Look-up table based configuration of a DC-DC converter

• US 9,362,825 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2011
• Issued: 06/07/2016
• 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: Southcombe, William David, Levesque, Chris, Berchtold, Jean-Christophe, Jones, David E., Yoder, Scott, Stockert, Terry J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hu, Rui
• Application Number:
  US13/287,672
• Publication Number:
  US 20120043956A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,679 Days
• Field of Search: 330/127, 330/297, 381/120, 363/60, 323/312, 455/127.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/157 with digital control

Abstract

RF PA circuitry and a DC-DC converter, which includes an RF PA envelope power supply and DC-DC control circuitry, are disclosed. The PA envelope power supply provides an envelope power supply signal to the RF PA circuitry. The DC-DC control circuitry has a DC-DC look-up table (LUT) structure, which has at least a first DC-DC LUT. The DC-DC control circuitry uses DC-DC LUT index information as an index to the DC-DC LUT structure to obtain DC-DC converter operational control parameters. The DC-DC control circuitry then configures the PA envelope power supply using the DC-DC converter operational control parameters. Using the DC-DC LUT structure provides flexibility in configuring the DC-DC converter for different applications, for multiple static operating conditions, for multiple dynamic operating conditions, or any combination thereof.

Claims

1. Circuitry comprising:

radio frequency (RF) power amplifier (PA) circuitry; and

a direct current (DC)-DC converter comprising;

a PA envelope power supply adapted to receive a DC power supply signal from a DC power supply and provide an envelope power supply signal to the RF PA circuitry based on DC-DC conversion of the DC power supply signal; and

DC-DC control circuitry having a DC-DC look-up table (LUT) structure and adapted to;

use DC-DC LUT index information as an index to the DC-DC LUT structure to obtain DC-DC converter operational control parameters, wherein the index information includes operating status information, which is indicative of a DC power supply voltage of the DC power supply signal and an envelope power supply voltage of the envelope power supply signal; and

configure the PA envelope power supply using the DC-DC converter operational control parameters.

2. The circuitry of claim 1 wherein the DC-DC LUT index information includes DC-DC converter configuration information and operating status information.

3. The circuitry of claim 1 further comprising the DC power supply.

4. The circuitry of claim 1 wherein the DC power supply is a battery.

5. The circuitry of claim 1 wherein contents of the DC-DC LUT structure are based on DC-DC converter operating criteria, which includes one or more operating efficiencies.

6. The circuitry of claim 1 wherein contents of the DC-DC LUT structure are based on DC-DC converter operating criteria.

7. The circuitry of claim 6 wherein the DC-DC converter operating criteria comprises at least two selected from a group consisting of one or more operating efficiencies, one or more operating limits, at least one operating headroom, electrical noise reduction, and PA operating linearity.

8. The circuitry of claim 1 wherein the RF PA circuitry comprises:

a 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.

9. The circuitry of claim 1 wherein the RF PA circuitry comprises:

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.

10. The circuitry of claim 1 wherein the RF PA circuitry comprises:

a 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.

11. The circuitry of claim 1 wherein the RF PA circuitry comprises:

a 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 a bias power supply signal and provide the first final bias signal based on the bias power supply signal.

12. The circuitry of claim 11 wherein the DC-DC converter is 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.

13. The circuitry of claim 1 wherein:

the DC-DC converter further comprises a PA bias power supply comprising a charge pump coupled to the RF PA circuitry; and

the PA envelope power supply comprises a charge pump buck converter coupled to the RF PA circuitry.

14. The circuitry of claim 1 wherein the RF PA circuitry comprises:

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

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 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.

15. Circuitry comprising:

radio frequency (RF) power amplifier (PA) circuitry; and

a direct current (DC)-DC converter comprising;

a PA envelope power supply having a charge pump buck converter adapted to receive a DC power supply signal from a DC power supply and provide an envelope power supply signal to the RF PA circuitry based on DC-DC conversion of the DC power supply signal, wherein the DC-DC conversion of the DC power supply signal occurs within the PA envelope power supply; and

DC-DC control circuitry having a DC-DC look-up table (LUT) structure and adapted to use DC-DC LUT index information as an index to the DC-DC LUT structure to obtain DC-DC converter operational control parameters, wherein the DC-DC converter operational control parameters include a selected charge pump buck base switching frequency, such that the DC-DC control circuitry configures the charge pump buck converter of the PA envelope power supply using the selected charge pump buck base switching frequency.

16. Circuitry comprising:

radio frequency (RF) power amplifier (PA) circuitry; and

a direct current (DC)-DC converter comprising;

a PA envelope power supply adapted to receive a DC power supply signal from a DC power supply and provide an envelope power supply signal to the RF PA circuitry based on DC-DC conversion of the DC power supply signal, wherein the PA envelope power supply comprises a charge pump buck converter and a buck converter, which is coupled across the charge pump buck converter; and

DC-DC control circuitry having a DC-DC LUT structure and adapted to;

use DC-DC LUT index information as an index to the DC-DC LUT structure to obtain DC-DC converter operational control parameters; and

configure the PA envelope power supply using the DC-DC converter operational control parameters.

17. The circuitry of claim 16 wherein:

the DC-DC converter operational control parameters include a selected converter operating mode, which is one of at least a first converter operating mode and a second converter operating mode;

during the first converter operating mode, the charge pump buck converter is adapted to be active and the buck converter is adapted to be inactive, such that the charge pump buck converter is adapted to provide the envelope power supply signal based on DC-DC conversion of the DC power supply signal; and

during the second converter operating mode, the charge pump buck converter is adapted to be inactive and the buck converter is adapted to be active, such that the buck converter is adapted to provide the envelope power supply signal based on DC-DC conversion of the DC power supply signal.

18. Circuitry comprising:

radio frequency (RF) power amplifier (PA) circuitry; and

a direct current (DC)-DC converter comprising;

a PA envelope power supply adapted to receive a DC power supply signal from a DC power supply and provide an envelope power supply signal to the RF PA circuitry based on DC-DC conversion of the DC power supply signal;

a PA bias power supply adapted to provide a bias power supply signal to the RF PA circuitry, wherein the bias power supply signal and the envelope power supply signal are separately provided to the RF PA circuitry; and

DC-DC control circuitry having a DC-DC look-up table (LUT) structure and adapted to;

use DC-DC LUT index information as an index to the DC-DC LUT structure to obtain DC-DC converter operational control parameters, wherein the DC-DC LUT index information includes operating status information obtained from the PA envelope power supply;

configure the PA envelope power supply using the DC-DC converter operational control parameters; and

configure the PA bias power supply using the DC-DC converter operational control parameters.

19. The circuitry of claim 18 wherein:

the PA bias power supply comprises a charge pump adapted to provide the bias power supply signal based on DC-DC conversion of the DC power supply signal; and

the DC-DC converter operational control parameters include a selected bias supply base switching frequency, such that the DC-DC control circuitry configures a base switching frequency of the charge pump using the selected bias supply base switching frequency.

20. The circuitry of claim 18 wherein:

the PA bias power supply comprises a charge pump adapted to provide the bias power supply signal based on DC-DC conversion of the DC power supply signal; and

the DC-DC converter operational control parameters include a selected bias supply pump operating mode, which is one of a bias supply pump-up operating mode and at least one other bias supply pump operating mode of the charge pump, such that the DC-DC control circuitry configures the PA bias power supply using the selected bias supply pump operating mode.

21. The circuitry of claim 18 wherein the DC-DC LUT index information further includes operating status information obtained from the PA bias power supply and from the DC power supply.

22. A method comprising:

providing radio frequency (RF) power amplifier (PA) circuitry and a direct current (DC)-DC converter having a PA envelope power supply and DC-DC control circuitry;

providing an envelope power supply signal to the RF PA circuitry based on DC-DC conversion of a DC power supply signal received from a DC power supply, wherein the DC-DC conversion of the DC power supply signal occurs within the PA envelope power supply;

using DC-DC look-up table (LUT) index information as an index to a DC-DC LUT structure to obtain DC-DC converter operational control parameters in the DC-DC control circuitry, wherein the index information includes operating status information, which is indicative of a DC power supply voltage of the DC power supply signal and an envelope power supply voltage of the envelope power supply signal; and

configuring the PA envelope power supply using the DC-DC converter operational control parameters.