System and method for a radio frequency switch

• US 9,680,463 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2016
• Issued: 06/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Original Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Inventors: Bakalski, Winfried, Ilkov, Nikolay
• Primary Examiner(s): Ayotunde, Ayodeji
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mathew, Max
• Application Number:
  US15/364,009
• Publication Number:
  US 20170085257A1
• Time in Patent Office: 196 Days
• Field of Search: 455426
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/24 of transmitter output stages
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/16 Modifications for eliminating interference voltages or currents
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/161 in field-effect transistor switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 3/012 Modifications of generator to improve response time or to decrease power consumption
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/006 using switches for selecting the desired band H04B1/0057 takes precedence
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/18 Input circuits, e.g. for coupling to an antenna or a transmission line coupling networks between antennas or lines and receivers independent of the nature of the receiver H03H
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/44 Transmit/receive switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/0408 with power amplifiers

Abstract

A circuit includes multiple switching networks coupled between corresponding multiple RF ports and a common RF port. Each of the multiple switching networks includes a first switch between its corresponding RF port and the common RF port. At least one of the multiple switching networks includes a selectable network between the first switch and the common RF port. The selectable network provides a DC path in a first state and a series capacitance in a second state. A control circuit is configured to establish an RF path by activating a first switch and by deactivating other first switches. The control circuit is also configured to establish an RF path by placing a selectable network in the first state when the control circuit operates in a first mode and by placing a selectable network in the second state when the control circuit operates in a second mode.

Claims

1. A circuit comprising:

a plurality of switching networks coupled between a corresponding plurality of RF ports and a common RF port, wherein;

each of the plurality of switching networks comprises a first switch coupled between its corresponding RF port and the common RF port, and

at least one of the plurality of switching networks comprises a selectable network coupled between the first switch and the common RF port, wherein the selectable network provides a DC path in a first state and a series capacitance in a second state; and

a control circuit configured to establish an RF path by;

activating the first switch of one of the plurality of switching networks, and deactivating the first switches of the remaining plurality of switching networks,

placing the selectable network in one of the remaining plurality of switching networks in the first state when the control circuit operates in a first mode, and

placing the selectable network in one of the remaining plurality of switching networks in the second state when the control circuit operates in a second mode.

2. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the first switch comprises a first plurality of series connected transistors.

3. The circuit of claim 2, wherein:

the selectable network comprises a second plurality of series connected transistors,

the selectable network is in the first state when the second plurality of series connected transistors are turned on, and

the selectable network is in the second state when the second plurality of series connected transistors are turned off.

4. The circuit of claim 3, wherein the series capacitance comprises gate-drain and gate-source capacitances of the second plurality of series connected transistors.

5. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the selectable network comprises a capacitor coupled in parallel with a switch.

6. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the selectable network in series with the first switch in a first switching network is configured to attenuate a third harmonic of a signal propagated in a second switching network in the first mode.

7. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the selectable network further comprises a shunt switch coupled between the corresponding RF port and a reference node.

8. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the plurality of switching networks are disposed on an integrated circuit.

9. The circuit of claim 1, further comprising:

an antenna coupled to the common RF port; and

a power amplifier coupled to at least one of the plurality of RF ports.

10. The circuit of claim 9, further comprising a matching network coupled between the common RF port and the antenna.

11. A circuit comprising:

a first switching network coupled between a first RF port and a common RF port comprising;

a first switch coupled between the first RF port and the common RF port; and

a first selectable network coupled between the first switch and the common RF port, wherein the first selectable network comprises a first plurality of series connected transistors, wherein the first selectable network is configured to be a series resistance in a first mode and a series capacitance in a second mode;

a second switching network coupled between a second RF port and the common RF port comprising;

a second switch coupled between the second RF port and the common RF port; and

a second selectable network coupled between the second switch and the common RF port, wherein the second selectable network comprises a second plurality of series connected transistors, wherein the second selectable network is configured to be a series resistance in a first mode and a series capacitance in a second mode; and

a third switching network coupled between a third RF port and the common RF port comprising a third switch coupled between the third RF port and the common RF port.

12. The circuit of claim 11, wherein the third switching network comprises a third selectable network coupled between the third switch and the common RF port, wherein the third selectable network comprises a third plurality of series connected transistors, wherein the third selectable network is configured to be a series resistance in a first mode and a series capacitance in a second mode.

13. The circuit of claim 11, wherein the first switch comprises a fourth plurality of series connected transistors, wherein the second switch comprises a fifth plurality of series connected transistors, and wherein the third switch comprises a sixth plurality of series connected transistors.

14. The circuit of claim 11, wherein the first plurality of series connected transistors are turned on when the first selectable network is in the first mode and the first plurality of series connected transistors are turned off when the first selectable network is in the second mode.

15. The circuit of claim 11, further comprising a first control circuit configured to switch the first switch, the second switch, and the third switch, and configured to activate the first mode or the second mode of the first selectable network and the second selectable network.

16. A method of operating a circuit comprising a first switching network coupled between a first RF port and a common RF port, and a second switching network coupled between a second RF port and the common RF port, the method comprising:

providing a first RF path from the first RF port to the common RF port, comprising;

activating the first switching network, comprising;

activating a first plurality of series connected transistors coupled between the first RF port and a first node and coupling a resistance between the first node and the common RF port; and

deactivating the second switching network in one of two selectable configurations, wherein;

deactivating the second switching network in the first selectable configuration comprises deactivating a second plurality of series connected transistors coupled between the second RF port and a second node and coupling a resistance between the second node and the common RF port; and

deactivating the second switching network in the second selectable configuration comprises deactivating the second plurality of series connected transistors and coupling a capacitance between the second node and the common RF port; and

providing a second RF path from the second RF port to the common RF port, comprising;

activating the second switching network, comprising;

activating the second plurality of series connected transistors and coupling a resistance between the second node and the common RF port; and

deactivating the first switching network in one of two selectable configurations, wherein;

deactivating the first switching network in the first selectable configuration comprises deactivating the first plurality of series connected transistors and coupling a resistance between the first node and the common RF port; and

deactivating the first switching network in the second selectable configuration comprises deactivating the first plurality of series connected transistors and coupling a capacitance between the first node and the common RF port.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

selecting the first selectable configuration of the second switching network by turning on a third plurality of series connected transistors coupled between the second node and the common RF port; and

selecting the second selectable configuration of the second switching network by turning off the third plurality of series connected transistors.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

selecting the first selectable configuration of the second switching network by turning on a bypass switch coupled in parallel with a capacitor coupled between the second node and the common RF port; and

selecting the second selectable configuration of the second switching network by turning off the bypass switch.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

providing a first frequency to the first RF path; and

providing a second frequency to the second RF path, wherein the second frequency is greater than the first frequency.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising providing a third RF path from a third RF port to the common RF port.