CN219740359U - Radio frequency front end switch module, radio frequency front end chip, transmitter, transceiver and signal processing equipment - Google Patents
Radio frequency front end switch module, radio frequency front end chip, transmitter, transceiver and signal processing equipment Download PDFInfo
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- CN219740359U CN219740359U CN202320719847.XU CN202320719847U CN219740359U CN 219740359 U CN219740359 U CN 219740359U CN 202320719847 U CN202320719847 U CN 202320719847U CN 219740359 U CN219740359 U CN 219740359U
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- 239000000758 substrate Substances 0.000 claims description 14
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Abstract
The utility model provides a radio frequency front end switch module, a radio frequency front end chip, a transmitter, a transceiver and signal processing equipment, wherein the radio frequency front end switch module is arranged as a circuit or a PA chip suitable for power amplification, the radio frequency front end switch module comprises at least two branches arranged in parallel, each branch of the at least two branches comprises a switch component, each switch component enables the corresponding branch of the switch component to be turned on or off based on a received logic control signal, the switch component comprises a series circuit, the series circuit is equivalent to a first component, the switch component comprises a parallel circuit, the parallel circuit is equivalent to a second component, and each branch also comprises an amplifier arranged at the downstream of the switch component.
Description
Technical Field
The present utility model relates to the field of circuit design technologies, and in particular, to a radio frequency front end switch module, a radio frequency front end chip, a transmitter, and a signal processing device.
Background
The switch module is widely applied to the design of wireless communication devices and can be applied to various occasions needing to effectively control the on or off states of radio frequency transmission signals. For example, the switch assembly may be used with a radio frequency front end module in a radio frequency path as shown in fig. 1. The radio frequency path may include a baseband module 101, a radio frequency transceiver module 103, a radio frequency front end module 105, and an antenna 107.
In existing rf paths, when integrating the rf front-end module with the rf switch assembly downstream thereof, particularly in the case of combining CMOS and gallium arsenide (GaAs) processes, relatively bulky connection circuits tend to occur. More typically, in the case of Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO), the integration of the circuit is extremely low and the manufacturing cost is extremely high.
Disclosure of Invention
In order to effectively solve the related technical problems, one aspect of the present utility model provides a radio frequency front end switch module, which is configured as a circuit or a PA chip suitable for power amplification, wherein the radio frequency front end switch module includes at least two branches arranged in parallel;
each of the at least two branches comprises a switch assembly, and each switch assembly enables the corresponding branch to which the switch assembly belongs to be turned on or off based on the received logic control signal;
the switching assembly comprises a series circuit, which is equivalent to a first assembly;
the switch assembly includes a parallel circuit, the parallel circuit being equivalent to a second assembly;
each of the legs further includes an amplifier disposed downstream of the switching assembly.
In some embodiments, the first component comprises: a series transistor, a first resistor, a second resistor, and a third resistor, wherein a first bias voltage is input to a gate of the series transistor through the first resistor, the third resistor is provided between a source and a drain of the series transistor, and the drain of the series transistor is connected to the amplifier. Since the switching assembly employs a series circuit, the series circuit may have a small on-resistance compared to a conventional switching assembly.
In some embodiments, a first bulk voltage is input to the substrate of the series transistor through the second resistor.
In some embodiments, the second component comprises: the device comprises a parallel field effect tube, a fourth resistor, a fifth resistor and a sixth resistor, wherein a second bias voltage is input to a grid electrode of the parallel field effect tube through the fourth resistor, and the sixth resistor is arranged between a source electrode and a drain electrode of the parallel field effect tube. Since the switching assembly employs a parallel circuit, the parallel circuit may have a high power carrying capability compared to conventional switching assemblies.
In some embodiments, a second bulk voltage is input to the parallel field effect transistor substrate through the fifth resistor.
Another aspect of the utility model provides a radio frequency front end chip comprising a radio frequency front end switch module according to some embodiments of the utility model and a power amplifier module disposed downstream of the radio frequency front end switch module.
Yet another aspect of the utility model provides a transmitter comprising a radio frequency front end chip according to some embodiments of the utility model.
Yet another aspect of the utility model provides a transceiver comprising a transmitter according to some embodiments of the utility model.
Yet another aspect of the utility model provides a signal processing apparatus comprising a transceiver according to some embodiments of the utility model.
The foregoing description is only an overview of the present utility model, and is intended to be implemented in accordance with the teachings of the present utility model in order that the same may be more clearly understood and to make the same and other objects, features and advantages of the present utility model more readily apparent.
Drawings
The above, as well as additional purposes, features, and advantages of exemplary embodiments of the present utility model will become readily apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Several embodiments of the present utility model are illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings and in which:
in the drawings, the same or corresponding reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts.
Fig. 1 shows a schematic block diagram of a radio frequency path according to the prior art.
Fig. 2 shows a schematic block diagram of a radio frequency front end switch module according to the present utility model.
Fig. 3 shows an equivalent circuit diagram of a series circuit of switching components according to one embodiment of the utility model.
Fig. 4 shows an equivalent circuit diagram of a parallel circuit of a switching assembly according to one embodiment of the utility model.
Fig. 5 shows a schematic equivalent circuit diagram of a radio frequency front end switch module according to one embodiment of the utility model.
Fig. 6 shows a schematic circuit design of a radio frequency front end chip according to one embodiment of the utility model.
Fig. 7 shows a schematic block diagram of a radio frequency front end switch module according to one embodiment of the utility model.
Fig. 8 shows a schematic block diagram of various devices including a radio frequency front end switch module in accordance with one embodiment of the utility model.
Detailed Description
The principles and spirit of the present utility model will be described below with reference to several exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are presented merely to enable those skilled in the art to better understand and practice the utility model and are not intended to limit the scope of the utility model in any way. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art.
In the existing rf path, the rf front-end switch module is typically connected to the output of the rf front-end module and located downstream of the rf front-end module. Since the existing rf front-end module includes an amplifying circuit module, the output power of the rf front-end module is large (e.g., 23dBm or more), so that the rf switch assembly must be able to withstand rf signals of such power level, or even higher. The larger the power of the radio frequency signal, the larger the voltage swing. For a radio frequency switch assembly this means that the voltage withstand capability of the electronic components used in it must meet a high standard.
Based on the above requirements of working reliability, the design of each module of the existing radio frequency front end based on a pure CMOS process is often complex and the occupied area is larger; in the case of a combination of CMOS and gallium arsenide (GaAs) processes, at least two substrates are required, which results in large area and volume of the chip and extremely high manufacturing costs.
The utility model provides a radio frequency front-end switch module based on a CMOS process, in particular to a radio frequency front-end switch module based on an SOI process. The radio frequency front end switch module can overcome the problems in the prior art.
The following detailed description of specific embodiments of the utility model refers to the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 2 shows a schematic block diagram of a radio frequency front end switch module according to the present utility model. The embodiment can be suitable for on-off control in a radio frequency front end path, in particular for low frequency signals, intermediate frequency signals and high frequency signals for 5G communication. This embodiment may be provided in a radio frequency front end module 105 as shown in fig. 1.
In fig. 2, the radio frequency front end switch module includes a plurality of branches, each of which may include a switch assembly (not shown) and an amplifier (not shown), and specific embodiments of the switch assembly and the amplifier are described below. For example, the rf front-end switch module may include a first branch, a second branch …, and an nth branch, where on/off of each branch is controlled by a logic control signal RFC. Wherein each of the switching components may each include a series circuit and a parallel circuit, which are circuit structures necessary at the time of design and packaging, and, as an example, the switching components include a series circuit equivalent to the first component; the switch assembly includes a parallel circuit that is equivalent to a second assembly. The series circuit and the parallel circuit will be described below, respectively.
Fig. 3 shows an equivalent circuit diagram of a series circuit of switching components according to one embodiment of the utility model. As shown in fig. 3, the series circuit includes a transistor T whose source and drain are connected by a resistor, the gate of the transistor T receiving a logic control signal Vg through a resistor and the substrate of the transistor T receiving a bulk voltage Vb through a resistor.
In some embodiments, the series circuit of switching components may be composed of a plurality of transistor circuits having a series stack structure (also referred to as a "series circuit") formed based on a stack structure of an SOI process. The series circuit may be equivalent to the assembly shown in fig. 3. In some embodiments, the sources and drains of a plurality of transistors in a series circuit are connected to each other.
Fig. 4 shows an equivalent circuit diagram of a parallel circuit of a switching assembly according to one embodiment of the utility model. As shown in fig. 4, the parallel circuit may include a field effect transistor T ', the source and drain of the field effect transistor T' being connected through a resistor, the gate of the field effect transistor T 'receiving a bias voltage Vg through a resistor and the substrate of the field effect transistor T' receiving a bulk voltage Vb through a resistor.
In some embodiments, the parallel circuit of the switch assembly may be composed of a plurality of field effect transistor circuits having a parallel stack structure (also referred to as "parallel circuit") formed based on a stacked structure of an SOI process. The parallel circuit may be equivalent to the components shown in fig. 4. In some embodiments, the gates of the plurality of field effect transistors respectively receive the bias voltage Vg through a plurality of resistors and the substrates of the plurality of field effect transistors respectively receive the bulk voltage Vb through a plurality of resistors.
Fig. 5 shows a schematic equivalent circuit diagram of a radio frequency front end switch module according to one embodiment of the utility model. The embodiment can be suitable for on-off control in a radio frequency front end path, in particular for low frequency signals, intermediate frequency signals and high frequency signals for 5G communication. This embodiment may be provided in a radio frequency front end module 105 as shown in fig. 1.
In fig. 5, the rf front-end switch module includes a plurality of branches, each including a switch as shown in fig. 3 and an amplifier as shown in fig. 4.
Since the same circuit arrangement is provided in each branch, the switch assembly will be described below by taking only the first branch as an example.
The logic control signal RFC is input to the control terminal of the switching element, so that the branch circuit where the switching element is located is turned on or off. Since the series circuit of the switching element is constituted by a plurality of transistor circuits which are relatively complex, the present utility model equates the complex series circuit to include the series transistor T1, the first resistor R11, the second resistor R12, and the third resistor R13. In some embodiments, the control terminal of the switching component may be the source of the series transistor T1, the bias voltage Vg1 is input to the gate of the series transistor T1 through the first resistor R11, the first bulk voltage Vb1 is input to the substrate of the series transistor T1 through the second resistor R12, and the third resistor R13 is disposed between the source and the drain of the series transistor T1.
The first resistor R11 may be a bias resistor. On the premise of ensuring the switching speed, the bias resistor can have a resistance value as large as possible so as to ensure that the transistor T1 is not conducted when high power impacts the transistor T1 in series. In some embodiments, the switching speed refers to a switching speed between frequency bands, such as a 3G to 4G switching or a 4G to 5G switching. In some embodiments, each leg may be adapted for a different radio frequency signal. In some embodiments, the scenario where a handoff is required may be when the transmitter suddenly finds that a 5G signal is present, and the transmitter is to quickly access the 5G from the 4G. The switch on the leg for 5G is open and the switch on the leg for 4G is open. Since a current surge (small current to large current) occurs during switching and the switch on the branch for 4G needs to be turned off at this time, a large bias resistance is required to prevent the switch on the branch for 4G from being turned on again.
The first bulk voltage Vb1 is used to control the threshold voltage Vt of the cascode transistor T1, and the voltage of the logic control signal Vg1 needs to exceed the threshold voltage Vt to turn on the source and drain of the cascode transistor T1. A differential voltage may be formed between the first bulk voltage Vb1 and the logic control signal Vg1 to more precisely control the on or off of the cascode transistor T1.
Since the parallel circuit may be composed of a plurality of field effect transistor circuits that are relatively complex, the present utility model equates the complex amplifier circuit to include a parallel field effect transistor T1', a fourth resistor R14, a fifth resistor R15, and a sixth resistor R16.
The bias voltage Vg1_b is input to the gate of the parallel fet T1' through the fourth resistor R14, the second bulk voltage Vb1_b is input to the substrate of the parallel fet T1' through the fifth resistor R15, and the sixth resistor R16 is provided between the source and the drain of the parallel fet T1 '.
The second bulk voltage Vb1_b is used to control the threshold voltage Vt_b of the parallel FET T1', and the bias voltage Vg1_b needs to exceed the threshold voltage Vt_b to turn on the source and drain of the parallel FET T1'. A differential voltage may be formed between the second bulk voltage vb1_b and the bias voltage Vg1_b to more precisely control the on or off of the series transistor T1'.
The output of the first branch may be a radio frequency output signal RF1.
In some embodiments, the switch may be formed from exactly the same plurality of transistor circuits, or may be formed from different pluralities of transistor circuits; the amplifier may be composed of a plurality of identical field effect transistor circuits or may be composed of a plurality of different field effect transistor circuits.
Fig. 6 shows a schematic circuit design of a radio frequency front end chip according to one embodiment of the utility model. One of the rf front-end switch modules in the rf front-end chip includes two branches, and the rf front-end switch module is controlled by the control signal ctl_lb to process the low-frequency signal LBIN received from the terminal, and the output signals of the two branches are the signal LBOUT1 and the signal LBOUT2, respectively. The other rf front-end switch module in the rf front-end chip includes three branches, and the rf front-end switch module is controlled by the control signal ctl_mb to process the intermediate frequency signal MBIN received from the terminal, and output signals of the three branches are the signal MBOUT1, the signal MBOUT2, and the signal LBOUT3, respectively.
Fig. 7 shows a schematic block diagram of a radio frequency front end switch module according to one embodiment of the utility model. The radio frequency front end switch module comprises six branches, and an amplifier is connected to the downstream of each branch. A power amplifier module may be disposed downstream of the rf front-end switch module.
Fig. 8 shows a schematic block diagram of various devices including a radio frequency front end switch module in accordance with one embodiment of the utility model. As can be seen from fig. 8, the radio frequency front end switch module 80 may be comprised in a radio frequency front end chip 81, the radio frequency front end chip 81 may be comprised in a transmitter 82, the transmitter 82 may be comprised in a transceiver 83, and the transceiver 83 may be comprised in a signal processing device 84.
The circuit structure proposed by the present utility model may be referred to as a one-shot (single pole x throw) structure. The circuit structure can enable an input radio frequency signal to enter a plurality of branches. In some embodiments, the circuit structure of the rf front-end switch module may generally include two branches (i.e., "one-to-two (single pole two throw)" structure), three branches (i.e., "one-to-three (single pole three throw)" structure), or six branches (i.e., "one-to-six (single pole six throw)" structure, as shown in fig. 7).
In some embodiments, a power amplifier module may be provided downstream of the various radio frequency front end switch modules according to the present utility model. In some embodiments, the power amplifier module may include one or more power amplifiers (particularly field effect transistors).
The radio frequency front end switch module according to the embodiment of the utility model can be integrated in the radio frequency front end module/the radio frequency front end chip.
In the present utility model, the rf front-end switch module may include a switch having a transistor series stacked structure when actually packaged. To achieve minimum on-resistance, reduce impedance, and increase current through the switch, the switch is therefore designed to use large-sized transistors, as the chip area allows; on the other hand, the radio frequency front-end switch module further comprises a parallel stacking structure of field effect transistors. The purpose of the parallel stack structure is to achieve a minimum off capacitance and a higher power carrying capacity in the off mode. In summary, a person skilled in the art can flexibly select the number of stacked transistors/field effect transistors according to the scheme of the present utility model, thereby achieving the best performance.
Compared with the prior art, the utility model has the advantages that the radio frequency front end switch module and the power amplification module can be integrated on one substrate due to the SOI technology, and the technical prejudice that the radio frequency switch module according to the prior art can only be singly sliced is overcome (namely, the radio frequency switch module according to the prior art is manufactured on one single substrate, so that the radio frequency switch module and the chip of the power amplification module can keep a certain distance so as to reduce mutual interference). Therefore, based on the structure and the design, the scheme of the utility model not only can improve the integration level of the chip/substrate, but also ensures the performance of the obtained chip/substrate.
While the spirit and principles of the present utility model have been described with reference to several particular embodiments, it is to be understood that the utility model is not limited to the disclosed embodiments nor does it imply that features of the various aspects are not useful in combination, nor are they useful in any combination, such as for convenience of description. The utility model is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
Claims (9)
1. A radio frequency front end switch module configured as a circuit or PA chip adapted for power amplification, the radio frequency front end switch module comprising: at least two branches arranged in parallel, each of the at least two branches comprising a switch assembly;
each switch component turns on or off a corresponding branch to which the switch component belongs based on the received logic control signal;
the switching assembly comprises a series circuit, which is equivalent to a first assembly;
the switch assembly includes a parallel circuit, the parallel circuit being equivalent to a second assembly;
each of the legs further includes an amplifier disposed downstream of the switching assembly.
2. The radio frequency front end switch module of claim 1, wherein the first component comprises: a series transistor, a first resistor, a second resistor, and a third resistor, and wherein a first bias voltage is input to a gate of the series transistor through the first resistor, the third resistor is provided between a source and a drain of the series transistor, and the drain of the series transistor is connected to the amplifier.
3. The radio frequency front end switch module of claim 2 wherein a first bulk voltage is input to the substrate of the series transistor through the second resistor.
4. The radio frequency front end switch module of claim 2, wherein the second component comprises: and a parallel field effect transistor, a fourth resistor, a fifth resistor and a sixth resistor, wherein a second bias voltage is input to the grid electrode of the parallel field effect transistor through the fourth resistor, and the sixth resistor is arranged between the source electrode and the drain electrode of the parallel field effect transistor.
5. The rf front-end switch module of claim 4, wherein a second bulk voltage is input to the parallel fet substrate through the fifth resistor.
6. A radio frequency front end chip comprising a radio frequency front end switch module according to any of claims 1-5 and a power amplifier module arranged downstream of the radio frequency front end switch module.
7. A transmitter comprising the radio frequency front end chip of claim 6.
8. A transceiver comprising the transmitter of claim 7.
9. A signal processing apparatus comprising a transceiver according to claim 8.
Priority Applications (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CN202320719847.XU CN219740359U (en) | 2023-03-30 | 2023-03-30 | Radio frequency front end switch module, radio frequency front end chip, transmitter, transceiver and signal processing equipment |
| US18/453,578 US20240195368A1 (en) | 2022-12-08 | 2023-08-22 | Rf front-end chip, rf switch module, and rf communication device |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CN202320719847.XU CN219740359U (en) | 2023-03-30 | 2023-03-30 | Radio frequency front end switch module, radio frequency front end chip, transmitter, transceiver and signal processing equipment |
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| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CN219740359U true CN219740359U (en) | 2023-09-22 |
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| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CN202320719847.XU Active CN219740359U (en) | 2022-12-08 | 2023-03-30 | Radio frequency front end switch module, radio frequency front end chip, transmitter, transceiver and signal processing equipment |
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| Country | Link |
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| CN (1) | CN219740359U (en) |
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- 2023-03-30 CN CN202320719847.XU patent/CN219740359U/en active Active
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