Power combining power supply system

• US 7,454,238 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2007
• Issued: 11/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quantance, Inc. (Skyworks Solutions Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Quantance, Inc. (Skyworks Solutions Incorporated)
• Inventors: Drogi, Serge Francois, Vinayak, Vikas, Tomasz, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): SURYAWANSHI, SURESH
• Application Number:
  US11/685,707
• Publication Number:
  US 20080104432A1
• Time in Patent Office: 616 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300, 713/340
• US Class Current: 455/572
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/15 using active elements
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/1584 with a plurality of power processing stages connected in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0238 using supply converters

Abstract

A power supply system comprises a low-speed power supply and a high-speed power supply configured to operate in first and second frequency ranges, respectively, and generate first and second outputs, respectively. The lower end of the second frequency range is at least higher than a lower end of the first frequency range. A frequency blocking power combiner circuit combines the power from the first output with the power from the second output to generate a combined, third output for driving a load, while providing frequency-selective isolation between the first and second outputs. A feedback circuit is coupled to receive the combined, third output through a global feedback loop. The feedback circuit generates first and second power supply control signals for controlling the low-speed power supply and the high-speed power supply, respectively, based on a difference between the third output and the predetermined control signal.

Claims

1. A power supply system, comprising:

a low-speed power supply configured to operate in a first frequency range and generate a first output;

a high-speed power supply configured to operate in a second frequency range and generate a second output, a lower end of the second frequency range being at least higher than a lower end of the first frequency range;

a frequency blocking power combiner circuit combining a first power of the first output with a second power of the second output to generate a combined, third output for driving a load, while providing frequency-selective isolation between the first output and the second output; and

a feedback circuit coupled to receive the combined, third output through a feedback loop, the feedback circuit comparing the third output with a predetermined control signal and generating a first power supply control signal for controlling the low-speed power supply and a second power supply control signal for controlling the high-speed power supply based on a difference between the third output and the predetermined control signal.

2. The power supply system of claim 1, wherein the low-speed power supply is a switched mode power supply (SMPS).

3. The power supply system of claim 1, wherein the high-speed power supply is a push-pull regulator.

4. The power supply system of claim 1, wherein the feedback circuit includes an error amplifier comparing the third output with a predetermined control signal to generate the first control signal and the second control signal.

5. The power supply system of claim 1, wherein the feedback circuit includes a low pass filter coupled in series with the low-speed power supply, the first power supply control signal passed through the low pass filter.

6. The power supply system of claim 1, wherein the feedback circuit includes a high pass filter coupled in series with the high-speed power supply, the second power supply control signal passed through the high pass filter.

7. The power supply system of claim 1, wherein the frequency blocking power combiner circuit includes an inductor coupled in series with the first output of the low-speed power supply.

8. The power supply system of claim 7, wherein the frequency blocking power combiner circuit includes a capacitor coupled in series with the second output of the high-speed power supply.

9. The power supply system of claim 1, wherein an output impedance of at least one of the low-speed power supply and the high-speed power supply is set to greater than 10% of a minimum equivalent impedance seen at the load of the power supply system.

10. The power supply system of claim 1, wherein the frequency blocking power combiner circuit includes a transformer including a primary winding with a first node and a second node and a secondary winding with a third node and a fourth node, the first node coupled to receive the first output, the second node coupled to the load, the third node coupled to ground, and the fourth node coupled to receive the second output.

11. The power supply system of claim 10, wherein the frequency blocking power combiner circuit further includes a capacitor coupled to the high-speed power supply and the fourth node of the transformer on one end and the load on another end, the capacitor reducing effects of a primary leakage inductance of the transformer.

12. The power supply system of claim 11, wherein the frequency blocking power combiner circuit further includes a resistor coupled in series between the capacitor and the load.

13. A method of generating power, the method comprising:

generating a first output using a low-speed power supply configured to operate in a first frequency range;

generating a second output using a high-speed power supply configured to operate in a second frequency range, a lower end of the second frequency range being at least higher than a lower end of the first frequency range;

combining a first power of the first output with a second power of the second output to generate a combined, third output while providing frequency-selective isolation between the first output and the second output; and

providing the combined, third output through a feedback loop and comparing the third output with a predetermined control signal to generate a first power supply control signal for controlling the low-speed power supply and a second power supply control signal for controlling the high-speed power supply based on a difference between the third output and the predetermined control signal.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising passing the first power supply control signal through a low pass filter coupled in series with the low-speed power supply.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising passing the second power supply control signal through a high pass filter coupled in series with the high-speed power supply.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising passing the first output through an inductor coupled in series with the low-speed power supply.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising passing the second output through a capacitor coupled in series with the high-speed power supply.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising setting an output impedance of at least one of the low-speed power supply and the high-speed power supply to greater than 10% of a minimum equivalent impedance seen at a load of a power supply system.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the first output and the second output are combined using a transformer including a primary winding with a first node and a second node and a secondary winding with a third node and a fourth node, the first node coupled to receive the first output, the second node coupled to the load, the third node coupled to ground, and the fourth node coupled to receive the second output.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the second output is passed through a capacitor coupled to the high-speed power supply and the fourth node of the transformer on one end and to the load on another end, the capacitor reducing effects of primary leakage inductance of the transformer.

21. A power supply system for providing power supply to a radio frequency (RF) power amplifier, the power supply system comprising:

a low-speed power supply configured to operate in a first frequency range and generate a first output;

a high-speed power supply configured to operate in a second frequency range and generate a second output, a lower end of the second frequency range being at least higher than a lower end of the first frequency range;

a frequency blocking power combiner circuit combining a first power of the first output with a second power of the second output to generate a combined, third output for providing the power supply of the RF power amplifier, while providing frequency-selective isolation between the first output and the second output, the RF power amplifier receiving and amplifying a RF input signal to generate a RF output signal under control of the third output; and

a feedback circuit coupled to receive the RF output signal through a feedback loop, the feedback circuit comparing an amplitude of the RF output signal with a predetermined control signal and generating a first power supply control signal for controlling the low-speed power supply and a second power supply control signal for controlling the high-speed power supply based on a difference between the RF output signal and the predetermined control signal.

22. The power supply system of claim 21, wherein the low-speed power supply is a switched mode power supply (SMPS), and the high-speed power supply is a push-pull regulator.

23. The power supply system of claim 21, wherein the feedback circuit includes a low pass filter coupled in series with the low-speed power supply, the first power supply control signal passed through the low pass filter.

24. The power supply system of claim 21, wherein the frequency blocking power combiner circuit includes an inductor coupled in series with the first output of the low-speed power supply, and a capacitor coupled in series with the second output of the high-speed power supply.