High efficiency variable voltage supply
There is disclosed a power supply stage, comprising: generating means for generating a power supply voltage from a high efficiency variable voltage supply in dependence on a reference signal; adjusting means for receiving the generated power supply voltage, and adapted to provide an adjusted selected power supply voltage tracking the reference signal in dependence thereon.
1. A power supply for generating an output supply voltage, comprising:
a high efficiency variable voltage supply configured to generate an intermediate supply voltage in dependence on a reference signal; and
an adjusting circuit, comprising:
a correction circuit configured to generate an error signal based on the output supply voltage or the intermediate supply voltage; and
a combiner configured to:
combine the intermediate supply voltage and the error signal; and
provide the output supply voltage tracking the reference signal in dependence thereon.
2. The power supply of claim 1 , wherein the error signal represents an error between a desired voltage level and a voltage level of the output supply voltage.
3. The power supply of claim 1 , wherein the error signal is generated in dependence on the output supply voltage.
4. The power supply of claim 1 , wherein the error signal is generated in dependence on a prediction of the output supply voltage.
5. The power supply of claim 1 , wherein the correction circuit is configured to receive a continuous supply modulation.
6. The power supply of claim 1 , wherein the correction circuit is configured to receive a supply switched between pluralities of supplies.
7. The power supply of claim 6 , wherein the correction circuit is a linear Class-G or Class-H amplifier having multiple power supplies.
8. The power supply of claim 1 , wherein the power supply is a variable voltage supply.
9. The power supply of claim 1 , wherein the correction circuit comprises a voltage supply having a lower efficiency than the high efficiency variable voltage supply.
10. The power supply of claim 1 , wherein the output of the power supply provides power to a radio frequency amplifier.
11. A method of generating an output supply voltage, comprising:
generating an intermediate supply voltage in dependence on a reference signal representing a desired output supply voltage level;
generating an error signal representing an error between the desired supply voltage level and a voltage level of the output supply voltage or the intermediate supply voltage; and
combining the error signal and the intermediate supply voltage to provide the output supply voltage.
12. The power supply of claim 1 , further comprising a feedback connection from the output of the combiner to the correction circuit.
13. The power supply of claim 12 , further comprising a tracking control circuit for providing an input to the high efficiency variable voltage supply and the correction circuit, the feedback connection being provided from the output of the combiner to the tracking control circuit.
14. The power supply of claim 13 , wherein the tracking control block receives an input that is representative of a signal to be tracked.
15. The power supply of claim 1 , wherein the inputs to the high efficiency variable supply and the correction circuit are representative of a signal to be tracked.
16. The power supply of claim 1 , wherein the error signal is generated based on a difference between a voltage level of the reference signal and the intermediate supply voltage.
17. The power supply of claim 1 , wherein the high efficiency variable supply switches a voltage level to be applied to the combiner from a plurality of discrete voltage levels.
18. The power supply of claim 1 , wherein the high efficiency variable supply and the correction circuit receive the same input signal.
19. The power supply of claim 1 , wherein the error signal represents an error between the intermediate supply voltage and a desired voltage level.