Methods and devices for thermal control in power amplifier circuits
View Patent ↗Methods of turning on and/or turning off amplifier segments in a scalable periphery amplifier architecture are described in the present disclosure. The turning on and/or turning off the amplifier segments according to the various embodiments of the present can reduce spectral splatter in adjacent channels. In some embodiments, amplifier performance and efficiency can be improved by dissipating heat more uniformly.
1. A method for turning off a subset of amplifier segments in a set of turned on amplifier segments arranged in an integrated circuit so that a distance is established between any two adjacent turned on amplifier segments in the set of turned on amplifier segments the method comprising:
determining a number of amplifier segments to be turned off, thus determining the size of the subset of amplifier segments to be turned off; and
turning off the amplifier segments of the subset of amplifier segments, wherein, upon the turning off, a post-turning off distance between at least two adjacent remaining turned on amplifier segments is greater than a pre-turning off distance between any adjacent turned on amplifier segments.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein
the subset of amplifier segments is half the set of turned on amplifier segments, and
the post-turning off distance between any two adjacent remaining turned on amplifier segments is greater than the pre-turning off distance between any adjacent turned on amplifier segments.
3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
the amplifier segments of the set of turned on amplifier segments are arranged from a first amplifier segment to a last amplifier segment, thus defining even numbered amplifier segments and odd numbered amplifier segments, and
the turning off the amplifier segments comprises turning off all the even numbered amplifier segments or all the odd numbered amplifier segments.
4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
the amplifier segments of the set of turned on amplifier segments comprise a middle set of amplifier segments between two outer sets of amplifier segments, and
the turning off the amplifier segments comprises turning off all the amplifier segments of the middle set of amplifier segments and at least one amplifier segment of each of the outer set of amplifier segments, the turning off the at least one amplifier segment of each of the outer set of amplifier segment establishing, for each of the outer sets of amplifier segment, a post-switching distance between at least two adjacent outer set turned on amplifier segments that is greater than a pre-turning off distance between any adjacent outer set turned on amplifier segments.
5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein
the amplifiers of each outer sets of amplifiers are arranged, for each of the outer sets, from a first outer set amplifier to a last outer set amplifier, thus defining even numbered outer set amplifiers and odd numbered outer set amplifiers, and
the switching off of at least one amplifier of each of the outer set of amplifiers comprises switching off all the even numbered outer set amplifiers or all the odd numbered outer set amplifiers of each outer set.
6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the turning off the subset of amplifier segments distributes heat uniformly across the integrated circuit and lowers the temperature of the integrated circuit.
7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the turning off the subset of amplifier segments is based on selecting the determined number of amplifier segments such as to minimize the temperature of the integrated circuit.
8. A method for turning on amplifier segments from a set of amplifier segments turned off according to the method of claim 1 , the turning on method comprising:
determining a number of amplifier segments to be turned on, thus determining a post-turning on size of the turned on amplifier segments; and
turning on the turned off amplifier segments in a reverse order from which the amplifier segments were turned off.
9. A method of turning on a subset of amplifier segments from a set of turned off amplifier segments, the method comprising:
providing a plurality of amplifier segments in an integrated amplifier circuit, the plurality of amplifier segments being arranged so that a distance between any two amplifier segments of the plurality of amplifier segments is established, wherein one or more amplifier segments of the plurality of amplifier segments are turned off according to a set sequence and a set arrangement; and
turning on the amplifier segments in a substantially similar sequence and arrangement as the set sequence and the set arrangement, the set arrangement being selected to uniformly distribute heat generated from turned on amplifier segments across the integrated amplifier circuit.
10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the set arrangement is every other amplifier segment of the plurality of amplifier segments.
11. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the set arrangement is a group of amplifier segments in a center region of the plurality of amplifier segments.