receiving and amplifying a first RF input signal using the first RF PA to provide a first RF output signal;

receiving an envelope power supply signal at the first RF PA, which provides power for amplification to the first RF PA; and

operating the first RF PA in one of a plurality of communication modes, wherein the envelope power supply signal has a minimum allowable magnitude based on a first saturation operating constraint, the communication mode of the first RF PA, and a desired magnitude of the first RF input signal; and

during the calibration mode;

providing the envelope power supply signal to the first RF PA;

providing a first plurality of magnitudes of the envelope power supply signal;

providing the first RF input signal, wherein the first RF PA operates in saturation;

receiving and amplifying the first RF input signal to provide the first RF output signal; and

measuring a magnitude of the first RF output signal at each of the first plurality of magnitudes of the envelope supply signal to obtain first calibration data, which is based on a first saturated operating characteristic of the first RF PA.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising during the calibration mode, providing RF PA circuitry, a direct current (DC)-DC converter, transceiver circuitry, and front-end aggregation circuitry having an antenna port, wherein the magnitude of the first RF output signal is measured via the antenna port.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing a second RF PA; and

during the calibration mode;

providing the envelope power supply signal to the second RF PA;

providing a second plurality of magnitudes of the envelope power supply signal;

providing a second RF input signal, wherein the second RF PA operates in saturation;

receiving and amplifying the second RF input signal to provide a second RF output signal; and

measuring a magnitude of the second RF output signal at each of the second plurality of magnitudes of the envelope power supply signal to obtain second calibration data, which is based on a second saturated operating characteristic of the second RF PA.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising during the calibration mode, providing RF PA circuitry, a direct current (DC)-DC converter, transceiver circuitry, and front-end aggregation circuitry having an antenna port, wherein the magnitude of the first RF output signal is measured via the antenna port and the magnitude of the second RF output signal is measured via the antenna port.

5. The method of claim 3 further comprising during the normal operation mode:

receiving and amplifying the second RF input signal to provide the second RF output signal;

receiving the envelope power supply signal at the second RF PA, which provides power for amplification to the second RF PA; and

operating the second RF PA in one of a plurality of communication modes, wherein the envelope power supply signal has a minimum allowable magnitude based on a second saturation operating constraint, the communication mode of the second RF PA, and a desired magnitude of the second RF input signal.