Voltage compatible charge pump buck and buck power supplies

• US 9,214,865 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2011
• Issued: 12/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qorvo US, Inc. (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: RF Micro Devices Incorporated (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Inventors: Levesque, Chris, Berchtold, Jean-Christophe, Colles, Joseph Hubert, Deuchars, Robert, Southcombe, William David, Zimlich, David, Jones, David E., Yoder, Scott, Stockert, Terry J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhang, Jue
• Application Number:
  US13/226,831
• Publication Number:
  US 20120062205A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,560 Days
• Field of Search: 323/272
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/07 using capacitors charged and discharged alternately by semiconductor devices with control electrode , e.g. charge pumps
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/1584 with a plurality of power processing stages connected in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0227 using supply converters
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0277 Selecting one or more amplifiers from a plurality of amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/18 the bias of the gate of a FET being controlled by a control signal
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/336 A I/Q, i.e. phase quadrature, modulator or demodulator being used in an amplifying circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/195 in integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/211 using a combination of several amplifiers H03F3/60 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/245 with semiconductor devices only
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/0416 having gain or transmission power control

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a flexible direct current (DC)-DC converter, which includes a charge pump buck power supply and a buck power supply. The charge pump buck power supply and the buck power supply are voltage compatible with one another at respective output inductance nodes to provide flexibility. In one embodiment of the DC-DC converter, capacitances at the output inductance nodes are at least partially isolated from one another by using at least an isolating inductive element between the output inductance nodes to increase efficiency. In an alternate embodiment of the DC-DC converter, the output inductance nodes are coupled to one another, such that the charge pump buck power supply and the buck power supply share a first inductive element, thereby eliminating the isolating inductive element, which reduces size and cost but may also reduce efficiency.

Claims

1. Circuitry comprising:

a charge pump buck power supply comprising a charge pump buck converter having a first output inductance node, a first inductive element, an energy storage element, and a plurality of shunt pump buck switching elements coupled in series between the first output inductance node and ground, such that the first inductive element is coupled between the first output inductance node and the energy storage element; and

a buck power supply comprising a buck converter having a second output inductance node, a plurality of shunt buck switching elements coupled in series between the second output inductance node and ground, and the energy storage element, such that the charge pump buck power supply and the buck power supply share the energy storage element.

2. The circuitry of claim 1 wherein the first output inductance node is coupled to the second output inductance node, such that the charge pump buck power supply and the buck power supply further share the first inductive element.

3. The circuitry of claim 1 wherein the buck power supply further comprises a second inductive element coupled between the first output inductance node and the second output inductance node, such that the charge pump buck power supply and the buck power supply further share the first inductive element.

4. The circuitry of claim 1 wherein the buck power supply further comprises a second inductive element coupled between the second output inductance node and the energy storage element.

5. The circuitry of claim 1 wherein:

the buck converter further comprises a plurality of series buck switching elements coupled in series between a DC power supply and the second output inductance node;

the charge pump buck converter further comprises an alpha plurality of series pump buck switching elements coupled in series between the DC power supply and the first output inductance node through an alpha flying capacitive element; and

the charge pump buck converter further comprises a beta plurality of series pump buck switching elements coupled in series between the DC power supply and the first output inductance node through a beta flying capacitive element.

6. The circuitry of claim 5 wherein the plurality of series buck switching elements is configured in a cascode arrangement.

7. The circuitry of claim 1 wherein the energy storage element is a capacitive element.

8. The circuitry of claim 1 wherein:

the buck power supply further comprises the first inductive element;

the charge pump buck converter and the first inductive element are coupled in series between a direct current (DC) power supply and the energy storage element;

the buck converter is coupled across the charge pump buck converter; and

the charge pump buck power supply and the buck power supply further share the first inductive element.

9. The circuitry of claim 1 further comprising:

direct current (DC)-DC control circuitry adapted to provide indication of a selection of one of a continuous conduction mode (CCM) and a discontinuous conduction mode (DCM) to a first switching power supply, such that the selection of the one of the CCM and the DCM is based on a rate of change of a setpoint; and

the first switching power supply comprising;

the charge pump buck power supply;

the buck power supply;

switching control circuitry adapted to during the CCM, allow energy to flow from the energy storage element to the first inductive element, and during the DCM, not allow energy to flow from the energy storage element to the first inductive element;

a first switching converter, which is the charge pump buck converter, adapted to receive a DC power supply signal;

the energy storage element; and

the first inductive element coupled between the first switching converter and the energy storage element,

wherein the first switching power supply is adapted to receive and convert the DC power supply signal to provide a first switching power supply output signal based on the setpoint.

10. The circuitry of claim 1 wherein:

the charge pump buck power supply further comprises at least a first shunt pump buck switching element;

the first shunt pump buck switching element is coupled between the first output inductance node and a ground;

the buck power supply further comprises the first shunt pump buck switching element; and

the charge pump buck power supply and the buck power supply further share the first inductive element and the first shunt pump buck switching element.

11. The circuitry of claim 1 wherein:

the buck power supply further comprises a second inductive element;

the charge pump buck converter and the first inductive element are coupled in series between a direct current (DC) power supply and the energy storage element; and

the buck converter and the second inductive element are coupled in series between the DC power supply and the energy storage element.

12. The circuitry of claim 1 wherein:

during a first converter operating mode, the charge pump buck power supply is adapted to receive and convert a direct current (DC) power supply signal from a DC power supply to provide a first switching power supply output signal to a load based on a setpoint; and

during a second converter operating mode, the buck power supply is adapted to receive and convert the DC power supply signal from the DC power supply to provide the first switching power supply output signal to the load based on the setpoint, wherein the setpoint is based on a desired voltage of the first switching power supply output signal.

13. The circuitry of claim 12 wherein:

during the second converter operating mode, the charge pump buck power supply is adapted to be disabled; and

during the first converter operating mode, the buck power supply is adapted to be disabled.

14. The circuitry of claim 12 wherein selection of one of the first converter operating mode and the second converter operating mode is based on a voltage of the DC power supply signal and the setpoint, such that the first converter operating mode is selected when the desired voltage of the first switching power supply output signal is greater than the voltage of the DC power supply signal.

15. The circuitry of claim 14 wherein the selection of the one of the first converter operating mode and the second converter operating mode is further based on a load current of the load.

16. The circuitry of claim 12 further comprising control circuitry and DC-DC control circuitry, such that:

the control circuitry is adapted to provide the setpoint to the DC-DC control circuitry; and

the DC-DC control circuitry is adapted to select one of the first converter operating mode and the second converter operating mode.

17. The circuitry of claim 12 further comprising control circuitry and DC-DC control circuitry, such that the control circuitry is adapted to:

provide the setpoint to the DC-DC control circuitry;

select one of the first converter operating mode and the second converter operating mode; and

provide a DC configuration control signal to the DC-DC control circuitry based on the selection of the one of the first converter operating mode and the second converter operating mode.

18. The circuitry of claim 12 further comprising the DC power supply.

19. The circuitry of claim 12 wherein the DC power supply is a battery.

20. The circuitry of claim 12 further comprising a charge pump adapted to receive and convert the DC power supply signal to provide a second switching power supply output signal.

21. The circuitry of claim 20 wherein:

the first switching power supply output signal is an envelope power supply signal for a first radio frequency (RF) power amplifier (PA); and

the second switching power supply output signal is a bias power supply signal used for biasing the first RF PA.

22. The circuitry of claim 21 further comprising:

the first RF PA comprising;

a first non-quadrature PA path having a first single-ended output; and

a first quadrature PA path coupled between the first non-quadrature PA path and an antenna port, such that the first quadrature PA path has a first single-ended input, which is coupled to the first single-ended output; and

a second RF PA comprising a second quadrature PA path coupled to the antenna port,

wherein the antenna port is configured to be coupled to an antenna.

23. The circuitry of claim 21 further comprising:

the first RF PA, which is a first multi-mode multi-band quadrature RF PA coupled to multi-mode multi-band alpha switching circuitry via a single alpha PA output; and

the multi-mode multi-band alpha switching circuitry having;

a first alpha non-linear mode output associated with a first non-linear mode RF communications band; and

a plurality of alpha linear mode outputs, such that each of the plurality of alpha linear mode outputs is associated with a corresponding one of a first plurality of linear mode RF communications bands.

24. The circuitry of claim 21 further comprising:

the first RF PA comprising a first final stage having a first final bias input, such that bias of the first final stage is via the first final bias input;

PA control circuitry;

a PA-digital communications interface (DCI) coupled between a digital communications bus and the PA control circuitry; and

a final stage current digital-to-analog converter (IDAC) coupled between the PA control circuitry and the first final bias input.

25. The circuitry of claim 21 further comprising:

the first RF PA having a first final stage and adapted to;

receive and amplify a first RF input signal to provide a first RF output signal; and

receive a first final bias signal to bias the first final stage;

PA bias circuitry adapted to receive the bias power supply signal and provide the first final bias signal based on the bias power supply signal; and

a direct current (DC)-DC converter adapted to receive the DC power supply signal from the DC power supply and provide the bias power supply signal based on the DC power supply signal, such that a voltage of the bias power supply signal is greater than a voltage of the DC power supply signal.

26. The circuitry of claim 21 further comprising:

multi-mode multi-band RF power amplification circuitry having at least a first RF input and a plurality of RF outputs, such that;

the multi-mode multi-band RF power amplification circuitry comprises the first RF PA;

configuration of the multi-mode multi-band RF power amplification circuitry associates one of the at least the first RF input with one of the plurality of RF outputs; and

the configuration is associated with at least a first look-up table (LUT);

PA control circuitry coupled between the multi-mode multi-band RF power amplification circuitry and a PA-digital communications interface (DCI), such that the PA control circuitry has at least the first LUT, which is associated with at least a first defined parameter set; and

the PA-DCI, which is coupled to a digital communications bus.

27. A method comprising:

providing a charge pump buck power supply comprising a charge pump buck converter having a first output inductance node, a first inductive element, an energy storage element, and a plurality of shunt pump buck switching elements coupled in series between the first output inductance node and ground, such that the first inductive element is coupled between the first output inductance node and the energy storage element;

providing a buck power supply comprising a buck converter having a second output inductance node, a plurality of shunt buck switching elements coupled in series between the second output inductance node and ground, and the energy storage element, such that the charge pump buck power supply and the buck power supply share the energy storage element;

during a first converter operating mode, receiving and converting a direct current (DC) power supply signal from a DC power supply using the charge pump buck power supply to provide a first switching power supply output signal to a load based on a setpoint; and

during a second converter operating mode, receiving and converting the DC power supply signal from the DC power supply using the buck power supply to provide the first switching power supply output signal to the load based on the setpoint, wherein the setpoint is based on a desired voltage of the first switching power supply output signal.