CONFIGURABLE WIDEBAND SPLIT LNA
Methods and devices addressing design of wideband LNAs with gain modes are disclosed. The disclosed teachings can be used to reconfigure RF receiver front-end to operate in various applications imposing stringent and conflicting requirements. Wideband and narrowband input and output matching with gain modes using a combination of the same hardware and a switching network are also disclosed. The described methods and devices also address carrier aggregation requirements and provide solutions that can be used both in single-mode and split-mode operations.
1 . A radio frequency (RF) receiver front-end comprising:
a reconfigurable low noise amplifier (LNA) block comprising a reconfigurable cascode amplifier and an LNA block output;
an input matching network;
an output matching network comprising a configurable passive output matching network and a source follower amplifier stage; and
a switching network comprising switches within the input matching network, the LNA block, and the output matching network,
wherein:
the RF receiver front-end is adapted to receive an input signal at an RF receiver front-end input and deliver a corresponding output signal at an RF receiver front-end output connectable to a load; and
the switching network is structured to configure or reconfigure the input matching network, the LNA block, LNA block output, and the output matching network to adjust at least gain and bandwidth of the RF receiver front-end.