Apparatus and method for current sensing using a wire bond

1. An apparatus for sensing power amplifier current, comprising:

a system voltage source that is used to develop a reference voltage;

a wire bond structure connected between the system voltage source and a power amplifier, where a sense voltage developed across the wire bond structure is indicative of a current flowing through the power amplifier; and

a current source configured to compensate the reference voltage for changes in resistance of the wire bond structure due to a temperature coefficient of the wire bond structure; and

a comparator configured to receive the reference voltage and the sense voltage so as to compare the current flowing through the power amplifier to a current limit threshold, the comparator configured to generate a saturation control signal for reducing a bias applied to the power amplifier when the sense voltage exceeds the reference voltage so as to clamp the current flowing through the power amplifier at the current limit threshold.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a capacitor electrically connected between an inverting input of the comparator and an output of the comparator, the capacitor configured to integrate the output of the comparator over time.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising a parasitic resistance in series with the wire bond structure, the parasitic resistance contributing to the sense voltage.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , in which the current source develops a reference current comprising a proportional to absolute temperature current that is multiplied by a gain factor.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 , in which the saturation control signal is one of a current signal and a voltage signal.

6. A portable transceiver having a wire bond structure for sensing power amplifier current, comprising:

a transmitter operatively coupled to a receiver;

a system voltage source that is used to develop a reference voltage;

a wire bond structure connected between the system voltage source and a power amplifier, where a sense voltage developed across the wire bond structure is indicative of a current flowing through the power amplifier;

a current source configured to compensate the reference voltage for changes in resistance of the wire bond structure due to a temperature coefficient of the wire bond structure; and

a comparator configured to receive the reference voltage and the sense voltage so as to compare the current flowing through the power amplifier to a current limit threshold, the comparator configured to generate a saturation control signal for reducing a bias applied to the power amplifier when the sense voltage exceeds the reference voltage so as to clamp the current flowing through the power amplifier at the current limit threshold.

7. The portable transceiver of claim 6 , further comprising:

a capacitor electrically connected between an inverting input of the comparator and an output of the comparator, the capacitor configured to integrate the output of the comparator over time.

8. The portable transceiver of claim 7 , further comprising a parasitic resistance in series with the wire bond structure, the parasitic resistance contributing to the sense voltage.

9. The portable transceiver of claim 7 , in which the current source develops a reference current comprising a proportional to absolute temperature current that is multiplied by a gain factor.

10. The portable transceiver of claim 7 , in which the saturation control signal is one of a current signal and a voltage signal.

11. A method for sensing power amplifier current, comprising:

providing a current to a power amplifier;

sensing the current provided to the power amplifier using a wire bond structure;

developing a sense voltage from the current sensed by the wire bond architecture;

determining whether the sense voltage exceeds a reference voltage;

compensating the reference voltage for changes in resistance of the wire bond structure due to a temperature coefficient of the wire bond structure; and

when the sense voltage exceeds the reference voltage, reducing a bias to the power amplifier so as to clamp the current flowing through the power amplifier at a current limit threshold.

12. The method of claim 11 , in which the determining comprises comparing the sense voltage to the reference voltage.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

developing a saturation control signal representing a difference between the reference voltage and the sense voltage; and

using the saturation control signal to reduce a bias applied to the power amplifier when the sense voltage exceeds the reference voltage.

14. An apparatus for sensing current, comprising:

a system voltage source that is used to develop a reference voltage;

a wire bond structure connected between the system voltage source and a current consuming element, where a sense voltage developed across the wire bond structure is indicative of a current flowing through the current consuming element;

a current source configured to compensate the reference voltage for changes in resistance of the wire bond structure due to a temperature coefficient of the wire bond structure; and

a comparator configured to receive the reference voltage and the sense voltage so as to compare the current flowing through the power amplifier to a current limit threshold, the comparator configured to generate a saturation control signal for reducing a bias applied to the power amplifier when the sense voltage exceeds the reference voltage so as to clamp the current flowing through the power amplifier at the current limit threshold.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising:

a capacitor electrically connected between an inverting input of the comparator and an output of the comparator, the capacitor configured to integrate the output of the comparator over time.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , further comprising:

a current source configured to compensate the reference voltage for changes in resistance of the wire bond structure due to a temperature coefficient of the wire bond structure.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , in which the current source develops a reference current comprising a proportional to absolute temperature current that is multiplied by a gain factor.