Systems and methods of RF power transmission, modulation, and amplification, including architectural embodiments of same
Methods and systems for vector combining power amplification are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a plurality of signals are individually amplified, then summed to form a desired time-varying complex envelope signal. Phase and/or frequency characteristics of one or more of the signals are controlled to provide the desired phase, frequency, and/or amplitude characteristics of the desired time-varying complex envelope signal. In another embodiment, a time-varying complex envelope signal is decomposed into a plurality of constant envelope constituent signals. The constituent signals are amplified equally or substantially equally, and then summed to construct an amplified version of the original time-varying envelope signal. Embodiments also perform frequency up-conversion.
1. An apparatus for RF power transmission, modulation, and amplification, comprising:
a digital control module; and
analog circuitry coupled to said digital control module;
wherein said digital control module comprises:
an input interface;
an output interface; and
a state machine;
wherein said analog circuitry comprises:
a plurality of circuit signal paths, each of said circuit signal paths enabling RF transmission in a respective frequency band; wherein each of said circuit signal paths comprises:
one or more output paths, each of said output paths enabling RF transmission according to a respective technology mode;
an input stage for receiving data from said digital control module;
vector modulation circuitry; and
one or more amplification stages.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said output paths comprise output paths for Frequency Division Duplexing (FDD) based technology modes.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said output paths comprise output paths for Time Division Duplexing (TDD) based technology modes.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said output paths comprise output paths for one or more of:
(a) GSM;
(b) EDGE;
(c) WCDMA; and
(d) CDMA 2000.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising one or more digital-to-analog converters to couple said digital control module to said analog circuitry.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said input stage of said analog circuitry further comprises one or more of:
one or more interpolation filters;
one or more anti-aliasing filters; and
one or more switches to couple said input stage to said vector modulation circuitry.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said vector modulation circuitry comprises a plurality of vector modulators.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said vector modulation circuitry comprises a plurality of mixers.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said vector modulation circuitry comprises a plurality of phase shifters.
10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said amplification stages comprises one or more of:
(i) a pre-driver amplification stage;
(ii) a driver amplification stage; and
(iii) a power amplification (PA) stage.
11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein said analog circuitry further comprises one or more of:
power supply circuitry configured to control and deliver power to circuitry of said analog circuitry;
amplification stage protection circuitry;
feedback circuitry configured to generate and provide feedback signals to said digital control module;
amplification stage bias circuitry; and
an output switching circuitry, said output switching circuitry configured to couple an active circuit signal path of said analog circuitry to a desired output path of said analog circuitry.
12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein said power supply circuitry comprises one or more of:
(a) power supply circuitry configured to control power of active circuit signal paths of said analog circuitry;
(b) driver amplification stage power supply circuitry configured to control power of active driver amplification stages of said analog circuitry;
(c) output stage power supply circuitry configured to control power of active power amplifications stage of said analog circuitry; and
(d) vector modulation power supply circuitry configured to control power of active vector modulation circuitry of said analog circuitry.
13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein said power supply circuitry comprises voltage controlled power supply circuitry.
14. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein said amplification stage protection circuitry comprises Voltage-Standing-Wave-Ratio (VSWR) protection circuitry.
15. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein said amplification stage protection circuitry is coupled to inputs of said power amplification stage.
16. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein said amplification stage protection circuitry enable an isolator-free WCDMA output path in said analog circuitry.
17. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein said feedback circuitry comprises one or more of:
error correction and/or compensation feedback circuitry configured to measure phase and amplitude errors between branches of said PA stage and provide said measured errors to said digital control module; and
output power feedback circuitry configured to measure output power of said apparatus and provide said measured output power to said digital control module.
18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein said error correction and/or compensation circuitry comprises a differential branch phase measurement circuitry and a differential branch amplitude measurement circuitry, coupled to inputs of said PA stage.
19. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein said amplification stage bias circuitry comprises one or more of:
driver stage autobias circuitry coupled to inputs of said driver amplification stage; and
output stage autobias circuitry coupled to inputs of said power amplification stage.
20. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein said amplification stages, said output switching circuitry, said amplification stage protection circuitry, and portions of said feedback circuitry are fabricated using Silicon-Germanium (SiGe).
21. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein said amplification stages are fabricated using Silicon-Germanium (SiGe) and said output switching circuitry is fabricated using Gallium-Arsenide (GaAs).
22. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein said power amplification (PA) stage and said output switching circuitry are fabricated using Gallium-Arsenide (GaAs) and said pre-driver amplification stage, said driver amplification stage, said amplification stage protection circuitry, and portions of said feedback circuitry are fabricated using Silicon-Gen ianium (SiGe).
23. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein said power amplification (PA) stage, said driver amplification stage, and said output switching circuitry are fabricated using Gallium-Arsenide (GaAs) and said pre-driver amplification stage, said amplification protection circuitry, and portions of said feedback circuitry are fabricated using Silicon-Germanium (SiGe).
24. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein said amplification stages and said output switching circuitry are fabricated using Gallium-Arsenide (GaAs).
25. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein portions of said analog circuitry are fabricated using (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) CMOS material.
26. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said amplification stages comprise a multiple input single output (MISO) amplifier.
27. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein portions of each of said circuit signal paths of said analog circuitry are fabricated using one or more of:
(a) Silicon-Germanium (SiGe);
(b) Gallium-Arsenide (GaAs); and
(c) (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) CMOS material.