US20230387961A1 - Method of using integrated transmitter and receiver front end module - Google Patents
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- US20230387961A1 US20230387961A1 US18/361,816 US202318361816A US2023387961A1 US 20230387961 A1 US20230387961 A1 US 20230387961A1 US 202318361816 A US202318361816 A US 202318361816A US 2023387961 A1 US2023387961 A1 US 2023387961A1
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04B—TRANSMISSION
- H04B1/00—Details of transmission systems, not covered by a single one of groups H04B3/00 - H04B13/00; Details of transmission systems not characterised by the medium used for transmission
- H04B1/38—Transceivers, i.e. devices in which transmitter and receiver form a structural unit and in which at least one part is used for functions of transmitting and receiving
- H04B1/40—Circuits
- H04B1/44—Transmit/receive switching
- H04B1/48—Transmit/receive switching in circuits for connecting transmitter and receiver to a common transmission path, e.g. by energy of transmitter
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04B—TRANSMISSION
- H04B1/00—Details of transmission systems, not covered by a single one of groups H04B3/00 - H04B13/00; Details of transmission systems not characterised by the medium used for transmission
- H04B1/02—Transmitters
- H04B1/04—Circuits
- H04B1/0458—Arrangements for matching and coupling between power amplifier and antenna or between amplifying stages
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04B—TRANSMISSION
- H04B1/00—Details of transmission systems, not covered by a single one of groups H04B3/00 - H04B13/00; Details of transmission systems not characterised by the medium used for transmission
- H04B1/06—Receivers
- H04B1/16—Circuits
- H04B1/18—Input circuits, e.g. for coupling to an antenna or a transmission line
Definitions
- Radio frequency (RF) communication enables transmission and reception of voice and data between communication devices without an intermediate wire connecting the devices.
- the communication device will typically send and receive radio frequency signals using a wireless transmitter and a wireless receiver.
- FEM front-end module
- a front-end module is an electronic circuit block that runs between an antenna and an RF chip.
- FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram of a front-end module (FEM) in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure
- FIG. 2 is a graph of exemplary waveforms of voltages at nodes during transmission in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure
- FIG. 3 is a graph of exemplary waveforms of voltages at nodes during receiving in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure
- FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram of a FEM in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure.
- FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram of the FEM of FIG. 4 during a transmit mode in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure
- FIG. 6 is a circuit diagram of the FEM of FIG. 4 during a receive mode in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure
- FIGS. 7 - 10 are circuit diagrams of variable impedance networks in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure.
- FIG. 11 is a flowchart of a method for operating a front-end module in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure.
- Some embodiments will be described with respect to a specific context, namely a small form factor, low cost radio frequency (RF) front end module (FEM), and the like. Some embodiments may also be applied to other types of RF circuits.
- RF radio frequency
- Some circuits are powered and/or biased by multiple voltages.
- the multiple voltages set up potential differences that allow electrical currents to flow throughout the circuit to perform various functions.
- Some electrical currents are defined as flowing from high voltage to low voltage.
- Some voltage sources in circuits are defined in terms of a supply voltage and ground, with ground representing 0 Volts. Other definitions are sometimes given in terms of an upper supply voltage (VDD, VCC), and a lower supply voltage (VSS, VEE).
- VDD, VCC upper supply voltage
- VSS lower supply voltage
- a circuit that operates on a 1.8 Volt supply is defined as having an upper bias of 0.9 Volts, and a lower bias of ⁇ 0.9 Volts.
- the term “ground” should be interpreted as including low supply voltage, such as the ⁇ 0.9 Volts for example. Specific voltages discussed below are not then intended so much to limit the scope of the disclosure, and one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize various voltages are applicable to the current disclosure.
- RF FEMs provide an interface between a wireless antenna and an RF chip.
- Some RF FEM known to the inventor include a bulky circuit block using a large amount of discrete components.
- RF switches in the RF FEM have high breakdown voltage.
- discrete components which have traditionally offered higher breakdown voltage performance than integrated devices, are chosen as the RF switches to improve device reliability.
- CMOS complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor
- CMOS complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor
- discrete chips such as expensive GaAs switches have been used for the FEM.
- the FEM architecture network is complex, which means that a large number of discrete inductors and capacitors are also used within the FEM. This makes the FEM large and bulky.
- a novel FEM architecture that is highly integrable is introduced.
- a receiver path in the FEM is switched to high impedance during transmission, and a transmitter path in the FEM is switched to high impedance during reception.
- RF switches which accomplish the switching of the resonance networks, are operated at low voltage nodes, which relaxes a breakdown voltage requirement on the RF switches.
- MOSFETs integrated metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistors
- post passivation interconnect (PPI) inductors and on-chip capacitors can be combined with the MOSFET switches, so that the FEM and wireless chip can be integrated into a wafer level package with small size in comparison with some other FEMs.
- PPI post passivation interconnect
- use of high-Q PPI inductors can help minimize RF power insertion loss of the FEM.
- FIG. 1 A circuit diagram of a front-end module (FEM) 10 in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown in FIG. 1 .
- the FEM 10 is electrically connected to an antenna 11 , and at least one of a transmitter 12 and a receiver 13 .
- the antenna 11 is an omnidirectional antenna, planar inverted F antenna (PIFA), folded inverted conformal antenna (FICA), a patch antenna, a smart antenna, or the like.
- the transmitter 12 is a radio frequency transmitter, and may include digital and/or analog circuits, such as modulators, interpolators, digital-to-analog converters (DACs), filters, phase-locked loops, oscillators, buffers, and the like.
- DACs digital-to-analog converters
- the receiver 13 is a radio frequency receiver, and may include digital and/or analog circuits, such as low noise amplifiers, mixers, oscillators, filters, analog-to-digital converters (ADCs), phase-locked loops, delay-locked loops, and the like.
- the receiver 13 operates at a frequency other than radio frequency.
- the receive 13 operations at a frequency ranging from a low frequency, e.g., 3 kiloHertz (kHz) to a microwave frequency, e.g., 300 gigaHertz (GHz).
- the FEM 10 includes a transmitter path network 110 between the transmitter 12 and the antenna 11 .
- a power amplifier 130 amplifies transmission signals generated by the transmitter 12 .
- the power amplifier 130 includes two MOSFETs 131 and 132 . In some embodiments, different power amplifier architectures are used for the power amplifier 130 .
- the MOSFET 131 is biased by a bias voltage Vbias, and a gate of the MOSFET 132 receives transmission signals from the transmitter 12 . In some embodiments, the power amplifier 130 is considered part of the transmitter path network 110 .
- the FEM 10 also provides a receiver path network 120 between the antenna 11 and the receiver 13 .
- the transmitter path network 110 includes a first variable impedance network 119 , which may generally include switches, inductors, and/or capacitors. Impedance of the transmitter path network 110 is electrically selectable, and in some embodiments is selected by inputting a first voltage, or set of voltages, to the transmitter path network 110 .
- the FEM 10 operates in a transmit mode, the first variable impedance network 119 has low or no impedance to allow RF signal(s) to travel from node 112 to node 111 .
- the first variable impedance network 119 is switched to a low or zero impedance configuration around the time transmission begins.
- the first variable impedance network 119 has high impedance at node 111 corresponding to the antenna 11 , which blocks signals from the antenna 11 and/or the receiver 13 from reaching the power amplifier 130 and the transmitter 12 .
- the first variable impedance network 119 having high impedance also blocks signals from the transmitter 12 from reaching the antenna 11 and/or the receiver 13 by presenting high impedance to the node 112 .
- the transmitter path network 110 is switched to the high impedance configuration around the time receiving begins. It should be appreciated that “allowing” and “blocking” may be relative terms, where “allowing” indicates passing, amplifying, or only slightly attenuating a signal, and “blocking” indicates heavily attenuating or even decoupling a signal.
- the receiver path network 120 is a second variable impedance network, which may generally include switches, inductors, and/or capacitors.
- impedance of the receiver path network 120 is electrically selectable through switching control, and is selected by inputting a second voltage, or set of voltages, to the receiver path network 120 .
- the switches are single-transistor switches, pass gates, combinations thereof, or the like.
- the FEM 10 operates in the receive mode, the receiver path network 120 has low to no impedance, allowing RF signal(s) to travel from node 121 to node 122 , e.g. from the antenna 11 to the receiver 13 .
- the receiver path network 120 is switched to a low or zero impedance configuration around the time receiving begins.
- the FEM 10 operates in the transmit mode, the receiver path network 120 has high impedance at node 121 , which blocks signals from the antenna 11 and/or the transmitter 12 from reaching the receiver 13 .
- the receiver path network 120 is switched to a high impedance configuration around the time transmitting begins.
- “allowing” and “blocking” may be relative terms, where “allowing” indicates passing, amplifying, or only slightly attenuating a signal, and “blocking” indicates heavily attenuating or even decoupling a signal.
- FIG. 2 Exemplary waveforms of voltages at nodes 111 , 112 , 122 during transmission in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in FIG. 2 .
- node 121 and node 111 are considered as a single node, which corresponds to the antenna 11 .
- the transmitter 12 transmits a signal to the power amplifier 130 , which in turn amplifies the signal to generate the waveform at node 112 shown in FIG. 2 .
- the transmitter path network 110 has low or zero impedance, and the waveform at node 112 is allowed to pass to node 111 and be transmitted out by the antenna 11 .
- the receiver path network 120 has high impedance, such that the waveform at node 111 is blocked by the receiver path network 120 , leading to the waveform for node 122 shown in FIG. 2 , which is either completely attenuated or heavily attenuated relative to the waveform at node 111 .
- FIG. 3 Exemplary waveforms of voltages at nodes 111 , 112 , 122 during receiving in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in FIG. 3 .
- node 121 and node 111 are considered as a single node, which corresponds to the antenna 11 .
- the antenna 11 receives an RF signal such as the waveform shown for node 111 .
- the receiver path network 120 has low or zero impedance, and the waveform at node 111 is allowed to pass to node 122 and be received and processed by the receiver 13 .
- the transmitter path network 110 has high impedance, such that the waveform at node 111 is blocked from entering the power amplifier 130 and the transmitter 12 by the transmitter path network 110 , leading to the waveform for node 112 shown in FIG. 3 , which is either completely attenuated or heavily attenuated relative to the waveform at node 111 .
- FIG. 4 A detailed circuit diagram of the FEM 10 in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown in FIG. 4 .
- the FEM 10 as shown in FIG. 4 is in a standby mode, which may indicate that no transmission or receiving occurs.
- the FEM 10 is formed in a wafer level package 40 , where part of the FEM 10 is formed in a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) chip 41 of the wafer level package 40 , and a remaining part of the FEM 10 is formed outside the CMOS chip 41 .
- the entire FEM 10 is formed within the CMOS chip 41 .
- the FEM 10 shown in FIG. 4 is shown having parts both inside and outside the CMOS chip 41 of the wafer level package 40 . It should also be appreciated that other types of packaging that include PPI inductors are within the scope of this disclosure.
- the transmitter path network 110 includes inductors 113 , 114 , capacitors 115 , 116 , and switches 117 , 118 .
- the inductors 113 and 114 are included in a package-side part of the transmitter path network 110
- the capacitors 115 and 116 and the switches 117 and 118 are included in a die-side part of the transmitter path network 110 .
- the power amplifier 130 is also included in the die-side part of the transmitter path network 110 in some embodiments.
- the die-side part of the transmitter path network 110 is electrically connected to the transmitter 12
- the package-side part of the transmitter path network 110 is electrically connected to both the die-side part of the transmitter path network 110 and the antenna 11 .
- the inductors 113 , 114 are PPI inductors, integrated inductors, discrete inductors, or the like.
- the inductor 113 has a first terminal electrically connected to the antenna 11 , e.g. at the node 111 .
- the inductor 113 has a second terminal electrically connected to a first terminal of the switch 117 .
- a second terminal of the switch 117 is electrically connected to a voltage supply for receiving a supply voltage VDD.
- the inductor 113 and the switch 117 form a first branch of the transmitter path network 110 .
- the switch 117 In the standby mode, the switch 117 is open (turned off), making the second branch a high impedance or open-circuit (infinite impedance) branch.
- the switch 117 is a pass gate, for example, an N-type metal-oxide-semiconductor (NMOS) transistor, the NMOS transistor is turned off by applying a low voltage to a gate thereof.
- the pass gate is a P-type metal-oxide-semiconductor (PMOS) transistor, the PMOS transistor is turned off by applying a high voltage to a gate thereof.
- NMOS N-type metal-oxide-semiconductor
- PMOS P-type metal-oxide-semiconductor
- the inductor 114 has a first terminal electrically connected to the node 111 , and a second terminal electrically connected to a drain terminal of the MOSFET 131 of the power amplifier 130 .
- the inductor 114 has a path to ground through channels of the MOSFETs 131 and 132 .
- the inductor 114 and the MOSFETs 131 and 132 form a second branch of the transmitter path network 110 .
- the MOSFETs 131 and 132 are both turned off, e.g. by applying a low voltage to the gates thereof, making the second branch a high impedance or open-circuit (infinite impedance) branch.
- a third branch of the transmitter path network 110 includes the capacitor 115 , the capacitor 116 , and the switch 118 .
- the capacitor 115 is a MOSFET capacitor, a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor, a metal-oxide-metal (MOM) capacitor, a poly-poly capacitor, another vertical-type capacitor, a lateral-type capacitor, or the like.
- a first terminal of the capacitor 115 is electrically connected to the node 111
- a second terminal of the capacitor 115 is electrically connected to the capacitor 116 and the switch 118 .
- a first terminal of the capacitor 116 is electrically connected to the second terminal of the capacitor 115 , and a second terminal of the capacitor 116 is grounded.
- the switch 118 runs in parallel to the capacitor 116 , having a first terminal electrically connected to the second terminal of the capacitor 115 , and a second terminal that is grounded. Capacitance of the third branch can be selected using the switch 118 . In the standby mode, the switch 118 is open (turned off), so that capacitance of the third branch is equal to the serial capacitance of the capacitor 115 and the capacitor 116 , which is lower than the capacitance of the capacitor 115 alone.
- the MOSFETs 131 and 132 of the power amplifier are both off (open), and the switches 117 , 118 are also off (open), such that impedance of the transmitter path network 110 is determined solely by the serially-connected capacitors 115 and 116 , e.g. C 1 *C 2 /(C 1 +C 2 ), where C 1 is a capacitance of the capacitor 115 , and C 2 is a capacitance of the capacitor 116 .
- the receiver path network 120 includes an inductor 123 , capacitors 124 - 129 , and switches 141 - 145 .
- the components 123 - 129 , 141 - 145 are integrated, discrete, or a combination thereof.
- the inductor 123 is included in a package-side part of the receiver path network 120
- the capacitors 124 - 129 and the switches 141 - 145 are included in a die-side part of the receiver path network 120 .
- the die-side part of the receiver path network 120 is electrically connected to the receiver 13
- the package-side part of the receiver path network 120 is electrically connected to both the die-side part of the receiver path network 120 and the antenna 11 .
- the receiver path network 120 may act as either an LC resonator or as a pi matching network.
- a first terminal of the inductor 123 is electrically connected to the node 111
- a second terminal of the inductor 123 is electrically connected to a first terminal of the capacitor 129 .
- the inductor 123 is a PPI inductor formed in the wafer level package 40 .
- the capacitor 129 has a second terminal electrically connected to an input terminal of the receiver 13 .
- the capacitors 124 - 126 and the switches 141 - 144 form a tunable capacitance unit 140 having capacitance that is tuned in some embodiments by selective opening/closing of the switches 141 - 144 .
- First terminals of the capacitors 124 - 126 and the switch 141 are electrically connected to the second terminal of the inductor 123 and the first terminal of the capacitor 129 .
- a second terminal of the capacitor 124 is electrically connectable to ground through the switch 142 .
- a second terminal of the capacitor 125 is electrically connectable to ground through the switch 143 .
- a second terminal of the capacitor 126 is electrically connectable to ground through the switch 144 .
- a second terminal of the switch 141 is electrically connected to ground.
- the capacitors 124 , 125 , 126 are of the same capacitance, different capacitances, or a combination thereof. Closing the switch 141 zeroes the capacitance of the tunable capacitance unit 140 by creating a direct path to ground that shunts out the capacitors 124 , 125 , 126 .
- the tunable capacitance unit 140 can have capacitance ranging from substantially zero Farads to a finite value of Farads, e.g.
- the tunable capacitance unit 140 has a capacitance ranging from 10 ⁇ 15 farads to 10 ⁇ 6 farads.
- the switches 141 - 144 are off (open-circuited), such that the tunable capacitance unit 140 is open-circuited, and presents zero capacitance at a node between the inductor 123 and the capacitor 129 .
- the inductor 123 , the tunable capacitance unit 140 , and the capacitor 129 form a first branch of the receiver path network 120 .
- the capacitors 127 , 128 and the switch 145 form a second branch of the receiver path network 120 . Capacitance of the second branch of the receiver path network 120 is selectable through operation of the switch 145 .
- the capacitor 127 has a first terminal electrically connected to the node 111 , and a second terminal electrically connected to the capacitor 128 and the switch 145 . First terminals of the capacitor 128 and the switch 145 are electrically connected to the second terminal of the capacitor 127 . Second terminals of the capacitor 128 and the switch 145 are grounded.
- the switch 145 being turned on (short-circuited) lowers the capacitance of the second branch, and the switch 145 being turned off (open-circuited) raises the capacitance of the second branch.
- the switch 145 In the standby mode, the switch 145 is turned off (open), and the capacitance of the second branch is equal to C 3 *C 4 /(C 3 +C 4 ), where C 3 represents a capacitance of the capacitor 127 , and C 4 represents a capacitance of the capacitor 128 .
- the capacitance of the second branch is lower in the standby mode than the capacitance of the capacitor 127 alone.
- Embodiments in which the transmitter path network 110 is formed fully within the CMOS chip 41 and the receiver path network 120 is formed both inside and outside the CMOS chip 41 are contemplated herein.
- Embodiments in which the receiver path network 120 is formed fully within the CMOS chip 41 and the transmitter path network 110 is formed both inside and outside the CMOS chip 41 are also contemplated herein.
- Embodiments in which the transmitter path network 110 and the receiver path network 120 are both formed inside the CMOS chip 41 are also contemplated herein.
- non-integrated designs may include discrete, high breakdown voltage components, such as GaAs switches, and discrete capacitors and inductors.
- the FEM 10 does not use discrete components, and is highly integrable.
- Embodiments that use the non-integrated designs for the transmitter path, and the highly integrable design for the receiver path described herein are contemplated.
- Embodiments that use the non-integrated designs for the receiver path, and the highly integrable design for the transmitter path described herein are also contemplated.
- ground terminals of the capacitors 116 , 128 , the switches 118 , 141 - 145 , and the MOSFET 132 are electrically connected to ground, a lower supply voltage, or the like.
- the ground terminals are biased by the same voltage, e.g. ground, different voltages, or a combination thereof, for the sake of circuit performance.
- the switches 117 , 118 , and 141 - 145 , and the MOSFETs 131 , 132 are biased in such as a way as to allow transmission of signals from the transmitter 12 to the antenna 11 through the power amplifier 130 and the transmitter path network 110 , while blocking the transmission signals from the node 111 to the receiver 13 through the receiver path network 120 .
- One such biasing configuration is shown in FIG. 5 , in which the switches 117 , 118 , 141 , and 145 are closed (turned on) in the transmit mode, the MOSFET 131 is biased by a bias voltage Vbias, and the gate of the MOSFET 132 receives transmission signals to be outputted through the antenna from the transmitter 12 .
- closing switch 117 provides a current path from the node 111 to the supply voltage VDD through the inductor 113 , and closing the switch 118 shorts out the capacitor 116 , increasing the capacitance of the third branch of the transmitter path network 110 .
- the inductors 113 , 114 and the capacitor 115 form a matching network between the antenna 11 and the power amplifier 130 .
- the transmitter path network 110 shown in FIG. 5 is only one type of matching network available for use in the FEM 10 .
- Embodiments including a pi network, a T network, an L network, or combinations thereof in the transmitter path network 110 are also contemplated herein.
- the receiver path network 120 is configured as a high-impedance LC resonance that blocks signals from entering the receiver 13 from the antenna 11 .
- the switches 141 and 145 are closed (turned on), while the switches 142 - 144 are opened (turned off).
- capacitance of the tunable capacitance unit 140 is zero due to the direct path to ground through the switch 141 .
- Capacitance of the second branch of the receiver path network 120 is increased due to the shorting out of the capacitor 128 , leaving only the capacitance of the capacitor 127 in the second branch. As shown in FIG.
- an equivalent circuit 180 of the receiver path network 120 includes the capacitor 127 and the inductor 123 , which form an LC resonance that presents a high impedance at the node 111 .
- the LC resonance shown in FIG. 5 is an L-type resonance circuit.
- Embodiments including a pi network, a T network, an L network, or combinations thereof in the receiver path network 120 are also contemplated herein.
- Biasing conditions of the switches 117 , 118 , and 141 - 145 , and the MOSFETs 131 , 132 around the beginning of a receive mode in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in FIG. 6 .
- Biasing is performed in such as a way as to allow receiving of incoming signals from the antenna 11 to the receiver 13 through the receiver path network 120 , while blocking transmission of the incoming signals from the node 111 to the transmitter 12 through the transmitter path network 110 .
- FIG. 6 Biasing conditions of the switches 117 , 118 , and 141 - 145 , and the MOSFETs 131 , 132 around the beginning of a receive mode in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure.
- the switches 117 , 118 , 141 , and 145 are opened (turned off), the MOSFETs 131 and 132 are biased by a supply voltage VDD, the switches 142 - 144 are closed (turned on).
- the receiver path network 120 is switched to form a pi matching network including the inductor 123 , and left and right capacitive branches.
- the left capacitive branch runs from the left electrode of the inductor 123 to ground, and has capacitance set by the capacitors 127 and 128 .
- the right capacitive branch runs from the right electrode of the inductor 123 to ground, and has capacitance set by the capacitors 124 - 126 .
- the switch 145 being open reduces capacitance of the left capacitive branch by introducing the capacitor 128 in series with the capacitor 127 (series capacitors have lower combined capacitance than either capacitor in the series alone).
- the switch 141 being open removes the short to ground initially present in the transmit mode, and introduces a tuned capacitance set by the switchable capacitors 124 - 126 (switched by the switches 142 - 144 ).
- the capacitance of the right capacitive branch shown in FIG. 6 is the sum of capacitances of the capacitors 124 - 126 (capacitance of capacitors in parallel is the sum of the individual capacitances of the capacitors).
- the tunable capacitance unit 140 being tunable means that proper opening and closing of the switches 142 - 144 can modify overall capacitance of the tunable capacitance unit 140 .
- the capacitor 124 has capacitance C
- the capacitor 125 has capacitance 2 C (twice the capacitance of the capacitor 124 )
- the capacitor 126 has capacitance 4 C (four times the capacitance of the capacitor 124 ).
- the use of the switches 141 - 144 allows for selection of capacitance of the tunable capacitance unit 140 equal to in steps of 1 C.
- the capacitors 124 - 126 are replaced by a single capacitor, two capacitors, or more than three capacitors are contemplated herein. Configuring the receiver path network 120 as shown in FIG. 6 sets up impedance matching between the receiver 13 and the antenna 11 , and allows incoming signals to reach the receiver 13 for further processing.
- the transmitter path network 110 is switched to provide high impedance through an LC resonance configuration.
- the switches 117 and 118 are opened (turned off), while the MOSFETs 131 and 132 are closed (turned on).
- the MOSFETs 131 and 132 act as switches that set up a path to ground through the inductor 114 .
- the switch 117 With the switch 117 turned off, the inductor 113 is open-circuited, and presents infinite impedance to the node 111 .
- the switch 118 being open decreases capacitance of the branch including the capacitors 115 and 116 relative to the capacitance thereof in the transmit mode.
- the impedance of the transmitter path network 110 is high, as shown by an equivalent circuit 190 of the transmitter path network 110 .
- the antenna 11 sees the series capacitance of the capacitors 115 and 116 , and the inductance of the inductor 114 , which is a high AC impedance at the receiving frequency of the incoming signals.
- the FEM 10 illustrated in FIGS. 4 - 6 utilizes the transmitter and receiver path networks 110 , 120 that can be individually switched into at least two modes.
- the respective path network operates as a matching network, allowing RF signals to pass through, and matching impedances of the antenna and the respective processing block (transmitter 12 or receiver 13 ).
- the respective path network operates as a resonant circuit, using high AC impedance at the RF frequency to block signals (incoming signals blocked from the transmitter 12 , or outgoing signals blocked from the receiver 13 ).
- the matching networks include pi matching networks, T matching networks, L matching networks, and combinations thereof.
- the matching networks may include one stage, as shown in FIGS. 4 - 6 , or multiple stages to achieve greater channel selectivity.
- FIGS. 7 - 10 are circuit diagrams of switchable capacitive and inductive units 70 , 71 , 90 and 91 in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure.
- the capacitive unit 70 of FIG. 7 includes capacitors 710 and 720 and switch 730 . Capacitance of the capacitive unit 70 is higher when the switch 730 is closed (turned on), and lower when the switch 730 is open (turned off). Closing the switch 730 sets up the parallel connection of the capacitors 710 and 720 , which has a greater capacitance than the capacitance of the capacitor 710 alone.
- the capacitive unit 71 uses the switch 731 to selectively short out the capacitor 721 .
- the switch 731 is closed (turned on)
- the capacitive unit 71 has higher capacitance than when the switch 731 is open (turned off).
- Opening the switch 731 sets up the series connection of the capacitors 711 and 721 , which has a lower capacitance than the capacitance of the capacitor 711 alone.
- the inductive unit 90 of FIG. 9 includes a first inductor 910 and a switchable second inductor 920 , which is switched by a switch 930 .
- Closing the switch 930 introduces parallel inductance from the switchable second inductor 920 , which lowers overall inductance of the inductive unit 90 .
- Opening the switch 930 removes the switchable second inductor 920 by forming an open circuit, which increases the inductance of the inductive unit 90 to the inductance of the first inductor 910 alone.
- the inductive unit 91 shown in FIG. 10 includes series-connected first and second inductors 911 and 921 , with the second inductor 921 switchable through operation of a switch 931 .
- Opening the switch 931 results in higher inductance of the inductive unit 91 , due to the serial connection of the first and second inductors 911 , 921 . Closing the switch 931 results in lower inductance by shorting out the second inductor 921 .
- the FEM 10 has significant design flexibility.
- the inductor 123 is replaced by either of the inductive units 90 or 91 to allow switching between resonance and matching through proper increasing and decreasing of the inductance between the antenna 11 and the tunable capacitance unit 140 .
- the capacitors 127 and 128 and the switch 145 form a capacitive unit similar to the capacitive unit 71 of FIG. 8 .
- the capacitive unit 70 could be used instead, with the switch 730 closed in the receive mode, and open in the transmit mode, for example.
- the same principle applies to the capacitors 115 and 116 and the switch 118 , which could similarly be replaced with the capacitive unit 70 , and use the same switching scheme described above.
- a method 1100 for operating a front end module, such as the FEM 10 , in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown in FIG. 11 .
- the method 1100 is performed, for example, in the FEM 10 .
- Description of the method 1100 is provided in terms of the FEM 10 .
- the receiver path network 120 is switched to matching mode around the beginning of the receive mode. In some embodiments, the switching is accomplished by reducing capacitance of a branch of a matching network in the receiver path network 120 by introducing a series capacitor in a switchable capacitance unit, for example. In terms of FIG.
- the switching corresponds to turning off the switch 145 , which removes the direct path to ground that originally shorted out the capacitor 128 , and introduces the capacitor 128 in series with the capacitor 127 .
- the switching also includes turning off the switch 141 , and turning on the switches 142 - 144 , so as to introduce capacitance of the tunable capacitance unit 140 at the right branch of the pi network of the receiver path network 120 .
- the transmitter path network 110 is switched to resonance mode around the beginning of the receive mode.
- switching is accomplished by reducing capacitance of a branch of a matching network in the transmitter path network 110 by introducing a series capacitor in a switchable capacitance unit, for example.
- the switching corresponds to turning off the switch 118 , which removes the direct path to ground that originally shorted out the capacitor 116 , and introduces the capacitor 116 in series with the capacitor 115 .
- the switching also includes turning off the switch 117 to open circuit the path from the node 111 to the supply voltage VDD through the inductor 113 .
- the switching further includes turning on the MOSFETs 131 and 132 to set up a path to ground from the node 111 through the inductor 114 .
- the transmitter path network 110 is switched to matching mode around the beginning of the transmit mode.
- the switching is accomplished by increasing capacitance of the branch of the matching network in the transmitter path network 110 by removing the series capacitor in the switchable capacitance unit, for example.
- the switching corresponds to turning on the switch 118 , which creates the direct path to ground that shorts out the capacitor 116 , and leaves the capacitor 115 to determine capacitance of the capacitive unit formed by the capacitors 115 - 116 and the switch 118 .
- the switching also includes turning on the switch 117 to set up the path from the node 111 to the supply voltage VDD through the inductor 113 .
- the switching further includes biasing the MOSFET 131 to operate as part of the power amplifier formed of the MOSFETs 131 , 132 .
- the receiver path network 120 is switched to resonance mode around the beginning of the transmit mode.
- the switching is accomplished by increasing capacitance of the branch of the matching network in the receiver path network 120 by removing the series capacitor in the switchable capacitance unit, for example.
- the switching corresponds to turning on the switch 145 , which sets up the direct path to ground that shorts out the capacitor 128 , and leaves the capacitor 127 to determine capacitance of the capacitive unit formed by the capacitors 127 - 128 and the switch 145 .
- the switching also includes turning on the switch 141 , and turning off the switches 142 - 144 , so as to short out the capacitance of the tunable capacitance unit 140 at the right branch of the pi network of the receiver path network 120 .
- the blocks 1101 - 1104 of the method 1100 shown in FIG. 11 are performed in a different order than shown.
- the blocks 1101 and 1102 are performed simultaneously, and the blocks 1103 and 1104 are performed simultaneously.
- Transmit mode may precede receive mode in some embodiments.
- the blocks 1101 - 1104 are repeated as long as the FEM 10 is operating, and standby modes may be introduced in between transmit and receive modes.
- the standby mode(s) include operation such as that shown in FIG. 4 , where all of the switches 117 , 118 , and 141 - 144 and the MOSFETs 131 and 132 are turned off.
- the FEM 10 has many advantages. By arranging RF switches at low voltage nodes, breakdown requirements on the RF switches are relaxed. As a result, the MOSFETs 131 and 132 are used as the RF switches in the FEM, which eliminates the need for high breakdown voltage discrete components as the RF switches. The MOSFETs 131 and 132 also have a reuse property, in that they are used as a power amplifier in transmitter mode, and as the RF switches in the receive mode. Thus, the FEM 10 uses fewer switches than other FEM architectures, which saves area on the wafer-level package 40 .
- An aspect of this description relates to a method.
- the method includes switching a receiver path network of a front-end module to a first matching mode in a receive mode.
- the method further includes switching a transmitter path network of the front-end module to a first resonance mode in the receive mode.
- the method further includes switching the transmitter path network to a second matching mode in a transmit mode.
- the method further includes switching the receiver path network to a second resonance mode in the transmit mode.
- switching the receiver path network to the first matching mode includes reducing capacitance of a first switchable capacitance unit of the receiver path network.
- switching the receiver path network to the first matching mode further includes increasing capacitance of a second switchable capacitance unit of the receiver path network.
- switching the transmitter path network to the first resonance mode includes establishing a path to ground through an inductor of the transmitter path network. In some embodiments, switching the transmitter path network to the first resonance mode further includes reducing capacitance of a switchable capacitance unit of the transmitter path network. In some embodiments, switching the transmitter path network to the second matching mode includes biasing a first transistor of a power amplifier of the transmitter path network; and inputting signals from a transmitter to a second transistor of the power amplifier.
- An aspect of this description relates to a method.
- the method includes switching a receiver path network of a front end module to a first matching mode in a receive mode, wherein switching the receiver path network to the first matching mode comprises introducing a first series capacitor into the receiver path network.
- the method further includes switching a transmitter path network of the front end module to a first resonance mode in the receive mode, wherein switching the transmitter path network to the first resonance mode comprises introducing a second series capacitor into the transmitter path network.
- the method further includes switching the transmitter path network to a second matching mode in a transmit mode, wherein switching the transmitter path network to the second matching mode comprises removing the second series capacitor from the transmitter path network.
- the method further includes switching the receiver path network to a second resonance mode in the transmit mode, wherein switching the receiver path network to the second resonance mode comprises removing the first series capacitor from the receiver path network.
- introducing the first series capacitor into the receiver path network includes opening a switch between a ground voltage and the first series capacitor.
- introducing the second series capacitor into the transmitter path network includes opening a switch between a ground voltage and the second series capacitor.
- removing the first series capacitor into the receiver path network includes closing a switch between a ground voltage and the first series capacitor.
- removing the second series capacitor into the transmitter path network includes closing a switch between a ground voltage and the second series capacitor.
- switching the transmitter path network to the first resonance mode includes opening a switch between a supply voltage and an inductor of the transmitter path network. In some embodiments, switching the transmitter path network to the second matching mode includes closing a switch between a supply voltage and an inductor of the transmitter path network. In some embodiments, switching the transmitter path network to the first resonance mode includes activating a transistor to electrically connect an antenna to a ground voltage through an inductor of the transmitter path network.
- An aspect of this description relates to a method.
- the method includes introducing a first series capacitor into a receiver path network of a front end module in a receive mode.
- the method further includes introducing a second series capacitor into a transmitter path network of the front end module in the receive mode.
- the method further includes removing the second series capacitor from the transmitter path network in a transmit mode.
- the method further includes removing the first series capacitor from the receiver path network in the transmit mode.
- the introducing the first series capacitor into the receiver path network occurs prior to the introducing the second series capacitor into the transmitter path network.
- the introducing the first series capacitor into the receiver path network occurs after the introducing the second series capacitor into the transmitter path network.
- the removing the first series capacitor from the receiver path network occurs prior to the removing the second series capacitor from the transmitter path network. In some embodiments, the removing the first series capacitor from the receiver path network occurs after the removing the second series capacitor from the transmitter path network. In some embodiments, introducing the first series capacitor into the receiver path network includes placing the receiver path network in a matching mode, and introducing the second series capacitor into the transmitter path network includes placing the transmitter path network in a resonance mode.
Abstract
A method includes switching a receiver path network of a front-end module to a first matching mode in a receive mode. The method further includes switching a transmitter path network of the front-end module to a first resonance mode in the receive mode. The method further includes switching the transmitter path network to a second matching mode in a transmit mode. The method further includes switching the receiver path network to a second resonance mode in the transmit mode.
Description
- This application is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 17/066,113, filed Oct. 8, 2020, which is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 16/665,546, filed Oct. 28, 2019, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,804,953, issued Oct. 13, 2020, which is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/672,173, filed Nov. 8, 2012, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,461,799, issued Oct. 29, 2019, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
- Radio frequency (RF) communication enables transmission and reception of voice and data between communication devices without an intermediate wire connecting the devices. To perform RF communication, the communication device will typically send and receive radio frequency signals using a wireless transmitter and a wireless receiver. In an RF transceiver, a front-end module (FEM) is an electronic circuit block that runs between an antenna and an RF chip.
- For a more complete understanding of the present embodiments, and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
-
FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram of a front-end module (FEM) in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure; -
FIG. 2 is a graph of exemplary waveforms of voltages at nodes during transmission in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure; -
FIG. 3 is a graph of exemplary waveforms of voltages at nodes during receiving in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure; -
FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram of a FEM in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure; -
FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram of the FEM ofFIG. 4 during a transmit mode in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure; -
FIG. 6 is a circuit diagram of the FEM ofFIG. 4 during a receive mode in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure; -
FIGS. 7-10 are circuit diagrams of variable impedance networks in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure; and -
FIG. 11 is a flowchart of a method for operating a front-end module in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure. - The making and using of the present embodiments are discussed in detail below. It should be appreciated, however, that the present disclosure provides many applicable inventive concepts that can be embodied in a wide variety of specific contexts. The specific embodiments discussed are merely illustrative of specific ways to make and use the disclosed subject matter, and do not limit the scope of the different embodiments.
- Some embodiments will be described with respect to a specific context, namely a small form factor, low cost radio frequency (RF) front end module (FEM), and the like. Some embodiments may also be applied to other types of RF circuits.
- Throughout the various figures and discussion, like reference numbers refer to like components. Also, although singular components may be depicted throughout some of the figures, this is for simplicity of illustration and ease of discussion. A person having ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate that such discussion and depiction can be and usually is applicable for many components within a structure.
- Some circuits are powered and/or biased by multiple voltages. The multiple voltages set up potential differences that allow electrical currents to flow throughout the circuit to perform various functions. Some electrical currents are defined as flowing from high voltage to low voltage. Some voltage sources in circuits are defined in terms of a supply voltage and ground, with ground representing 0 Volts. Other definitions are sometimes given in terms of an upper supply voltage (VDD, VCC), and a lower supply voltage (VSS, VEE). Thus, in some embodiments, a circuit that operates on a 1.8 Volt supply is defined as having an upper bias of 0.9 Volts, and a lower bias of −0.9 Volts. In the following description, the term “ground” should be interpreted as including low supply voltage, such as the −0.9 Volts for example. Specific voltages discussed below are not then intended so much to limit the scope of the disclosure, and one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize various voltages are applicable to the current disclosure.
- RF FEMs provide an interface between a wireless antenna and an RF chip. Some RF FEM known to the inventor include a bulky circuit block using a large amount of discrete components. RF switches in the RF FEM have high breakdown voltage. Thus, discrete components, which have traditionally offered higher breakdown voltage performance than integrated devices, are chosen as the RF switches to improve device reliability. As a result, complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) devices, which do not have sufficiently high breakdown voltages, have not replaced discrete RF switches. The result is a lack of integrability of the FEM. Instead, discrete chips, such as expensive GaAs switches have been used for the FEM. In addition, the FEM architecture network is complex, which means that a large number of discrete inductors and capacitors are also used within the FEM. This makes the FEM large and bulky.
- In the following disclosure, a novel FEM architecture that is highly integrable is introduced. Through intelligent use of resonance networks, a receiver path in the FEM is switched to high impedance during transmission, and a transmitter path in the FEM is switched to high impedance during reception. RF switches, which accomplish the switching of the resonance networks, are operated at low voltage nodes, which relaxes a breakdown voltage requirement on the RF switches. As a result, integrated metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs) can be used as the RF switches, to replace discrete RF switches. Although not limited to wafer level packages, when used in a wafer level package configuration, post passivation interconnect (PPI) inductors and on-chip capacitors can be combined with the MOSFET switches, so that the FEM and wireless chip can be integrated into a wafer level package with small size in comparison with some other FEMs. As an additional benefit, use of high-Q PPI inductors can help minimize RF power insertion loss of the FEM.
- A circuit diagram of a front-end module (FEM) 10 in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown in
FIG. 1 . The FEM 10 is electrically connected to anantenna 11, and at least one of atransmitter 12 and areceiver 13. In some embodiments, theantenna 11 is an omnidirectional antenna, planar inverted F antenna (PIFA), folded inverted conformal antenna (FICA), a patch antenna, a smart antenna, or the like. Thetransmitter 12 is a radio frequency transmitter, and may include digital and/or analog circuits, such as modulators, interpolators, digital-to-analog converters (DACs), filters, phase-locked loops, oscillators, buffers, and the like. Thereceiver 13 is a radio frequency receiver, and may include digital and/or analog circuits, such as low noise amplifiers, mixers, oscillators, filters, analog-to-digital converters (ADCs), phase-locked loops, delay-locked loops, and the like. In some embodiments, thereceiver 13 operates at a frequency other than radio frequency. In some embodiments, the receive 13 operations at a frequency ranging from a low frequency, e.g., 3 kiloHertz (kHz) to a microwave frequency, e.g., 300 gigaHertz (GHz). The FEM 10 includes atransmitter path network 110 between thetransmitter 12 and theantenna 11. Apower amplifier 130 amplifies transmission signals generated by thetransmitter 12. Thepower amplifier 130 includes twoMOSFETs power amplifier 130. TheMOSFET 131 is biased by a bias voltage Vbias, and a gate of theMOSFET 132 receives transmission signals from thetransmitter 12. In some embodiments, thepower amplifier 130 is considered part of thetransmitter path network 110. TheFEM 10 also provides areceiver path network 120 between theantenna 11 and thereceiver 13. - The
transmitter path network 110 includes a firstvariable impedance network 119, which may generally include switches, inductors, and/or capacitors. Impedance of thetransmitter path network 110 is electrically selectable, and in some embodiments is selected by inputting a first voltage, or set of voltages, to thetransmitter path network 110. During transmission, theFEM 10 operates in a transmit mode, the firstvariable impedance network 119 has low or no impedance to allow RF signal(s) to travel fromnode 112 tonode 111. For example, the firstvariable impedance network 119 is switched to a low or zero impedance configuration around the time transmission begins. During receiving, theFEM 10 operates in a receive mode, the firstvariable impedance network 119 has high impedance atnode 111 corresponding to theantenna 11, which blocks signals from theantenna 11 and/or thereceiver 13 from reaching thepower amplifier 130 and thetransmitter 12. The firstvariable impedance network 119 having high impedance also blocks signals from thetransmitter 12 from reaching theantenna 11 and/or thereceiver 13 by presenting high impedance to thenode 112. Thetransmitter path network 110 is switched to the high impedance configuration around the time receiving begins. It should be appreciated that “allowing” and “blocking” may be relative terms, where “allowing” indicates passing, amplifying, or only slightly attenuating a signal, and “blocking” indicates heavily attenuating or even decoupling a signal. - The
receiver path network 120 is a second variable impedance network, which may generally include switches, inductors, and/or capacitors. In some embodiments, impedance of thereceiver path network 120 is electrically selectable through switching control, and is selected by inputting a second voltage, or set of voltages, to thereceiver path network 120. In some embodiments, the switches are single-transistor switches, pass gates, combinations thereof, or the like. During receiving, theFEM 10 operates in the receive mode, thereceiver path network 120 has low to no impedance, allowing RF signal(s) to travel fromnode 121 tonode 122, e.g. from theantenna 11 to thereceiver 13. For example, thereceiver path network 120 is switched to a low or zero impedance configuration around the time receiving begins. During transmitting, theFEM 10 operates in the transmit mode, thereceiver path network 120 has high impedance atnode 121, which blocks signals from theantenna 11 and/or thetransmitter 12 from reaching thereceiver 13. For example, thereceiver path network 120 is switched to a high impedance configuration around the time transmitting begins. It should be appreciated that “allowing” and “blocking” may be relative terms, where “allowing” indicates passing, amplifying, or only slightly attenuating a signal, and “blocking” indicates heavily attenuating or even decoupling a signal. - Exemplary waveforms of voltages at
nodes FIG. 2 . For purposes of illustration,node 121 andnode 111 are considered as a single node, which corresponds to theantenna 11. In transmit mode, thetransmitter 12 transmits a signal to thepower amplifier 130, which in turn amplifies the signal to generate the waveform atnode 112 shown inFIG. 2 . Because theFEM 10 operates in transmit mode, thetransmitter path network 110 has low or zero impedance, and the waveform atnode 112 is allowed to pass tonode 111 and be transmitted out by theantenna 11. Thereceiver path network 120 has high impedance, such that the waveform atnode 111 is blocked by thereceiver path network 120, leading to the waveform fornode 122 shown inFIG. 2 , which is either completely attenuated or heavily attenuated relative to the waveform atnode 111. - Exemplary waveforms of voltages at
nodes FIG. 3 . For purposes of illustration,node 121 andnode 111 are considered as a single node, which corresponds to theantenna 11. In the receive mode, theantenna 11 receives an RF signal such as the waveform shown fornode 111. Because theFEM 10 operates in receive mode, thereceiver path network 120 has low or zero impedance, and the waveform atnode 111 is allowed to pass tonode 122 and be received and processed by thereceiver 13. Thetransmitter path network 110 has high impedance, such that the waveform atnode 111 is blocked from entering thepower amplifier 130 and thetransmitter 12 by thetransmitter path network 110, leading to the waveform fornode 112 shown inFIG. 3 , which is either completely attenuated or heavily attenuated relative to the waveform atnode 111. - A detailed circuit diagram of the
FEM 10 in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown inFIG. 4 . TheFEM 10 as shown inFIG. 4 is in a standby mode, which may indicate that no transmission or receiving occurs. In some embodiments, theFEM 10 is formed in awafer level package 40, where part of theFEM 10 is formed in a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS)chip 41 of thewafer level package 40, and a remaining part of theFEM 10 is formed outside theCMOS chip 41. In some other embodiments, theentire FEM 10 is formed within theCMOS chip 41. For illustrative purposes, theFEM 10 shown inFIG. 4 is shown having parts both inside and outside theCMOS chip 41 of thewafer level package 40. It should also be appreciated that other types of packaging that include PPI inductors are within the scope of this disclosure. - The
transmitter path network 110 includesinductors capacitors inductors transmitter path network 110, and thecapacitors switches transmitter path network 110. Thepower amplifier 130 is also included in the die-side part of thetransmitter path network 110 in some embodiments. The die-side part of thetransmitter path network 110 is electrically connected to thetransmitter 12, and the package-side part of thetransmitter path network 110 is electrically connected to both the die-side part of thetransmitter path network 110 and theantenna 11. It is appreciated that values (sizes, voltage tolerances, quality factors, and the like) of the various components 113-118 can be chosen in view of demands on performance parameters, such as operating frequency, channel selectivity, amplification, attenuation, and the like. In some embodiments, theinductors inductor 113 has a first terminal electrically connected to theantenna 11, e.g. at thenode 111. Theinductor 113 has a second terminal electrically connected to a first terminal of theswitch 117. A second terminal of theswitch 117 is electrically connected to a voltage supply for receiving a supply voltage VDD. Theinductor 113 and theswitch 117 form a first branch of thetransmitter path network 110. In the standby mode, theswitch 117 is open (turned off), making the second branch a high impedance or open-circuit (infinite impedance) branch. If theswitch 117 is a pass gate, for example, an N-type metal-oxide-semiconductor (NMOS) transistor, the NMOS transistor is turned off by applying a low voltage to a gate thereof. If the pass gate is a P-type metal-oxide-semiconductor (PMOS) transistor, the PMOS transistor is turned off by applying a high voltage to a gate thereof. - The
inductor 114 has a first terminal electrically connected to thenode 111, and a second terminal electrically connected to a drain terminal of theMOSFET 131 of thepower amplifier 130. Theinductor 114 has a path to ground through channels of theMOSFETs inductor 114 and theMOSFETs transmitter path network 110. In the standby mode, theMOSFETs - A third branch of the
transmitter path network 110 includes thecapacitor 115, thecapacitor 116, and theswitch 118. In some embodiments, thecapacitor 115 is a MOSFET capacitor, a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor, a metal-oxide-metal (MOM) capacitor, a poly-poly capacitor, another vertical-type capacitor, a lateral-type capacitor, or the like. A first terminal of thecapacitor 115 is electrically connected to thenode 111, and a second terminal of thecapacitor 115 is electrically connected to thecapacitor 116 and theswitch 118. A first terminal of thecapacitor 116 is electrically connected to the second terminal of thecapacitor 115, and a second terminal of thecapacitor 116 is grounded. Theswitch 118 runs in parallel to thecapacitor 116, having a first terminal electrically connected to the second terminal of thecapacitor 115, and a second terminal that is grounded. Capacitance of the third branch can be selected using theswitch 118. In the standby mode, theswitch 118 is open (turned off), so that capacitance of the third branch is equal to the serial capacitance of thecapacitor 115 and thecapacitor 116, which is lower than the capacitance of thecapacitor 115 alone. - In the standby mode, the
MOSFETs switches transmitter path network 110 is determined solely by the serially-connectedcapacitors capacitor 115, and C2 is a capacitance of thecapacitor 116. - The
receiver path network 120 includes aninductor 123, capacitors 124-129, and switches 141-145. In some embodiments, the components 123-129, 141-145 are integrated, discrete, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, theinductor 123 is included in a package-side part of thereceiver path network 120, and the capacitors 124-129 and the switches 141-145 are included in a die-side part of thereceiver path network 120. The die-side part of thereceiver path network 120 is electrically connected to thereceiver 13, and the package-side part of thereceiver path network 120 is electrically connected to both the die-side part of thereceiver path network 120 and theantenna 11. Through proper control of the switches 141-145, thereceiver path network 120 may act as either an LC resonator or as a pi matching network. In detail, a first terminal of theinductor 123 is electrically connected to thenode 111, and a second terminal of theinductor 123 is electrically connected to a first terminal of thecapacitor 129. In some embodiments, theinductor 123 is a PPI inductor formed in thewafer level package 40. Thecapacitor 129 has a second terminal electrically connected to an input terminal of thereceiver 13. - The capacitors 124-126 and the switches 141-144 form a
tunable capacitance unit 140 having capacitance that is tuned in some embodiments by selective opening/closing of the switches 141-144. First terminals of the capacitors 124-126 and theswitch 141 are electrically connected to the second terminal of theinductor 123 and the first terminal of thecapacitor 129. A second terminal of thecapacitor 124 is electrically connectable to ground through theswitch 142. A second terminal of thecapacitor 125 is electrically connectable to ground through theswitch 143. A second terminal of thecapacitor 126 is electrically connectable to ground through theswitch 144. A second terminal of theswitch 141 is electrically connected to ground. Closing any of the switches 142-144 increases capacitance of the tunable capacitance unit, and opening any of the switches 142-144 decreases the capacitance of the tunable capacitance unit. In some embodiments, thecapacitors switch 141 zeroes the capacitance of thetunable capacitance unit 140 by creating a direct path to ground that shunts out thecapacitors tunable capacitance unit 140 can have capacitance ranging from substantially zero Farads to a finite value of Farads, e.g. on the order of picofarads. In some embodiments, thetunable capacitance unit 140 has a capacitance ranging from 10−15 farads to 10−6 farads. In the standby mode, the switches 141-144 are off (open-circuited), such that thetunable capacitance unit 140 is open-circuited, and presents zero capacitance at a node between theinductor 123 and thecapacitor 129. Theinductor 123, thetunable capacitance unit 140, and thecapacitor 129 form a first branch of thereceiver path network 120. - The
capacitors switch 145 form a second branch of thereceiver path network 120. Capacitance of the second branch of thereceiver path network 120 is selectable through operation of theswitch 145. Thecapacitor 127 has a first terminal electrically connected to thenode 111, and a second terminal electrically connected to thecapacitor 128 and theswitch 145. First terminals of thecapacitor 128 and theswitch 145 are electrically connected to the second terminal of thecapacitor 127. Second terminals of thecapacitor 128 and theswitch 145 are grounded. Theswitch 145 being turned on (short-circuited) lowers the capacitance of the second branch, and theswitch 145 being turned off (open-circuited) raises the capacitance of the second branch. In the standby mode, theswitch 145 is turned off (open), and the capacitance of the second branch is equal to C3*C4/(C3+C4), where C3 represents a capacitance of thecapacitor 127, and C4 represents a capacitance of thecapacitor 128. The capacitance of the second branch is lower in the standby mode than the capacitance of thecapacitor 127 alone. - Embodiments in which the
transmitter path network 110 is formed fully within theCMOS chip 41 and thereceiver path network 120 is formed both inside and outside theCMOS chip 41 are contemplated herein. Embodiments in which thereceiver path network 120 is formed fully within theCMOS chip 41 and thetransmitter path network 110 is formed both inside and outside theCMOS chip 41 are also contemplated herein. Embodiments in which thetransmitter path network 110 and thereceiver path network 120 are both formed inside theCMOS chip 41 are also contemplated herein. - As mentioned above, non-integrated designs may include discrete, high breakdown voltage components, such as GaAs switches, and discrete capacitors and inductors. In some embodiments, the
FEM 10 does not use discrete components, and is highly integrable. Embodiments that use the non-integrated designs for the transmitter path, and the highly integrable design for the receiver path described herein are contemplated. Embodiments that use the non-integrated designs for the receiver path, and the highly integrable design for the transmitter path described herein are also contemplated. - In
FIG. 5 , ground terminals of thecapacitors switches 118, 141-145, and theMOSFET 132 are electrically connected to ground, a lower supply voltage, or the like. The ground terminals are biased by the same voltage, e.g. ground, different voltages, or a combination thereof, for the sake of circuit performance. - Around the beginning of the transmit mode, the
switches MOSFETs transmitter 12 to theantenna 11 through thepower amplifier 130 and thetransmitter path network 110, while blocking the transmission signals from thenode 111 to thereceiver 13 through thereceiver path network 120. One such biasing configuration is shown inFIG. 5 , in which theswitches MOSFET 131 is biased by a bias voltage Vbias, and the gate of theMOSFET 132 receives transmission signals to be outputted through the antenna from thetransmitter 12. In thetransmitter path network 110, closingswitch 117 provides a current path from thenode 111 to the supply voltage VDD through theinductor 113, and closing theswitch 118 shorts out thecapacitor 116, increasing the capacitance of the third branch of thetransmitter path network 110. As such, theinductors capacitor 115 form a matching network between theantenna 11 and thepower amplifier 130. Thetransmitter path network 110 shown inFIG. 5 is only one type of matching network available for use in theFEM 10. Embodiments including a pi network, a T network, an L network, or combinations thereof in thetransmitter path network 110 are also contemplated herein. - On the receiver side, during the transmission operation cycle, the
receiver path network 120 is configured as a high-impedance LC resonance that blocks signals from entering thereceiver 13 from theantenna 11. In the configuration shown, theswitches tunable capacitance unit 140 is zero due to the direct path to ground through theswitch 141. Capacitance of the second branch of thereceiver path network 120 is increased due to the shorting out of thecapacitor 128, leaving only the capacitance of thecapacitor 127 in the second branch. As shown inFIG. 5 , anequivalent circuit 180 of thereceiver path network 120 includes thecapacitor 127 and theinductor 123, which form an LC resonance that presents a high impedance at thenode 111. The LC resonance shown inFIG. 5 is an L-type resonance circuit. Embodiments including a pi network, a T network, an L network, or combinations thereof in thereceiver path network 120 are also contemplated herein. - Biasing conditions of the
switches MOSFETs FIG. 6 . Biasing is performed in such as a way as to allow receiving of incoming signals from theantenna 11 to thereceiver 13 through thereceiver path network 120, while blocking transmission of the incoming signals from thenode 111 to thetransmitter 12 through thetransmitter path network 110. In the biasing configuration shown inFIG. 6 , theswitches MOSFETs receiver path network 120 is switched to form a pi matching network including theinductor 123, and left and right capacitive branches. The left capacitive branch runs from the left electrode of theinductor 123 to ground, and has capacitance set by thecapacitors inductor 123 to ground, and has capacitance set by the capacitors 124-126. Theswitch 145 being open reduces capacitance of the left capacitive branch by introducing thecapacitor 128 in series with the capacitor 127 (series capacitors have lower combined capacitance than either capacitor in the series alone). Theswitch 141 being open removes the short to ground initially present in the transmit mode, and introduces a tuned capacitance set by the switchable capacitors 124-126 (switched by the switches 142-144). The capacitance of the right capacitive branch shown inFIG. 6 is the sum of capacitances of the capacitors 124-126 (capacitance of capacitors in parallel is the sum of the individual capacitances of the capacitors). Thetunable capacitance unit 140 being tunable means that proper opening and closing of the switches 142-144 can modify overall capacitance of thetunable capacitance unit 140. In some embodiments, thecapacitor 124 has capacitance C, thecapacitor 125 has capacitance 2C (twice the capacitance of the capacitor 124), and thecapacitor 126 has capacitance 4C (four times the capacitance of the capacitor 124). The use of the switches 141-144 allows for selection of capacitance of thetunable capacitance unit 140 equal to in steps of 1C. Embodiments in which the capacitors 124-126 are replaced by a single capacitor, two capacitors, or more than three capacitors are contemplated herein. Configuring thereceiver path network 120 as shown inFIG. 6 sets up impedance matching between thereceiver 13 and theantenna 11, and allows incoming signals to reach thereceiver 13 for further processing. - In the receive mode, the
transmitter path network 110 is switched to provide high impedance through an LC resonance configuration. As shown inFIG. 6 , theswitches MOSFETs MOSFETs inductor 114. With theswitch 117 turned off, theinductor 113 is open-circuited, and presents infinite impedance to thenode 111. Theswitch 118 being open decreases capacitance of the branch including thecapacitors node 111 looking toward the transmitter 12 (not shown inFIG. 6 ), the impedance of thetransmitter path network 110 is high, as shown by anequivalent circuit 190 of thetransmitter path network 110. Looking into theequivalent circuit 190, theantenna 11 sees the series capacitance of thecapacitors inductor 114, which is a high AC impedance at the receiving frequency of the incoming signals. - The
FEM 10 illustrated inFIGS. 4-6 utilizes the transmitter andreceiver path networks transmitter 12 or receiver 13). In a second mode, the respective path network operates as a resonant circuit, using high AC impedance at the RF frequency to block signals (incoming signals blocked from thetransmitter 12, or outgoing signals blocked from the receiver 13). Switching the respective path network involves shifting poles and/or zeros of the path network to an advantageous location on the frequency spectrum to block RF signals, or setting up matching impedance at the RF frequency of the incoming/outgoing signals. In some embodiments, the matching networks include pi matching networks, T matching networks, L matching networks, and combinations thereof. The matching networks may include one stage, as shown inFIGS. 4-6 , or multiple stages to achieve greater channel selectivity. - Changing any capacitive or inductive component within the matching network will affect the pole(s) and zero(es) of the matching network.
FIGS. 7-10 are circuit diagrams of switchable capacitive andinductive units capacitive unit 70 ofFIG. 7 includescapacitors switch 730. Capacitance of thecapacitive unit 70 is higher when theswitch 730 is closed (turned on), and lower when theswitch 730 is open (turned off). Closing theswitch 730 sets up the parallel connection of thecapacitors capacitor 710 alone. Thecapacitive unit 71 ofFIG. 8 includescapacitors switch 731. Thecapacitive unit 71 uses theswitch 731 to selectively short out thecapacitor 721. Thus, when theswitch 731 is closed (turned on), thecapacitive unit 71 has higher capacitance than when theswitch 731 is open (turned off). Opening theswitch 731 sets up the series connection of thecapacitors capacitor 711 alone. - The
inductive unit 90 ofFIG. 9 includes afirst inductor 910 and a switchablesecond inductor 920, which is switched by aswitch 930. Closing theswitch 930 introduces parallel inductance from the switchablesecond inductor 920, which lowers overall inductance of theinductive unit 90. Opening theswitch 930 removes the switchablesecond inductor 920 by forming an open circuit, which increases the inductance of theinductive unit 90 to the inductance of thefirst inductor 910 alone. Theinductive unit 91 shown inFIG. 10 includes series-connected first andsecond inductors second inductor 921 switchable through operation of aswitch 931. Opening theswitch 931 results in higher inductance of theinductive unit 91, due to the serial connection of the first andsecond inductors switch 931 results in lower inductance by shorting out thesecond inductor 921. - Through use of the
capacitive units inductive units FEM 10 has significant design flexibility. In some embodiments, theinductor 123 is replaced by either of theinductive units antenna 11 and thetunable capacitance unit 140. Thecapacitors switch 145 form a capacitive unit similar to thecapacitive unit 71 ofFIG. 8 . Thecapacitive unit 70 could be used instead, with theswitch 730 closed in the receive mode, and open in the transmit mode, for example. The same principle applies to thecapacitors switch 118, which could similarly be replaced with thecapacitive unit 70, and use the same switching scheme described above. - A
method 1100 for operating a front end module, such as theFEM 10, in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown inFIG. 11 . Themethod 1100 is performed, for example, in theFEM 10. Description of themethod 1100 is provided in terms of theFEM 10. Inblock 1101, thereceiver path network 120 is switched to matching mode around the beginning of the receive mode. In some embodiments, the switching is accomplished by reducing capacitance of a branch of a matching network in thereceiver path network 120 by introducing a series capacitor in a switchable capacitance unit, for example. In terms ofFIG. 6 , the switching corresponds to turning off theswitch 145, which removes the direct path to ground that originally shorted out thecapacitor 128, and introduces thecapacitor 128 in series with thecapacitor 127. The switching also includes turning off theswitch 141, and turning on the switches 142-144, so as to introduce capacitance of thetunable capacitance unit 140 at the right branch of the pi network of thereceiver path network 120. - In
block 1102, thetransmitter path network 110 is switched to resonance mode around the beginning of the receive mode. In some embodiments, switching is accomplished by reducing capacitance of a branch of a matching network in thetransmitter path network 110 by introducing a series capacitor in a switchable capacitance unit, for example. In terms ofFIG. 6 , the switching corresponds to turning off theswitch 118, which removes the direct path to ground that originally shorted out thecapacitor 116, and introduces thecapacitor 116 in series with thecapacitor 115. The switching also includes turning off theswitch 117 to open circuit the path from thenode 111 to the supply voltage VDD through theinductor 113. The switching further includes turning on theMOSFETs node 111 through theinductor 114. - In
block 1103, thetransmitter path network 110 is switched to matching mode around the beginning of the transmit mode. In some embodiments, the switching is accomplished by increasing capacitance of the branch of the matching network in thetransmitter path network 110 by removing the series capacitor in the switchable capacitance unit, for example. In terms ofFIG. 5 , the switching corresponds to turning on theswitch 118, which creates the direct path to ground that shorts out thecapacitor 116, and leaves thecapacitor 115 to determine capacitance of the capacitive unit formed by the capacitors 115-116 and theswitch 118. The switching also includes turning on theswitch 117 to set up the path from thenode 111 to the supply voltage VDD through theinductor 113. The switching further includes biasing theMOSFET 131 to operate as part of the power amplifier formed of theMOSFETs - In
block 1104, thereceiver path network 120 is switched to resonance mode around the beginning of the transmit mode. In some embodiments, the switching is accomplished by increasing capacitance of the branch of the matching network in thereceiver path network 120 by removing the series capacitor in the switchable capacitance unit, for example. In terms ofFIG. 5 , the switching corresponds to turning on theswitch 145, which sets up the direct path to ground that shorts out thecapacitor 128, and leaves thecapacitor 127 to determine capacitance of the capacitive unit formed by the capacitors 127-128 and theswitch 145. The switching also includes turning on theswitch 141, and turning off the switches 142-144, so as to short out the capacitance of thetunable capacitance unit 140 at the right branch of the pi network of thereceiver path network 120. - In some embodiments, the blocks 1101-1104 of the
method 1100 shown inFIG. 11 are performed in a different order than shown. For example, theblocks blocks FEM 10 is operating, and standby modes may be introduced in between transmit and receive modes. In some embodiments, the standby mode(s) include operation such as that shown inFIG. 4 , where all of theswitches MOSFETs - The
FEM 10 has many advantages. By arranging RF switches at low voltage nodes, breakdown requirements on the RF switches are relaxed. As a result, theMOSFETs MOSFETs FEM 10 uses fewer switches than other FEM architectures, which saves area on the wafer-level package 40. Combining the use of PPI inductors for theinductors MOSFETs - An aspect of this description relates to a method. The method includes switching a receiver path network of a front-end module to a first matching mode in a receive mode. The method further includes switching a transmitter path network of the front-end module to a first resonance mode in the receive mode. The method further includes switching the transmitter path network to a second matching mode in a transmit mode. The method further includes switching the receiver path network to a second resonance mode in the transmit mode. In some embodiments, switching the receiver path network to the first matching mode includes reducing capacitance of a first switchable capacitance unit of the receiver path network. In some embodiments, switching the receiver path network to the first matching mode further includes increasing capacitance of a second switchable capacitance unit of the receiver path network. In some embodiments, switching the transmitter path network to the first resonance mode includes establishing a path to ground through an inductor of the transmitter path network. In some embodiments, switching the transmitter path network to the first resonance mode further includes reducing capacitance of a switchable capacitance unit of the transmitter path network. In some embodiments, switching the transmitter path network to the second matching mode includes biasing a first transistor of a power amplifier of the transmitter path network; and inputting signals from a transmitter to a second transistor of the power amplifier.
- An aspect of this description relates to a method. The method includes switching a receiver path network of a front end module to a first matching mode in a receive mode, wherein switching the receiver path network to the first matching mode comprises introducing a first series capacitor into the receiver path network. The method further includes switching a transmitter path network of the front end module to a first resonance mode in the receive mode, wherein switching the transmitter path network to the first resonance mode comprises introducing a second series capacitor into the transmitter path network. The method further includes switching the transmitter path network to a second matching mode in a transmit mode, wherein switching the transmitter path network to the second matching mode comprises removing the second series capacitor from the transmitter path network. The method further includes switching the receiver path network to a second resonance mode in the transmit mode, wherein switching the receiver path network to the second resonance mode comprises removing the first series capacitor from the receiver path network. In some embodiments, introducing the first series capacitor into the receiver path network includes opening a switch between a ground voltage and the first series capacitor. In some embodiments, introducing the second series capacitor into the transmitter path network includes opening a switch between a ground voltage and the second series capacitor. In some embodiments, removing the first series capacitor into the receiver path network includes closing a switch between a ground voltage and the first series capacitor. In some embodiments, removing the second series capacitor into the transmitter path network includes closing a switch between a ground voltage and the second series capacitor. In some embodiments, switching the transmitter path network to the first resonance mode includes opening a switch between a supply voltage and an inductor of the transmitter path network. In some embodiments, switching the transmitter path network to the second matching mode includes closing a switch between a supply voltage and an inductor of the transmitter path network. In some embodiments, switching the transmitter path network to the first resonance mode includes activating a transistor to electrically connect an antenna to a ground voltage through an inductor of the transmitter path network.
- An aspect of this description relates to a method. The method includes introducing a first series capacitor into a receiver path network of a front end module in a receive mode. The method further includes introducing a second series capacitor into a transmitter path network of the front end module in the receive mode. The method further includes removing the second series capacitor from the transmitter path network in a transmit mode. The method further includes removing the first series capacitor from the receiver path network in the transmit mode. In some embodiments, the introducing the first series capacitor into the receiver path network occurs prior to the introducing the second series capacitor into the transmitter path network. In some embodiments, the introducing the first series capacitor into the receiver path network occurs after the introducing the second series capacitor into the transmitter path network. In some embodiments, the removing the first series capacitor from the receiver path network occurs prior to the removing the second series capacitor from the transmitter path network. In some embodiments, the removing the first series capacitor from the receiver path network occurs after the removing the second series capacitor from the transmitter path network. In some embodiments, introducing the first series capacitor into the receiver path network includes placing the receiver path network in a matching mode, and introducing the second series capacitor into the transmitter path network includes placing the transmitter path network in a resonance mode.
- Though the present embodiments and their advantages have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions, and alterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims. Moreover, the scope of the present application is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments of the process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter, means, methods, and steps described in the specification. As one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate from the disclosure, processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps, presently existing or later to be developed, that perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding embodiments described herein may be utilized according to the present disclosure. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to include within their scope such processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps.
Claims (20)
1. A method comprising:
switching a receiver path network of a front end module to a first matching mode in a receive mode;
switching a transmitter path network of the front end module to a first resonance mode in the receive mode;
switching the transmitter path network to a second matching mode in a transmit mode; and
switching the receiver path network to a second resonance mode in the transmit mode.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein switching the receiver path network to the first matching mode comprises:
reducing capacitance of a first switchable capacitance unit of the receiver path network.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein switching the receiver path network to the first matching mode further comprises:
increasing capacitance of a second switchable capacitance unit of the receiver path network.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein switching the transmitter path network to the first resonance mode comprises:
establishing a path to ground through an inductor of the transmitter path network.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein switching the transmitter path network to the first resonance mode further comprises:
reducing capacitance of a switchable capacitance unit of the transmitter path network.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein switching the transmitter path network to the second matching mode comprises:
biasing a first transistor of a power amplifier of the transmitter path network; and
inputting signals from a transmitter to a second transistor of the power amplifier.
7. A method comprising:
switching a receiver path network of a front end module to a first matching mode in a receive mode, wherein switching the receiver path network to the first matching mode comprises introducing a first series capacitor into the receiver path network;
switching a transmitter path network of the front end module to a first resonance mode in the receive mode, wherein switching the transmitter path network to the first resonance mode comprises introducing a second series capacitor into the transmitter path network;
switching the transmitter path network to a second matching mode in a transmit mode, wherein switching the transmitter path network to the second matching mode comprises removing the second series capacitor from the transmitter path network; and
switching the receiver path network to a second resonance mode in the transmit mode, wherein switching the receiver path network to the second resonance mode comprises removing the first series capacitor from the receiver path network.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein introducing the first series capacitor into the receiver path network comprises opening a switch between a ground voltage and the first series capacitor.
9. The method of claim 7 , wherein introducing the second series capacitor into the transmitter path network comprises opening a switch between a ground voltage and the second series capacitor.
10. The method of claim 7 , wherein removing the first series capacitor into the receiver path network comprises closing a switch between a ground voltage and the first series capacitor.
11. The method of claim 7 , wherein removing the second series capacitor into the transmitter path network comprises closing a switch between a ground voltage and the second series capacitor.
12. The method of claim 7 , wherein switching the transmitter path network to the first resonance mode comprises opening a switch between a supply voltage and an inductor of the transmitter path network.
13. The method of claim 7 , wherein switching the transmitter path network to the second matching mode comprises closing a switch between a supply voltage and an inductor of the transmitter path network.
14. The method of claim 7 , wherein switching the transmitter path network to the first resonance mode comprises activating a transistor to electrically connect an antenna to a ground voltage through an inductor of the transmitter path network.
15. A method comprising:
introducing a first series capacitor into a receiver path network of a front end module in a receive mode;
introducing a second series capacitor into a transmitter path network of the front end module in the receive mode;
removing the second series capacitor from the transmitter path network in a transmit mode; and
removing the first series capacitor from the receiver path network in the transmit mode.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the introducing the first series capacitor into the receiver path network occurs prior to the introducing the second series capacitor into the transmitter path network.
17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the introducing the first series capacitor into the receiver path network occurs after the introducing the second series capacitor into the transmitter path network.
18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the removing the first series capacitor from the receiver path network occurs prior to the removing the second series capacitor from the transmitter path network.
19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the removing the first series capacitor from the receiver path network occurs after the removing the second series capacitor from the transmitter path network.
20. The method of claim 15 , wherein introducing the first series capacitor into the receiver path network comprises placing the receiver path network in a matching mode, and introducing the second series capacitor into the transmitter path network comprises placing the transmitter path network in a resonance mode.
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US18/361,816 US20230387961A1 (en) | 2012-11-08 | 2023-07-28 | Method of using integrated transmitter and receiver front end module |
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US13/672,173 US10461799B2 (en) | 2012-11-08 | 2012-11-08 | Integrated transmitter and receiver front end module, transceiver, and related method |
US16/665,546 US10804953B2 (en) | 2012-11-08 | 2019-10-28 | Method of using integrated transmitter and receiver front end module |
US17/066,113 US11764823B2 (en) | 2012-11-08 | 2020-10-08 | Method of using integrated transmitter and receiver front end module |
US18/361,816 US20230387961A1 (en) | 2012-11-08 | 2023-07-28 | Method of using integrated transmitter and receiver front end module |
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US17/066,113 Active US11764823B2 (en) | 2012-11-08 | 2020-10-08 | Method of using integrated transmitter and receiver front end module |
US18/361,816 Pending US20230387961A1 (en) | 2012-11-08 | 2023-07-28 | Method of using integrated transmitter and receiver front end module |
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CN103812469A (en) | 2014-05-21 |
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