Group delay calibration of RF envelope tracking

• US 9,614,476 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2015
• Issued: 04/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qorvo US, Inc. (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qorvo US, Inc. (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Inventors: Khlat, Nadim
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Patricia T
• Application Number:
  US14/789,464
• Publication Number:
  US 20160006398A1
• Time in Patent Office: 643 Days
• Field of Search: 330127, 330297
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0222 by using a signal derived from the input signal
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0233 by using a signal derived from the output signal, e.g. bootstrapping the voltage supply
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/102 A non-specified detector of a signal envelope being used in an amplifying circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/129 there being a feedback over the complete amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/451 the amplifier being a radio frequency amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/504 the supply voltage or current being continuously controlled by a controlling signal, e.g. the controlling signal of a transistor implemented as variable resistor in a supply path for, an IC-block showed amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/245 with semiconductor devices only

Abstract

An RF communications system, which includes an RF power amplifier, an envelope tracking power supply, and supply control circuitry, is disclosed. The RF communications system operates in one of a normal operation mode and a calibration mode. During the calibration mode, the RF power amplifier receives and amplifies an RF input signal to provide an RF transmit signal using an envelope power supply signal, which is provided by the envelope tracking power supply. Further, the supply control circuitry controls the envelope tracking power supply to cause a sharp transition of the envelope power supply signal when a setpoint of the envelope power supply signal transitions through a setpoint threshold of the envelope power supply signal.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising an RF power amplifier, an envelope tracking power supply, and supply control circuitry;

and configured to operate in one of a normal operation mode and a calibration mode, such that during the calibration mode;

the RF power amplifier is configured to receive and amplify an RF input signal to provide an RF transmit signal using an envelope power supply signal; and

the supply control circuitry is configured to control the envelope tracking power supply to cause a sharp transition of the envelope power supply signal when a setpoint of the envelope power supply signal transitions through a setpoint threshold of the envelope power supply signal, wherein a maximum rate of change of the envelope power supply signal during the sharp transition is greater than a maximum rate of change of the envelope power supply signal during the normal operation mode.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a transition time of the sharp transition is less than about one-twentieth divided by a normal operation mode bandwidth of the envelope power supply signal.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a transition time of the sharp transition is less than about one-tenth divided by a normal operation mode bandwidth of the envelope power supply signal.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein during the calibration mode, the sharp transition is from the setpoint to a target magnitude of the envelope power supply signal when the setpoint transitions from above the setpoint threshold to below the setpoint threshold.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein during the calibration mode, the sharp transition is from the target magnitude to the setpoint when the setpoint transitions from below the setpoint threshold to above the setpoint threshold.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the target magnitude is less than about 500 millivolts.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein during the calibration mode, the sharp transition is from a target magnitude of the envelope power supply signal to the setpoint when the setpoint transitions from below the setpoint threshold to above the setpoint threshold.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the target magnitude is less than about 500 millivolts.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the setpoint threshold of the envelope power supply signal is greater than about sixty percent of an amplitude of the envelope power supply signal.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein during the calibration mode, the envelope power supply signal is delayed from the RF input signal by a positive delay.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the positive delay is based on a maximum positive sensitivity peak.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein during the calibration mode, the envelope power supply signal is delayed from the RF input signal by a negative delay.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the negative delay is based on a maximum negative sensitivity peak.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an RF feedback circuit configured to provide an RF feedback signal based on the RF transmit signal, wherein during the calibration mode, the RF feedback signal is representative of a delay mismatch between the envelope power supply signal and the RF input signal.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein delay calibration data is based on the RF feedback signal.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein during the normal operation mode, the RF power amplifier is configured to receive and amplify the RF input signal to provide the RF transmit signal using the envelope power supply signal.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein during the normal operation mode, RF system control circuitry uses delay calibration data to approximately align an envelope of the RF transmit signal with the envelope power supply signal.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the envelope power supply signal is based on an envelope power supply control signal.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein system control circuitry is configured to provide the envelope power supply control signal.

20. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein during the calibration mode, the envelope power supply signal has a calibration envelope peak, such that during the calibration mode, the envelope power supply signal has a maximum value of the calibration envelope peak.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein during the normal operation mode, the envelope power supply signal has a normal envelope peak, such that during the calibration mode, the maximum value of the calibration envelope peak is about equal to a maximum value of the normal envelope peak.

22. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the maximum value of the calibration envelope peak is equal to about 4.5 volts.

23. A method comprising:

providing an RF power amplifier, an envelope tracking power supply, and supply control circuitry;

operating in one of a normal operation mode and a calibration mode;

receiving and amplifying an RF input signal to provide an RF transmit signal using an envelope power supply signal; and

during the calibration mode, controlling the envelope tracking power supply to cause a sharp transition of the envelope power supply signal when a setpoint of the envelope power supply signal transitions through a setpoint threshold of the envelope power supply signal, wherein a maximum rate of change of the envelope power supply signal during the sharp transition is greater than a maximum rate of change of the envelope power supply signal during the normal operation mode.