Tunable matching circuits for power amplifiers

• US 9,143,172 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2009
• Issued: 09/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: See, Puay Hoe, Hadjichristos, Aristotele, Sahota, Gurkanwal Singh
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, PATRICIA T
• Application Number:
  US12/544,177
• Publication Number:
  US 20100308933A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,225 Days
• Field of Search: 330/305, 330/295, 330/124.R
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/565 using inductive elements
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/111 the amplifier being a dual or triple band amplifier, e.g. 900 and 1800 MHz, e.g. switched or not switched, simultaneously or not
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/378 A variable capacitor being added in the output circuit, e.g. collector, drain, of an amplifier stage
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/387 A circuit being added at the output of an amplifier to adapt the output impedance of the amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2203/7209 the gated amplifier being switched from a first band to a second band
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/24 of transmitter output stages
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/72 Gated amplifiers, i.e. amplifiers which are rendered operative or inoperative by means of a control signal
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 7/38 Impedance-matching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0458 Arrangements for matching and coupling between power amplifier and antenna or between amplifying stages matching circuits in general H03H

Abstract

Tunable matching circuits for power amplifiers are described. In an exemplary design, an apparatus may include a power amplifier and a tunable matching circuit. The power amplifier may amplify an input RF signal and provide an amplified RF signal. The tunable matching circuit may provide output impedance matching for the power amplifier, may receive the amplified RF signal and provide an output RF signal, and may be tunable based on at least one parameter effecting the operation of the power amplifier. The parameter(s) may include an envelope signal for the amplified RF signal, an average output power level of the output RF signal, a power supply voltage for the power amplifier, IC process variations, etc. The tunable matching circuit may include a series variable capacitor and/or a shunt variable capacitor. Each variable capacitor may be tunable based on a control generated based on the parameter(s).

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a power amplifier amplifying an input radio frequency (RF) signal and providing an amplified RF signal;

a tunable matching circuit coupled to the power amplifier and providing output impedance matching for the power amplifier, the tunable matching circuit receiving the amplified RF signal and providing an output RF signal, the tunable matching circuit being adaptively tunable to a setting based on at least one parameter affecting operation of the power amplifier, the setting causing a power efficiency of the power amplifier to be greater than a power efficiency at a different setting; and

at least one sensor coupled to each of an output of the power amplifier and an output of the tunable matching circuit and configured to measure at least one property of each of the amplified RF signal and the output RF signal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, the tunable matching circuit comprising

a variable capacitor coupled in series between an input and an output of the tunable matching circuit, the variable capacitor being tunable based on the at least one parameter.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, the tunable matching circuit comprising

a variable capacitor coupled between an output of the tunable matching circuit and circuit ground, the variable capacitor being tunable based on the at least one parameter.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, the tunable matching circuit further comprising

a second variable capacitor coupled between the output of the tunable matching circuit and circuit ground, the second variable capacitor being tunable generated based on the at least one parameter.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, the tunable matching circuit comprising multiple stages, each stage comprising at least one variable capacitor tunable based on the at least one parameter.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a control unit receiving information indicative of the at least one parameter and generating at least one control for the tunable matching circuit based on the received information.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, the at least one parameter comprising an envelope signal for the amplified RF signal, and the tunable matching circuit being adjusted based on the envelope signal.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, the at least one parameter comprising an average output power level of the output RF signal, and the tunable matching circuit being adjusted based on the average output power level.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, the at least one parameter comprising a power supply voltage for the power amplifier, and the tunable matching circuit being adjusted based on the power supply voltage.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, the at least one parameter comprising integrated circuit (IC) process variations, and the tunable matching circuit being adjusted based on a detected IC process corner for the power amplifier.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, the at least one parameter comprising temperature, frequency band, load, harmonic rejection, operating mode of the power amplifier, or a combination thereof.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a second power amplifier amplifying a second input RF signal and providing a second amplified RF signal; and

a second tunable matching circuit coupled to the second power amplifier and providing output impedance matching for the second power amplifier, the second tunable matching circuit receiving the second amplified RF signal and providing a second output RF signal, the second tunable matching circuit being tunable based on at least one second parameter affecting operation of the second power amplifier.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

a third tunable matching circuit coupled to the first and second tunable matching circuits, the third tunable matching circuit receiving the first and second output RF signals and providing a third output RF signal.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a sensor coupled to the tunable matching circuit and measuring the amplified RF signal, or the output RF signal, or both; and

a control unit receiving measurements from the sensor and adjusting the tunable matching circuit based on the measurements.

15. A wireless device comprising:

a power amplifier amplifying an input radio frequency (RF) signal and providing an amplified RF signal;

a tunable matching circuit coupled to the power amplifier and providing output impedance matching for the power amplifier, the tunable matching circuit receiving the amplified RF signal and providing an output RF signal;

at least one sensor coupled to each of an output of the power amplifier and an output of the tunable matching circuit and configured to measure at least one property of each of the amplified RF signal and the output RF signal; and

a control unit generating a control to adjust the tunable matching circuit to a setting based on at least one parameter affecting operation of the power amplifier, the setting causing a power efficiency of the power amplifier to be greater than a power efficiency at a different setting.

16. The wireless device of claim 15, the tunable matching circuit comprising

a variable capacitor coupled in series between an input and an output of the tunable matching circuit, the variable capacitor being tunable based on the control from the control unit.

17. The wireless device of claim 15, further comprising:

a sensor coupled to the tunable matching circuit and measuring the amplified RF signal, or the output RF signal, or both, the control unit generating the control for the tunable matching circuit based on measurements from the sensor.

18. A method of performing signal amplification, comprising:

amplifying an input radio frequency (RF) signal with a power amplifier to obtain an amplified RF signal;

performing output impedance matching for the power amplifier with a tunable matching circuit;

sensing at least one property of each of the amplifier RF signal and an output of the tunable matching circuit; and

adaptively adjusting the tunable matching circuit to a setting based on at least one parameter affecting operation of the power amplifier, the setting causing a power efficiency of the power amplifier to be greater than a power efficiency at a different setting.

19. The method of claim 18, the adjusting the tunable matching circuit comprising adjusting the tunable matching circuit based on an envelope signal for the power amplifier, an average output power level of the power amplifier, a power supply voltage for the power amplifier, or any combination thereof.

20. The method of claim 18, the adjusting the tunable matching circuit comprising

measuring the amplified RF signal, or an output RF signal from the tunable matching circuit, or both, and

adjusting the tunable matching circuit based on measurements of the amplified RF signal, or the output RF signal, or both.

21. The method of claim 18, the adjusting the tunable matching circuit comprising

generating a control based on the at least one parameter, and

adjusting a variable capacitor in the tunable matching circuit based on the control.

22. An apparatus comprising:

means for amplifying an input radio frequency (RF) signal to obtain an amplified RF signal;

means for matching an output impedance of the means for amplifying;

means for sensing at least one property of each of the amplifier RF signal and an output of the tunable matching circuit; and

means for adaptively adjusting the means for matching the output impedance to a setting based on at least one parameter affecting operation of the means for amplifying, the setting causing a power efficiency of the means for amplifying to be greater than a power efficiency at a different setting.