US20090195307A1 - Multiple-path power amplifier - Google Patents
Multiple-path power amplifier Download PDFInfo
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- US20090195307A1 US20090195307A1 US12/025,005 US2500508A US2009195307A1 US 20090195307 A1 US20090195307 A1 US 20090195307A1 US 2500508 A US2500508 A US 2500508A US 2009195307 A1 US2009195307 A1 US 2009195307A1
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H03—ELECTRONIC CIRCUITRY
- H03F—AMPLIFIERS
- H03F1/00—Details of amplifiers with only discharge tubes, only semiconductor devices or only unspecified devices as amplifying elements
- H03F1/02—Modifications of amplifiers to raise the efficiency, e.g. gliding Class A stages, use of an auxiliary oscillation
- H03F1/0205—Modifications of amplifiers to raise the efficiency, e.g. gliding Class A stages, use of an auxiliary oscillation in transistor amplifiers
- H03F1/0277—Selecting one or more amplifiers from a plurality of amplifiers
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H03—ELECTRONIC CIRCUITRY
- H03F—AMPLIFIERS
- H03F1/00—Details of amplifiers with only discharge tubes, only semiconductor devices or only unspecified devices as amplifying elements
- H03F1/56—Modifications of input or output impedances, not otherwise provided for
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H03—ELECTRONIC CIRCUITRY
- H03F—AMPLIFIERS
- H03F3/00—Amplifiers with only discharge tubes or only semiconductor devices as amplifying elements
- H03F3/20—Power amplifiers, e.g. Class B amplifiers, Class C amplifiers
- H03F3/24—Power amplifiers, e.g. Class B amplifiers, Class C amplifiers of transmitter output stages
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H03—ELECTRONIC CIRCUITRY
- H03F—AMPLIFIERS
- H03F3/00—Amplifiers with only discharge tubes or only semiconductor devices as amplifying elements
- H03F3/72—Gated amplifiers, i.e. amplifiers which are rendered operative or inoperative by means of a control signal
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H03—ELECTRONIC CIRCUITRY
- H03F—AMPLIFIERS
- H03F2200/00—Indexing scheme relating to amplifiers
- H03F2200/387—A circuit being added at the output of an amplifier to adapt the output impedance of the amplifier
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H03—ELECTRONIC CIRCUITRY
- H03F—AMPLIFIERS
- H03F2203/00—Indexing scheme relating to amplifiers with only discharge tubes or only semiconductor devices as amplifying elements covered by H03F3/00
- H03F2203/72—Indexing scheme relating to gated amplifiers, i.e. amplifiers which are rendered operative or inoperative by means of a control signal
- H03F2203/7236—Indexing scheme relating to gated amplifiers, i.e. amplifiers which are rendered operative or inoperative by means of a control signal the gated amplifier being switched on or off by putting into parallel or not, by choosing between amplifiers by (a ) switch(es)
Definitions
- Power amplifier circuits are a significant source of power consumption in wireless devices.
- One application example where such power consumption is particularly evident is in the transmitter circuit of a wireless device which may employ a power amplifier that boosts a signal for radio transmission.
- Sufficient power is needed to make an effective radio communication link between the wireless device and its receiver.
- the power required for satisfactory transmission may vary depending on factors such as; the distance between the transmitting and receiving antennas, and the presence of obstacles that may interference with the radio path.
- the power amplifier must thus be capable of operating over varying power levels or multiple power ranges with the least amount of power consumption so that the wireless device functionality can be extended before the battery needs replacement or recharge.
- FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a prior art low power wireless system 100 including a low power wireless device 105 .
- the low power wireless device includes a power amplifier 120 to explain one example of the use of a power amplifier using a wireless device transmitter circuit and the importance of reducing the power consumed by power amplifiers.
- the input of power amplifier 120 is coupled to an output of a remainder of wireless device 110 .
- the input to remainder of wireless device 110 is coupled to the output of a linear amplifier 130 .
- a battery 180 for supplying electrical power is coupled to remainder of wireless device 110 , power amplifier 120 , and linear amplifier 130 .
- the output of power amplifier 120 and the input of linear amplifier 130 are coupled to a transmit receive switch 160 .
- Transmit receive switch 160 is coupled to an antenna 170 which emits and receives radio communication waves 185 to and from an antenna 190 which is external of low power wireless device 105 and coupled to a wireless device infrastructure 195 . Transmit receive switch 160 receives instructions (not shown) from the wireless device.
- Examples of low power wireless device 105 include a cell phone, a headset, a computer mouse, or a laptop computer, to name just a few applications.
- Examples of wireless device infrastructure 195 include a cellular relay tower coupled to a phone network, a television coupled to a broadcast network, a personal computer, and a wireless router connected to the internet.
- switch 160 closes the switch between power amplifier 120 and antenna 170 while opening the receive path to linear amplifier 130 .
- To receive information switch 160 opens the switch between power amplifier 120 and antenna 170 while closing the switch to enable the receive path to linear amplifier 130 .
- Radio communication between the wireless device and the wireless device infrastructure enable communication with great user convenience. That convenience ends when battery 180 runs out of charge and needs to be either replaced or recharged. Longer battery lifetime produces higher consumer satisfaction and reduces hazardous waste in the environment.
- Power amplifier 120 draws a significant amount of power from the battery during transmit operation of the wireless device so it is important to optimize the amplifier's power efficiency.
- the low power wireless device may have coupled to it a plurality of antennas.
- low power amplifiers that operate over a wide range of power are useful in non-wireless applications such as hearing aids, ear phones, portable instrumentation, and other electronic applications.
- the present invention is an amplifier circuit, including; a strong amplifier, a weak amplifier, an impedance transformation circuit, and a control circuit.
- the strong amplifier has an input node and an output node and is efficient over a first power range.
- the weaker amplifier is efficient over a second power range and is connected to the input node of the strong amplifier.
- the second range of power is lower than the first range of power.
- the impedance transformation circuit is connected to the output of the weaker amplifier.
- the impedance transformation circuit increases the impedance to generate a higher potential at the output node of the first amplifier and provides increased efficiency over the second power range.
- the control circuit turns on the strong amplifier when the first power range is present and turns on the weaker amplifier when the second power range is present.
- FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art low power wireless system using a power amplifier
- FIG. 2 illustrates a first embodiment of a multiple-path amplifier circuit according to the invention
- FIG. 3 illustrates a second embodiment of a multiple-path amplifier circuit according to the invention.
- FIG. 4 illustrates a fourth embodiment of a multiple-path amplifier circuit according to the invention.
- FIG. 2 illustrates a first embodiment of a multiple-path amplifier circuit 200 with reduced power consumption using two power amplifier paths.
- An input 210 node to the multiple-path amplifier circuit 200 is coupled to the input of a strong power amplifier (PA) 220 .
- Strong power amplifier 220 is most efficient over a certain power range.
- the output of strong power amplifier 220 is coupled directly to an output 230 node of multiple-path amplifier circuit 200 .
- Input 210 is also coupled to the input of a weak power amplifier 240 .
- Weak power amplifier 240 is most efficient over a lower power range than the certain power range for strong PA 220 .
- the output of weak power amplifier 240 is coupled to an impedance transformation circuit 250 .
- Impedance transformation circuit 250 is coupled to output 230 .
- the input of a control circuit 260 is coupled to a low power device 270 .
- Outputs from control circuit 260 are coupled to both strong power amplifier 220 and weak power amplifier 240 .
- two or more power amplifiers with corresponding amplifier circuit paths are included, and each path is optimized for power efficiency over a different range of output power.
- Strong power amplifier 220 is designed to operate most power efficiently at higher power level than weak power amplifier 240 .
- Control circuit 260 is responsive to low power device 270 which determines what power range is to be selected. The input to control circuit 260 may be either digital or analog. If analog, the input to control circuit 260 may be coupled to input 210 within low power device 270 and control circuit 260 extracts the power range information from input 210 .
- Control circuit 260 biases strong power amplifier 220 and weak power amplifier 240 such that just the amplifier and corresponding amplifier circuit path whose characteristics maximize efficiency in the selected power range is activated. As a result, power consumption is reduced in multiple-path amplifier circuit 200 .
- Amplifier efficiency is a measure of the power delivered to the load (not shown), P LOAD , coupled to output 230 of multiple-path amplifier circuit 200 , relative to the power consumed from the power supply (battery), P SUPPLY .
- the drain or collector efficiency, ⁇ is,
- PAE power added efficiency
- PAE ( P LOAD ⁇ P IN )/ P SUPPLY (Eq. 2)
- P IN is the input signal power delivered to the amplifier.
- the power delivered to the load is increased, and the power drawn from the supply is decreased.
- the power delivered to the load is given by
- the power delivered at the output of strong PA 220 or weak PA 240 , P PA is the power delivered to the load plus, in the case of weak PA 240 , any loss in impedance transformation circuit 250 , P LOSS .
- the loss in the impedance transformation circuit is typically both low and relatively constant, giving a PA power that is closely related to the load power;
- P PA P LOAD +P LOSS ⁇ P LOAD ⁇ P DESIRED (Eq. 4).
- Equation 4 indicates that is closely related to maximizing P PA .
- the power delivered at the output of each power amplifier is the current, I PA , times the voltage, V PA , at that node given by,
- the P PA for strong amplifier 220 is equal to the current flowing out of output 230 multiplied by the voltage at output 230 .
- the power dissipated from the supply is the supply voltage, V SUPPLY , times the supply current, I SUPPLY .
- the supply voltage is typically fixed, whereas the supply current varies with the current supplied by the PA, I PA .
- I PA is typically larger than the current delivered by the supply, by factor k that depends on the power amplifier linearity requirements which results in,
- Equation 6 indicates that to minimize P SUPPLY (to maximize efficiency per Equations 1 and 2), I PA should be minimized. To minimize I PA , while maximizing P PA , Equation 5 requires maximizing V PA .
- V PA of both strong amplifier 220 and weak amplifier 240 may be limited at their respective output voltages by a constraint, maximum voltage, V MAX .
- V MAX is derived from a critical voltage, V CRIT .
- V CRIT is the voltage at which electrical breakdown effects occur associated with the materials used to make the transistors and dielectric isolations between circuit conductors that may result in higher than desirable currents or other deleterious reliability consequences. Due to manufacturing process variations, V CRIT may vary. It is therefore desirable to constrain the maximum voltage used in the design of the amplifiers (as well as other components) to a maximum operating voltage for reliable operation, V MAX , which is safely below V CRIT .
- V MAX gets smaller as well, leaving less headroom for voltage signals in the amplifier.
- V SUPPLY Another limit on V PA is V SUPPLY .
- V PA is limited by the lower of either the device breakdown voltage V MAX or the supply voltage V SUPPLY .
- V PA is limited to a maximum voltage V MAX , the current delivered by one of the power amplifiers is,
- R PA is the assumed real impedance seen at the output of each power amplifier. This means that the power delivered at the output of each power amplifier from Equations 4, 5, and 7 is,
- Equation 8 results in an optimal choice of R PA for each desired output power level to optimize efficiency.
- Impedance transformation circuit 250 is used to optimize the value of R PA for lower values of P DESIRED than the P DESIRED used to optimize strong amplifier 220 .
- V PA held near a constant V MAX to maximize the desired P PA
- Equation 8 leaves I PA the remaining variable.
- I PA is primarily used to generate the required wide range of P PA and weak amplifier 240 is designed with lower output current drive, I PA , than strong amplifier 220 .
- Equation 8 the value of R PA is now 505 ⁇ , and the value of I PAWEAK is reduced to 1.4 mA.
- Each of the amplifiers is thus designed to operate most efficiently over its corresponding power range.
- control circuit 260 enables weak amplifier 240 while disabling strong amplifier 220 .
- control circuit 260 enables strong amplifier 220 while disabling weak amplifier 240 .
- activating the most power efficiency optimized amplifier path results in overall greater power efficiency over a wider total power range for multiple-path amplifier 200 than is achievable with a single-path amplifier design.
- impedance transformation circuit 250 Another way of describing the function of impedance transformation circuit 250 is it increases the impedance seen by the weak amplifier so that the lower current output from the weak amplifier can still develop a voltage potential at its output approaching that of V MAX to obtain maximum power efficiency per Equation 3. Then the potential (and power) delivered at the load on node output 230 also increases to V MAX less any voltage drop across the impedance transformation circuit, while still efficiently operating weak amplifier 240 under the safe V MAX limit.
- FIG. 3 a second embodiment of a multiple-path amplifier circuit 300 with increased efficiency optimization using three power amplifier paths is illustrated.
- the same elements of an input 210 node, a strong power amplifier 220 , an output 230 node, a weak power amplifier 240 , a weak impedance transformation circuit 250 , a control circuit 260 , and a low power device 270 are shown providing the same interconnection, function, and features as described with reference to FIG. 2 .
- a third amplifier circuit path is added using a weaker power amplifier 340 , which is optimized for efficient power operation over a third range of power. This third range of power is lower than the power range for weak power amplifier 240 .
- the input 210 is coupled to the input of weaker power amplifier 340 .
- the output of weaker power amplifier 340 is coupled to a weaker impedance transformation circuit 350 .
- Weaker impedance transformation circuit 350 is coupled to output 230 .
- An additional output from control circuit 260 is coupled to weaker power amplifier 340 .
- Control circuit 260 again activates that amplifier whose characteristics maximize efficiency in the selected range of power.
- the third power amplifier path and power range in the second embodiment allows further power optimization at the cost of added circuit complexity. Obtaining maximum power efficiently from weaker power amplifier 340 when a third power range is present, is facilitated by weaker impedance transformation circuit 350 .
- the weaker impedance transformation circuit 350 can be analyzed in the same manner as described above in reference to the circuit in FIG. 2 .
- weaker power amplifier 340 can supply less output current than weak power amplifier 240 and is optimized to function most efficiently when a third power range lower than the second power range is selected.
- the total power range of multiple-path amplifier circuit 300 shown in FIG. 3 may be similar to the power range of multiple-path amplifier circuit 200 shown in FIG. 2 or may be wider. If the overall power range is similar, then multiple-path amplifier circuit 300 may provide additional power savings compared with circuit 200 .
- a third embodiment may include more amplifier paths to multiple-path amplifier circuit 300 to cover successively lower or narrower power ranges.
- each additional amplifier path includes a power amplifier coupled in series to an impedance transformation circuit both optimized for power efficiency when that corresponding power range is selected and that corresponding amplifier is enabled by control circuit 260 .
- An alternative embodiment may share some of the impedance transformation circuits among two or more weak amplifiers. For example, one impedance transformation circuit may be coupled to more than just one weak amplifier when those weak amplifiers are covering adjacent power ranges.
- the power efficiency of multiple-path amplifier circuit 300 can be widened to cover a greater range of power or to provide increased power savings compared to circuits with fewer paths.
- the upper limit on the number of multiple paths is limited by increased complexity, increased hardware, and more load on the strong power amplifier, which reduces its efficiency.
- FIG. 4 illustrates a fourth embodiment of a multiple-path amplifier circuit 400 including two impedance transformation circuits and two power amplifier paths to increase efficiency.
- the same elements of an input 210 node, a strong power amplifier 220 , an output 230 node, a weak power amplifier 240 , a control circuit 260 , and a low power device 270 are shown providing the same interconnection, function, and features as described with reference to FIG. 2 .
- a strong impedance transformation circuit 480 is added and coupled between the output of strong power amplifier 220 and output 230 .
- a weak impedance transformation circuit 450 is coupled between the output of weak power amplifier 240 and output 230 , corresponding to impedance transformation circuit 250 referenced in FIG. 2 .
- the two impedance transformation circuits referenced in FIG. 4 have different values but still function according to the same theory described in reference to FIG. 2 .
- Each impedance transformation circuit referenced in FIG. 4 is optimized to provide added impedance to the output of its corresponding power amplifier when the appropriate power range (amplifier path) is selected.
- weak impedance transformation circuit 450 provides higher impedance than strong impedance transformation circuit 480 .
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Abstract
Description
- The prevalence of wireless electronic devices has placed increasing constraint on the power performance of electronic circuits. The convenience and utility of battery powered wireless devices are greatly improved through the use of low power circuits. Circuit techniques that preserve power are, therefore, increasingly important in order for these devices to keep in step with higher consumer expectations for convenience and device functionality.
- Power amplifier circuits are a significant source of power consumption in wireless devices. One application example where such power consumption is particularly evident is in the transmitter circuit of a wireless device which may employ a power amplifier that boosts a signal for radio transmission. Sufficient power is needed to make an effective radio communication link between the wireless device and its receiver. However, the power required for satisfactory transmission may vary depending on factors such as; the distance between the transmitting and receiving antennas, and the presence of obstacles that may interference with the radio path. The power amplifier must thus be capable of operating over varying power levels or multiple power ranges with the least amount of power consumption so that the wireless device functionality can be extended before the battery needs replacement or recharge. There are other application examples in a wireless device where power amplifiers consume significant power and need to operate over a wide range of power such as a speaker or headphone output. Techniques that reduce the power consumption in power amplifiers are, therefore, important in meeting the consumer's requirements for wireless devices in the competitive market. However, it is difficult to optimize the electrical characteristics of a single amplifier to function over the desired range of power efficiently.
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FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a prior art low powerwireless system 100 including a low powerwireless device 105. The low power wireless device includes apower amplifier 120 to explain one example of the use of a power amplifier using a wireless device transmitter circuit and the importance of reducing the power consumed by power amplifiers. The input ofpower amplifier 120 is coupled to an output of a remainder ofwireless device 110. The input to remainder ofwireless device 110 is coupled to the output of alinear amplifier 130. Abattery 180 for supplying electrical power is coupled to remainder ofwireless device 110,power amplifier 120, andlinear amplifier 130. The output ofpower amplifier 120 and the input oflinear amplifier 130 are coupled to atransmit receive switch 160. Transmit receiveswitch 160 is coupled to anantenna 170 which emits and receivesradio communication waves 185 to and from anantenna 190 which is external of low powerwireless device 105 and coupled to awireless device infrastructure 195. Transmit receiveswitch 160 receives instructions (not shown) from the wireless device. - Examples of low power
wireless device 105 include a cell phone, a headset, a computer mouse, or a laptop computer, to name just a few applications. Examples ofwireless device infrastructure 195 include a cellular relay tower coupled to a phone network, a television coupled to a broadcast network, a personal computer, and a wireless router connected to the internet. To transmit information from the wireless device, switch 160 closes the switch betweenpower amplifier 120 andantenna 170 while opening the receive path tolinear amplifier 130. To receive information,switch 160 opens the switch betweenpower amplifier 120 andantenna 170 while closing the switch to enable the receive path tolinear amplifier 130. Radio communication between the wireless device and the wireless device infrastructure enable communication with great user convenience. That convenience ends whenbattery 180 runs out of charge and needs to be either replaced or recharged. Longer battery lifetime produces higher consumer satisfaction and reduces hazardous waste in the environment.Power amplifier 120 draws a significant amount of power from the battery during transmit operation of the wireless device so it is important to optimize the amplifier's power efficiency. - Many communication systems need to accommodate a wide range of output transmission power levels. For example, good transmission conditions are obtained when
radio communication waves 185 have a comparatively short distance to travel,antennas power amplifier 120 with as much power output as in bad transmission conditions. During good transmission conditions, it is desirable to reduce the amplifier's power output to extend the battery lifetime. Thus,power amplifier 120 may be required to operate over a wide range of power output. However, it is generally true that a single conventional power amplifier such asamplifier 120 has a certain range of output power over which its efficiency is high and operation at other power ranges results in worse power efficiency. For example, a conventional single power amplifier that is efficient at high powers will not be as power efficient at low powers. - Each foregoing example is provided by way of explanation of the contextual background of the invention, not limitation of the scope of invention. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications and variations can be made in the foregoing examples without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. For instance, the low power wireless device may have coupled to it a plurality of antennas. Also, low power amplifiers that operate over a wide range of power are useful in non-wireless applications such as hearing aids, ear phones, portable instrumentation, and other electronic applications.
- One solution to the challenge of optimizing amplifier power efficiency over a wide range of power is to use multiple amplifiers. Several circuits in a cellular communication system using multiple amplifiers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,872,481, entitled “Efficient Parallel-Stage Power Amplifier” including; a circuit utilizing an output network connected to each amplifier, and a circuit with two amplifiers that are simultaneously biased in an active state with a switch that shunts one amplifier output to the antenna while shunting the other amplifier output to ground through a load device.
- Thus it is desirable to optimize power amplifier efficiency over a wide range of power in order to extend the battery lifetime and functionality of wireless devices.
- The present invention is an amplifier circuit, including; a strong amplifier, a weak amplifier, an impedance transformation circuit, and a control circuit. The strong amplifier has an input node and an output node and is efficient over a first power range. The weaker amplifier is efficient over a second power range and is connected to the input node of the strong amplifier. The second range of power is lower than the first range of power. The impedance transformation circuit is connected to the output of the weaker amplifier. The impedance transformation circuit increases the impedance to generate a higher potential at the output node of the first amplifier and provides increased efficiency over the second power range. The control circuit turns on the strong amplifier when the first power range is present and turns on the weaker amplifier when the second power range is present.
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FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art low power wireless system using a power amplifier; -
FIG. 2 illustrates a first embodiment of a multiple-path amplifier circuit according to the invention; and -
FIG. 3 illustrates a second embodiment of a multiple-path amplifier circuit according to the invention. -
FIG. 4 illustrates a fourth embodiment of a multiple-path amplifier circuit according to the invention. - Reference now will be made in detail to embodiments of the disclosed invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the present technology, not limitation of the present technology. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications and variations can be made in the present technology without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. For instance, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment may be used on another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment. Thus, it is intended that the present subject matter covers such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
- The need exists for a simple power amplifier circuit that can operate over a wide range of power with minimized power consumption to extend the lifetime and functionality of the wireless device between power source recharging or replacement.
FIG. 2 illustrates a first embodiment of a multiple-path amplifier circuit 200 with reduced power consumption using two power amplifier paths. Aninput 210 node to the multiple-path amplifier circuit 200 is coupled to the input of a strong power amplifier (PA) 220.Strong power amplifier 220 is most efficient over a certain power range. The output ofstrong power amplifier 220 is coupled directly to anoutput 230 node of multiple-path amplifier circuit 200.Input 210 is also coupled to the input of aweak power amplifier 240.Weak power amplifier 240 is most efficient over a lower power range than the certain power range forstrong PA 220. The output ofweak power amplifier 240 is coupled to animpedance transformation circuit 250.Impedance transformation circuit 250 is coupled tooutput 230. The input of acontrol circuit 260 is coupled to alow power device 270. Outputs fromcontrol circuit 260 are coupled to bothstrong power amplifier 220 andweak power amplifier 240. - In this embodiment of the present invention, two or more power amplifiers with corresponding amplifier circuit paths are included, and each path is optimized for power efficiency over a different range of output power.
Strong power amplifier 220 is designed to operate most power efficiently at higher power level thanweak power amplifier 240.Control circuit 260 is responsive tolow power device 270 which determines what power range is to be selected. The input to controlcircuit 260 may be either digital or analog. If analog, the input to controlcircuit 260 may be coupled to input 210 withinlow power device 270 andcontrol circuit 260 extracts the power range information frominput 210.Control circuit 260 biasesstrong power amplifier 220 andweak power amplifier 240 such that just the amplifier and corresponding amplifier circuit path whose characteristics maximize efficiency in the selected power range is activated. As a result, power consumption is reduced in multiple-path amplifier circuit 200. - Amplifier efficiency is a measure of the power delivered to the load (not shown), PLOAD, coupled to
output 230 of multiple-path amplifier circuit 200, relative to the power consumed from the power supply (battery), PSUPPLY. There are two measures of efficiency, drain efficiency and power added efficiency. The drain or collector efficiency, η, is, -
η=P LOAD /P SUPPLY (Eq. 1). - The power added efficiency, PAE is,
-
PAE=(P LOAD −P IN)/P SUPPLY (Eq. 2), - where PIN is the input signal power delivered to the amplifier. To maximize both measures of efficiency, the power delivered to the load is increased, and the power drawn from the supply is decreased. The power delivered to the load is given by,
-
PLOAD=ILOADVLOAD=PDESIRED (Eq. 3), - where the power delivered to the load is the system's desired output power, PDESIRED. Optimization of this power is at the system level and is beyond the scope of this invention. To maximize efficiency, this invention focuses on reducing PSUPPLY in Equations 1 and 2.
- The power delivered at the output of
strong PA 220 orweak PA 240, PPA, is the power delivered to the load plus, in the case ofweak PA 240, any loss inimpedance transformation circuit 250, PLOSS. The loss in the impedance transformation circuit is typically both low and relatively constant, giving a PA power that is closely related to the load power; -
P PA =P LOAD +P LOSS ∝ P LOAD ∝ P DESIRED (Eq. 4). - It is desirable to maximize PLOAD, and Equation 4 indicates that is closely related to maximizing PPA. Furthermore, the power delivered at the output of each power amplifier is the current, IPA, times the voltage, VPA, at that node given by,
-
PPA=IPAVPA (Eq. 5). - For example, the PPA for
strong amplifier 220 is equal to the current flowing out ofoutput 230 multiplied by the voltage atoutput 230. The power dissipated from the supply is the supply voltage, VSUPPLY, times the supply current, ISUPPLY. The supply voltage is typically fixed, whereas the supply current varies with the current supplied by the PA, IPA. IPA is typically larger than the current delivered by the supply, by factor k that depends on the power amplifier linearity requirements which results in, -
PSUPPLY=ISUPPLYVSUPPLY=kIPAVSUPPLY (Eq. 6). - Equation 6 indicates that to minimize PSUPPLY (to maximize efficiency per Equations 1 and 2), IPA should be minimized. To minimize IPA, while maximizing PPA, Equation 5 requires maximizing VPA.
- However, VPA of both
strong amplifier 220 andweak amplifier 240 may be limited at their respective output voltages by a constraint, maximum voltage, VMAX. VMAX is derived from a critical voltage, VCRIT. VCRIT is the voltage at which electrical breakdown effects occur associated with the materials used to make the transistors and dielectric isolations between circuit conductors that may result in higher than desirable currents or other deleterious reliability consequences. Due to manufacturing process variations, VCRIT may vary. It is therefore desirable to constrain the maximum voltage used in the design of the amplifiers (as well as other components) to a maximum operating voltage for reliable operation, VMAX, which is safely below VCRIT. As semiconductor technologies scale to ever smaller physical dimensions, VMAX gets smaller as well, leaving less headroom for voltage signals in the amplifier. Another limit on VPA is VSUPPLY. Thus VPA is limited by the lower of either the device breakdown voltage VMAX or the supply voltage VSUPPLY. - Since VPA is limited to a maximum voltage VMAX, the current delivered by one of the power amplifiers is,
-
I PA =V PA /R PA =V MAX /R PA (Eq. 7), - where RPA is the assumed real impedance seen at the output of each power amplifier. This means that the power delivered at the output of each power amplifier from Equations 4, 5, and 7 is,
-
P PA =I PA V PA =V 2 MAX /R PA ∝ P LOAD ∝ P DESIRED (Eq. 8). - Since VMAX is limited by the supply or process characteristics, Equation 8 results in an optimal choice of RPA for each desired output power level to optimize efficiency.
Impedance transformation circuit 250 is used to optimize the value of RPA for lower values of PDESIRED than the PDESIRED used to optimizestrong amplifier 220. With VPA held near a constant VMAX to maximize the desired PPA, Equation 8 leaves IPA the remaining variable. Thus IPA is primarily used to generate the required wide range of PPA andweak amplifier 240 is designed with lower output current drive, IPA, thanstrong amplifier 220. - The following examples help illustrate the increase in efficiency with optimal choice of RPA. Consider a strong power amplifier that delivers PPA=10 dBm=10 mW with a VPA=VMAX of 0.707V. Using Equation 8 results in a RPA=50Ω. Using the same strong PA with RPA=50Ω, now instead at a reduced output power of 0 dBm=1 mW results, according to Equation 8, in VPA=0.224V which is much less than VMAX. The current IPASTRONG is then 4.5 mA and poorly optimized as shown below. Now consider a second example using
weak power amplifier 240 that has been designed for a higher RPA, provided byimpedance transformation circuit 250, that instead keeps VPA=VMAX for the same 0 dBm=1 mW output power level. From Equation 8, the value of RPA is now 505Ω, and the value of IPAWEAK is reduced to 1.4 mA. The value of PSUPPLY from Equation 6 is now reduced by a factor of IPASTRONG/IPAWEAK=3.2. This means the drain/collector efficiency of Equation 1 is also increased by a factor of 3.2 when using the weak PA instead of the strong PA in the case of the 0 dBm output power level. - Each of the amplifiers is thus designed to operate most efficiently over its corresponding power range. At a low power range,
control circuit 260 enablesweak amplifier 240 while disablingstrong amplifier 220. Conversely, if a high power range is required,control circuit 260 enablesstrong amplifier 220 while disablingweak amplifier 240. Thus, activating the most power efficiency optimized amplifier path results in overall greater power efficiency over a wider total power range for multiple-path amplifier 200 than is achievable with a single-path amplifier design. - Another way of describing the function of
impedance transformation circuit 250 is it increases the impedance seen by the weak amplifier so that the lower current output from the weak amplifier can still develop a voltage potential at its output approaching that of VMAX to obtain maximum power efficiency per Equation 3. Then the potential (and power) delivered at the load onnode output 230 also increases to VMAX less any voltage drop across the impedance transformation circuit, while still efficiently operatingweak amplifier 240 under the safe VMAX limit. - The above analysis has been simplified to better explain the invention by ignoring frequency dependent behavior. However, it would be obvious to one skilled in the art that frequency dependent behavior can be incorporated in the above analysis by substituting for R, the appropriate frequency dependant impedance Z and using RMS values for I and V which still leads to the use of
impedance transformation circuit 250. - Referring to
FIG. 3 , a second embodiment of a multiple-path amplifier circuit 300 with increased efficiency optimization using three power amplifier paths is illustrated. The same elements of aninput 210 node, astrong power amplifier 220, anoutput 230 node, aweak power amplifier 240, a weakimpedance transformation circuit 250, acontrol circuit 260, and alow power device 270 are shown providing the same interconnection, function, and features as described with reference toFIG. 2 . In the circuit provided inFIG. 3 , however, a third amplifier circuit path is added using aweaker power amplifier 340, which is optimized for efficient power operation over a third range of power. This third range of power is lower than the power range forweak power amplifier 240. Theinput 210 is coupled to the input ofweaker power amplifier 340. The output ofweaker power amplifier 340 is coupled to a weakerimpedance transformation circuit 350. Weakerimpedance transformation circuit 350 is coupled tooutput 230. An additional output fromcontrol circuit 260 is coupled toweaker power amplifier 340. -
Control circuit 260 again activates that amplifier whose characteristics maximize efficiency in the selected range of power. The third power amplifier path and power range in the second embodiment allows further power optimization at the cost of added circuit complexity. Obtaining maximum power efficiently fromweaker power amplifier 340 when a third power range is present, is facilitated by weakerimpedance transformation circuit 350. The weakerimpedance transformation circuit 350 can be analyzed in the same manner as described above in reference to the circuit inFIG. 2 . In this second embodiment,weaker power amplifier 340 can supply less output current thanweak power amplifier 240 and is optimized to function most efficiently when a third power range lower than the second power range is selected. It should be noted that the total power range of multiple-path amplifier circuit 300 shown inFIG. 3 may be similar to the power range of multiple-path amplifier circuit 200 shown inFIG. 2 or may be wider. If the overall power range is similar, then multiple-path amplifier circuit 300 may provide additional power savings compared withcircuit 200. - Extending the principles described above in reference to
FIG. 3 , a third embodiment may include more amplifier paths to multiple-path amplifier circuit 300 to cover successively lower or narrower power ranges. In this embodiment, each additional amplifier path includes a power amplifier coupled in series to an impedance transformation circuit both optimized for power efficiency when that corresponding power range is selected and that corresponding amplifier is enabled bycontrol circuit 260. An alternative embodiment may share some of the impedance transformation circuits among two or more weak amplifiers. For example, one impedance transformation circuit may be coupled to more than just one weak amplifier when those weak amplifiers are covering adjacent power ranges. Thus, the power efficiency of multiple-path amplifier circuit 300 can be widened to cover a greater range of power or to provide increased power savings compared to circuits with fewer paths. The upper limit on the number of multiple paths is limited by increased complexity, increased hardware, and more load on the strong power amplifier, which reduces its efficiency. -
FIG. 4 illustrates a fourth embodiment of a multiple-path amplifier circuit 400 including two impedance transformation circuits and two power amplifier paths to increase efficiency. The same elements of aninput 210 node, astrong power amplifier 220, anoutput 230 node, aweak power amplifier 240, acontrol circuit 260, and alow power device 270 are shown providing the same interconnection, function, and features as described with reference toFIG. 2 . In the circuit provided inFIG. 4 , a strongimpedance transformation circuit 480 is added and coupled between the output ofstrong power amplifier 220 andoutput 230. A weakimpedance transformation circuit 450 is coupled between the output ofweak power amplifier 240 andoutput 230, corresponding toimpedance transformation circuit 250 referenced inFIG. 2 . The two impedance transformation circuits referenced inFIG. 4 have different values but still function according to the same theory described in reference toFIG. 2 . Each impedance transformation circuit referenced inFIG. 4 is optimized to provide added impedance to the output of its corresponding power amplifier when the appropriate power range (amplifier path) is selected. Thus, weakimpedance transformation circuit 450 provides higher impedance than strongimpedance transformation circuit 480. - While the specification has been described in detail with respect to specific embodiments of the invention, it will be appreciated that those skilled in the art, upon attaining an understanding of the foregoing, may readily conceive of alterations to, variations of, and equivalents to these embodiments. These and other modifications and variations to the present invention may be practiced by those of ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, which is more particularly set forth in the appended claims. Furthermore, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the foregoing description is by way of example only, and is not intended to limit the invention.
Claims (20)
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US12/025,005 US7560983B1 (en) | 2008-02-02 | 2008-02-02 | Multiple-path power amplifier |
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US20090195307A1 true US20090195307A1 (en) | 2009-08-06 |
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CN103531255B (en) * | 2013-09-17 | 2016-03-30 | 中国原子能科学研究院 | A kind of NUCLEAR REACTOR POWER PROTECTIVE AMPLIFYING EQUIPMENT and method |
US9853605B2 (en) * | 2014-01-31 | 2017-12-26 | Nec Corporation | Transistor package, amplification circuit including the same, and method of forming transistor |
US9332343B2 (en) | 2014-04-14 | 2016-05-03 | Apple Inc. | Multi-channel audio system having a shared current sense element for estimating individual speaker impedances using test signals |
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US5872481A (en) * | 1995-12-27 | 1999-02-16 | Qualcomm Incorporated | Efficient parallel-stage power amplifier |
US20040108900A1 (en) * | 2002-09-20 | 2004-06-10 | Triquint Semiconductor, Inc. | Saturated power amplifier with selectable and variable output power levels |
US7382186B2 (en) * | 2005-01-24 | 2008-06-03 | Triquint Semiconductor, Inc. | Amplifiers with high efficiency in multiple power modes |
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2008
- 2008-02-02 US US12/025,005 patent/US7560983B1/en active Active
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US5872481A (en) * | 1995-12-27 | 1999-02-16 | Qualcomm Incorporated | Efficient parallel-stage power amplifier |
US20040108900A1 (en) * | 2002-09-20 | 2004-06-10 | Triquint Semiconductor, Inc. | Saturated power amplifier with selectable and variable output power levels |
US7382186B2 (en) * | 2005-01-24 | 2008-06-03 | Triquint Semiconductor, Inc. | Amplifiers with high efficiency in multiple power modes |
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