Devices with signal characteristic dependent control circuitry and methods of operation therefor
View Patent ↗An embodiment of a device includes a terminal, an active transistor die electrically coupled to the terminal, a detector configured to sense a signal characteristic on the terminal, and control circuitry electrically coupled to the active transistor die and to the detector, wherein the active transistor die, detector, and control circuitry are coupled to a package. The control circuitry may include a control element and a control device. Based on the signal characteristic, the control circuitry controls which of multiple operating states the device operates. A method for controlling the operating state of the device includes sensing, using the detector, a signal characteristic at the terminal, and determining, using the control device, whether the signal characteristic conforms to a pre-set criteria, and when the signal characteristic does not conform to the pre-set criteria, modifying the state of the control element to alter the operating state of the device.
1. A device comprising:
a package that includes a terminal for receiving a first input signal;
an active transistor die coupled to the package and electrically coupled to the terminal, wherein the active transistor die is configured to receive a second input signal corresponding to the first input signal, and to amplify the second input signal to produce an output signal;
a detector, coupled to the package and electrically coupled to the terminal, and configured to sense a signal characteristic of the first input signal, and to produce one or more detector signals indicating the signal characteristic; and
control circuitry, coupled to the package and electrically coupled to the active transistor die and to the detector, wherein the control circuitry is configured to acquire the one or more detector signals indicating the signal characteristic from the detector, to estimate, based on the one or more detector signals, an out-of-band power level in one or more out-of-band frequency ranges, and when the out-of-band power level is estimated to exceed a pre-determined level, to reduce a power level of the first input signal to produce the second input signal.
2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the signal characteristic includes one or more characteristics selected from voltage, current, charge, frequency, power level, average power, peak power, peak power to average power ratio, linearity, noise power, and phase.
3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the detector comprises:
one or more power detection circuits; and
one or more filters electrically coupled to the one or more power detection circuits, wherein the one or more filters are configured to allow sensing the average power in one or more in-band frequency ranges and in the one or more out-of-band frequency ranges.
4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the one or more filters comprise:
a band-pass bulk acoustic wave filter coupled to the power detection circuit to sense the average power level in at least one of the one or more in-band frequency ranges.
5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the terminal includes an input terminal.
6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry comprises:
a control element, coupled to the package and electrically coupled to the active transistor die; and
a control device, coupled to the package and electrically coupled to the detector and to the control element, wherein the control device is configured to acquire the one or more detector signals indicating the signal characteristic from the detector, and based on the signal characteristic, to cause the control element to control in which of multiple operating states the device operates.
7. The device of claim 6 , wherein the control element comprises one or more elements selected from a variable gain stage, a switch element, and a tuning element.
8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to acquire, from the detector, a power level sensed in one or more in-band frequency ranges and to acquire, from the detector, a second signal characteristic sensed in the one or more out-of-band frequency ranges.
9. A device comprising:
a package that includes a terminal;
an active transistor die coupled to the package and electrically coupled to the terminal;
a detector, coupled to the package and electrically coupled to the terminal, and configured to sense a signal characteristic on the terminal; and
control circuitry, coupled to the package and electrically coupled to the active transistor die and to the detector, wherein the control circuitry is configured to acquire the signal characteristic from the detector, and based on the signal characteristic, to control in which of multiple operating states the device operates, wherein the control circuitry includes
a control element, coupled to the package and electrically coupled to the active transistor die, and
a control device, coupled to the package and electrically coupled to the detector and to the control element, wherein the control device is configured to acquire the signal characteristic from the detector, and based on the signal characteristic, to cause the control element to control in which of the multiple operating states the device operates, and wherein, in one of the multiple operating states, the control element is configured to reduce electrical coupling between the active transistor die and the terminal when the control device becomes inactive or otherwise loses electrical coupling between the control device and control element.
10. A device comprising:
a package that includes a terminal;
an active transistor die coupled to the package and electrically coupled to the terminal;
a detector, coupled to the package and electrically coupled to the terminal, and configured to sense a signal characteristic on the terminal; and
control circuitry, coupled to the package and electrically coupled to the active transistor die and to the detector, wherein the control circuitry is configured to acquire the signal characteristic from the detector, and based on the signal characteristic, to control in which of multiple operating states the device operates, wherein the control circuitry includes
a control element, coupled to the package and electrically coupled to the active transistor die, and
a control device, coupled to the package and electrically coupled to the detector and to the control element, wherein the control device is configured to acquire the signal characteristic from the detector, and based on the signal characteristic, to cause the control element to control in which of the multiple operating states the device operates, and
wherein the control circuitry is configured to reduce the power level in at least one of one or more out-of-band frequency ranges if the power level in at least one of the one or more out-of-band frequency ranges exceeds a pre-determined level for a pre-determined period of time.
11. A microwave transistor device comprising:
a package that includes an input terminal for receiving an input signal, and an output terminal;
an active transistor die coupled to the package and electrically coupled to the input terminal and the output terminal;
a detector, wherein the detector is coupled to the package and electrically coupled to the input terminal, and the detector is configured to sense power levels in one or more out-of-band frequency ranges;
a control device comprising a microcontroller, wherein the control device is coupled to the package and electrically coupled to the detector, and is configured to acquire one or more signals indicating the power levels from the detector; and
a control element comprising an active variable gain stage, wherein the control element is coupled to the package and electrically coupled to the input terminal, the active transistor die, and the control device, and wherein the control device is further configured to estimate, based on the one or more signals indicating the power levels, an out-of-band power level, and to reduce a gain applied by the control element to the input signal when the out-of-band power level is estimated to exceed a pre-determined level.
12. The microwave transistor device of claim 11 further comprising a coupler that electrically couples the input terminal to the detector.
13. The microwave transistor device of claim 11 wherein the detector comprises two or more power detection circuits, wherein a first power detection circuit is electrically coupled to a bandpass filter.
14. The microwave transistor device of claim 11 wherein the bandpass filter comprises a bulk acoustic wave filter.
15. The microwave transistor device of claim 11 wherein the detector is further configured to sense one or more power levels in one or more in-band frequency ranges.
16. The microwave transistor device of claim 11 wherein the control device is further configured to acquire one or more power levels in one or more in-band frequency ranges from the detector.
17. A method of controlling an operating state of a device that includes a package, a terminal for receiving a first input signal coupled to the package, and an active transistor die coupled to the package, the method comprising the steps of:
sensing, using a detector electrically coupled to the terminal and coupled to the package, a signal characteristic of the first input signal;
producing, by the detector, one or more detector signals indicating the signal characteristic;
acquiring, using a control device electrically coupled to the detector and coupled to the package, the one or more detector signals indicating the signal characteristic;
estimating, using the control device and based on the one or more detector signals, an out-of-band power level in one or more out-of-band frequency ranges; and
when the out-of-band power level is estimated to exceed a pre-determined level, modifying, using the control device, a state of a control element electrically coupled to the active transistor die to reduce a power level of the first input signal to produce a second input signal that is provided to the active transistor die.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein sensing the signal characteristic comprises sensing a power level at the terminal.
19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the control element is configured as a variable gain stage, and modifying the state of the control element comprises reducing a gain of the variable gain stage when the power level in one or more out-of-band frequency ranges exceeds a pre-determined value.
20. A method of controlling an operating state of a device that includes a package, a terminal coupled to the package, and an active transistor die coupled to the package, the method comprising the steps of:
sensing, using a detector electrically coupled to the terminal and coupled to the package, a signal characteristic at the terminal, wherein sensing the signal characteristic comprises sensing a power level at the terminal;
acquiring, using a control device electrically coupled to the detector and coupled to the package, the signal characteristic;
determining, using the control device, whether the signal characteristic conforms to a pre-set criteria, wherein determining whether the signal characteristic conforms to the pre-set criteria comprises comparing an average input power to the device at the terminal in an in-band frequency range to an average input power at the terminal in one or more out-of-band frequency ranges; and
when the signal characteristic does not conform to the pre-set criteria, modifying, using the control device, a state of a control element electrically coupled to the active transistor die to alter the operating state of the device.
21. A method of controlling an operating state of a device that includes a package, a terminal coupled to the package, and an active transistor die coupled to the package, the method comprising the steps of:
sensing, using a detector electrically coupled to the terminal and coupled to the package, a signal characteristic at the terminal, wherein sensing the signal characteristic comprises sensing a power level at the terminal;
acquiring, using a control device electrically coupled to the detector and coupled to the package, the signal characteristic;
determining, using the control device, whether the signal characteristic conforms to a pre-set criteria; and
when the signal characteristic does not conform to the pre-set criteria, modifying, using the control device, a state of a control element electrically coupled to the active transistor die to alter the operating state of the device, wherein the control element is configured as a switch, the pre-set criteria relates to an output signal from the active transistor die exceeding an estimated power level in one or more out-of-band frequency ranges, and modifying the state of the control element comprises actuating the switch to substantially reduce electrical coupling between the terminal and the active transistor die when the estimated power level in the one or more out-of-band frequency ranges exceeds a pre-determined value.
22. The method of claim 21 , further comprising:
causing the control element to reduce a gain applied by the device to a pre-determined level when the control device is not active or otherwise in electrical communication with the control element.