Design for testability circuitry for radio frequency transmitter circuitry
View Patent ↗The present invention is design for testability (DFT) circuitry used with RF transmitter circuitry to enable RF parameter adjustments, which provide compliance with requirements, to configure the RF transmitter circuitry for a particular application or range of applications, and to permanently store adjustment information, configuration information, or both, in non-volatile memory. The DFT circuitry and the RF transmitter circuitry may be used to form a standard RF module, which can be provided to a number of customers for use in a number of applications. The standard RF module may be adjusted, configured, or both during manufacturing, which may eliminate calibrations, adjustments, or configurations by customers.
1. Radio frequency (RF) circuitry comprising:
non-volatile memory having fusible links wherein the non-volatile memory is programmable by the fusible links and the fusible links are configured in accordance with design for testability (DFT) configuration data that is provided during manufacturing;
DFT circuitry adapted to provide at least one DFT control signal based on the DFT configuration data; and
RF transmitter circuitry adapted to:
select at least one transmitter parameter of the RF transmitter circuitry based on the at least one DFT control signal;
receive an RF transmit input signal; and
provide an RF transmit output signal based on amplifying the RF TX input signal and based on the at least one transmitter parameter.
2. The RF circuitry of claim 1 wherein the RF transmitter circuitry comprises a power amplifier having a low power mode and a high power mode, and to select the at least one transmitter parameter, the RF transmitter circuitry is further adapted to select one of the low power mode and the high power mode during normal operation.
3. The RF circuitry of claim 1 wherein the RF transmitter circuitry comprises a power amplifier having bias circuitry, which provides a plurality of output power ranges from the power amplifier, such that to select the at least one transmitter parameter, the RF transmitter circuitry is further adapted to select one of the plurality of output power ranges during normal operation.
4. The RF circuitry of claim 1 wherein the RF transmitter circuitry comprises impedance matching and load compensation circuitry, which provides a plurality of maximum delivered output power to minimum delivered output power ratios under a plurality of loading conditions, such that to select the at least one transmitter parameter, the RF transmitter circuitry is further adapted to select one of the plurality of ratios during normal operation.
5. The RF circuitry of claim 1 wherein the RF transmitter circuitry comprises a power amplifier and a switching power supply adapted to provide one of a plurality of nominal supply voltages to the power amplifier, and to select the at least one transmitter parameter, the RF transmitter circuitry is further adapted to select one of the plurality of nominal supply voltages during normal operation.
6. The RF circuitry of claim 1 wherein the RF transmitter circuitry comprises a power amplifier and a switching power supply adapted to provide a supply voltage, which has a plurality of supply voltage accuracies to the power amplifier, and to select the at least one transmitter parameter, the RF transmitter circuitry is further adapted to select one of the plurality of supply voltage accuracies during normal operation.
7. The RF circuitry of claim 1 wherein the RF transmitter circuitry comprises a switching power supply adapted to operate at one of a plurality of nominal switching frequencies, and to select the at least one transmitter parameter, the RF transmitter circuitry is further adapted to select one of the plurality of nominal switching frequencies during normal operation.
8. The RF circuitry of claim 1 wherein the RF transmitter circuitry comprises a switching power supply adapted to operate at a switching frequency having a plurality of switching frequency accuracies, and to select the at least one transmitter parameter, the RF transmitter circuitry is further adapted to select one of the plurality of switching frequency accuracies during normal operation.
9. The RF circuitry of claim 1 wherein the RF transmitter circuitry comprises a switching power supply comprising a plurality of selectively enabled switching transistor segments, which are allowed to be disabled, and to select the at least one transmitter parameter, the RF transmitter circuitry is further adapted to select at least one of the plurality of switching transistor segments during normal operation.
10. The RF circuitry of claim 1 wherein the RF transmitter circuitry comprises a switching power supply comprising at least one diode element coupled in parallel with at least one switching transistor element, which is allowed to be disabled, and to select the at least one transmitter parameter, the RF transmitter circuitry is further adapted to select at least one of the at least one switching transistor element during normal operation.
11. The RF circuitry of claim 1 wherein the RF transmitter circuitry comprises a switching power supply comprising frequency dithering circuitry having a plurality of frequency dithering configurations, and to select the at least one transmitter parameter, the RF transmitter circuitry is further adapted to select one of the plurality of frequency dithering configurations during normal operation.
12. The RF circuitry of claim 1 wherein to select the at least one transmitter parameter compensates for manufacturing variations in the RF transmitter circuitry.
13. The RF circuitry of claim 1 wherein to select the at least one transmitter parameter configures the RF transmitter circuitry for a specific application.
14. The RF circuitry of claim 1 wherein the DFT circuitry is further adapted to:
receive a DFT communications input signal from manufacturing test equipment during manufacturing; and
program the fusible links of the non-volatile memory during manufacturing with the DFT configuration data, which is provided by the DFT communications input signal.
15. The RF circuitry of claim 14 wherein the DFT communications input signal is a serial communications signal.
16. The RF circuitry of claim 14 wherein the DFT circuitry comprises at least one node, which is adapted to share the DFT communications input signal with at least one other signal.
17. The RF circuitry of claim 14 wherein:
the DFT circuitry further comprises at least one DFT register, which is programmed with the DFT configuration data during manufacturing based on the DFT communications input signal;
the at the least one DFT control signal is further based on the DFT configuration data stored in the at least one DFT register; and
to select the at least one transmitter parameter of the RF transmitter circuitry is further based on the at least one DFT control signal, which is based on the DFT configuration data stored in the at least one DFT register.
18. The RF circuitry of claim 17 wherein the DFT circuitry is further adapted to provide a DFT communications output signal to the manufacturing test equipment during manufacturing based on contents of at least one of the at least one DFT register and the non-volatile memory.
19. The RF circuitry of claim 17 wherein the DFT circuitry is further adapted to:
receive at least one measurement signal during manufacturing from the RF transmitter circuitry based on the at least one transmitter parameter; and
provide at least one of the at least one measurement signal during manufacturing to the manufacturing test equipment.
20. The RF circuitry of claim 17 wherein the DFT circuitry is further adapted to provide a DFT communications output signal to the manufacturing test equipment during manufacturing based on contents of at least one of the at least one DFT register and the non-volatile memory.
21. The RF circuitry of claim 1 wherein the RF circuitry is provided by a single semiconductor die.
22. The RF circuitry of claim 1 wherein the RF circuitry is provided by at least one semiconductor die mounted to a common substrate.
23. The RF circuitry of claim 1 wherein the RF circuitry is used to form an RF transmitter module.
24. A method comprising:
providing design for testability (DFT) configuration data to non-volatile memory having fusible links during manufacturing by configuring the fusible links;
providing at least one DFT control signal based on the DFT configuration data;
selecting transmitter parameters of radio frequency (RF) transmitter circuitry based on the at least one DFT control signal;
receiving an RF transmit (TX) input signal; and
providing an RF TX output signal based on amplifying the RF TX input signal and based on the transmitter parameters.
25. Radio frequency (RF) circuitry comprising:
non-volatile memory having design for testability (DFT) configuration data that is provided during manufacturing;
DFT circuitry adapted to provide at least one DFT control signal based on the DFT configuration data; and
RF transmitter circuitry adapted to:
select at least one transmitter parameter of the RF transmitter circuitry based on the at least one DFT control signal;
receive an RF transmit input signal;
provide an RF transmit output signal based on amplifying the RF TX input signal and based on the at least one transmitter parameter; and
wherein the RF transmitter circuitry comprises impedance matching and load compensation circuitry, which provides a plurality of maximum delivered output power to minimum delivered output power ratios under a plurality of loading conditions, such that to select the at least one transmitter parameter, the RF transmitter circuitry is further adapted to select one of the plurality of ratios during normal operation.
26. Radio frequency (RF) circuitry comprising:
non-volatile memory having design for testability (DFT) configuration data that is provided during manufacturing;
DFT circuitry adapted to provide at least one DFT control signal based on the DFT configuration data; and
RF transmitter circuitry adapted to:
select at least one transmitter parameter of the RF transmitter circuitry based on the at least one DFT control signal;
receive an RF transmit input signal;
provide an RF transmit output signal based on amplifying the RF TX input signal and based on the at least one transmitter parameter; and
wherein the RF transmitter circuitry comprises a switching power supply comprising at least one diode element coupled in parallel with at least one switching transistor element, which is allowed to be disabled, and to select the at least one transmitter parameter, the RF transmitter circuitry is further adapted to select at least one of the at least one switching transistor element during normal operation.
27. Radio frequency (RF) circuitry comprising:
non-volatile memory having design for testability (DFT) configuration data that is provided during manufacturing;
DFT circuitry adapted to provide at least one DFT control signal based on the DFT configuration data wherein the DFT circuitry further comprises:
at least one DFT register, which is programmed with the DFT configuration data during manufacturing based on the DFT communications input signal;
the at the least one DFT control signal is further based on the DFT configuration data stored in the at least one DFT register;
RF transmitter circuitry adapted to:
receive a DFT communications input signal from manufacturing test equipment during manufacturing;
program the non-volatile memory during manufacturing with the DFT configuration data, which is provided by the DFT communications input signal;
select at least one transmitter parameter of the RF transmitter circuitry based on the at least one DFT control signal;
receive an RF transmit input signal; and
provide an RF transmit output signal based on amplifying the RF TX input signal and based on the at least one transmitter parameter.
28. Radio frequency (RF) circuitry comprising:
non-volatile memory having design for testability (DFT) configuration data that is provided during manufacturing;
DFT circuitry adapted to provide at least one DFT control signal based on the DFT configuration data; and
RF transmitter circuitry adapted to:
select at least one transmitter parameter of the RF transmitter circuitry based on the at least one DFT control signal;
receive an RF transmit input signal;
provide an RF transmit output signal based on amplifying the RF TX input signal and based on the at least one transmitter parameter; and
wherein the RF transmitter circuitry comprises a power amplifier and a switching power supply adapted to provide one of a plurality of nominal supply voltages to the power amplifier, and to select the at least one transmitter parameter, the RF transmitter circuitry is further adapted to select one of the plurality of nominal supply voltages during normal operation.
29. Radio frequency (RF) circuitry comprising:
non-volatile memory having design for testability (DFT) configuration data that is provided during manufacturing;
DFT circuitry adapted to provide at least one DFT control signal based on the DFT configuration data; and
RF transmitter circuitry adapted to:
select at least one transmitter parameter of the RF transmitter circuitry based on the at least one DFT control signal;
receive an RF transmit input signal;
provide an RF transmit output signal based on amplifying the RF TX input signal and based on the at least one transmitter parameter; and
wherein the RF transmitter circuitry comprises a switching power supply comprising frequency dithering circuitry having a plurality of frequency dithering configurations, and to select the at least one transmitter parameter, the RF transmitter circuitry is further adapted to select one of the plurality of frequency dithering configurations during normal operation.