WO2024032411A1

WO2024032411A1 - Power amplifier and control method therefor, and communication device

Info

Publication number: WO2024032411A1
Application number: PCT/CN2023/110249
Authority: WO
Inventors: 吴涛; 张晓毅; 刘金金; 丁冲
Original assignee: 中兴通讯股份有限公司
Priority date: 2022-08-08
Filing date: 2023-07-31
Publication date: 2024-02-15
Also published as: CN117579002A

Abstract

A power amplifier and a control method therefor, and a communication device. The power amplifier comprises a signal input end (400), a signal output end (500), and a first signal branch and a second signal branch that are arranged in parallel between the signal output end and the signal input end. The first signal branch is provided with a first PIN diode phase shifter (100) and a first power amplifier unit (200) connected to each other, wherein the first PIN diode phase shifter (100) is provided with a bias voltage input end, and when receiving a bias voltage control signal at the bias voltage input end, the first PIN diode phase shifter (100) adjusts an output phase of the first signal branch. The second signal branch is provided with a second power amplifier unit (300).

Description

Power amplifier and control method thereof, communication equipment

Cross-references to related applications

This application is filed based on the Chinese patent application with application number 202210945079.

Technical field

Embodiments of the present application relate to but are not limited to the field of communication technology, and in particular, to a power amplifier and its control method, and communication equipment.

Background technique

Doherty power amplifier is currently the most widely used architecture to improve power amplifier efficiency. It consists of a main power amplifier and an auxiliary power amplifier. The main power amplifier maintains high efficiency at low power, and the auxiliary power amplifier has the same power as the main power amplifier at high power. Synthesis achieves high power and high efficiency operation. In order to ensure that the power amplifier achieves high efficiency during power synthesis, the two links of the main power amplifier and the auxiliary power amplifier need to be phase-aligned. If the phases are not aligned, the efficiency of the power amplifier will be low.

However, when the base station is working in the field, the number of connected users changes dynamically in time, which corresponds to the power amplifier working at different power levels. In this case, there are also differences in the phases of the main power amplifier and the auxiliary power amplifier. .

The traditional solution is to use microstrip lines to adjust the phase of the main power amplifier. However, because the microstrip line itself does not have dynamic adjustment capabilities, it is impossible to effectively complete the phase alignment of the main power amplifier and the auxiliary power amplifier when facing the above problems.

Contents of the invention

The following is an overview of the topics described in detail in this article. This summary is not intended to limit the scope of the claims.

Embodiments of the present application provide a power amplifier, a control method thereof, and communication equipment.

In a first aspect, a power amplifier according to an embodiment of the present application includes:

signal input terminal;

A signal output terminal, a first signal branch and a second signal branch connected in parallel are provided between the signal output terminal and the signal input terminal;

The first signal branch is provided with a connected first PIN tube phase shifter and a first power amplifier unit, wherein the first PIN tube phase shifter is provided with a bias voltage input terminal, and the first PIN tube The phase shifter adjusts the output phase of the first signal branch when the bias voltage input terminal receives a bias voltage control signal;

The second signal branch is provided with a second power amplifier unit.

In a second aspect, in the control method of a power amplifier according to an embodiment of the present application, the power amplifier includes a signal input terminal and a signal output terminal, and a first parallel connection is provided between the signal output terminal and the signal input terminal. Signal branch and second signal branch; the first signal branch is provided with a connected first PIN tube phase shifter and a first power amplifier unit, wherein the first PIN tube phase shifter is provided with a bias a voltage input terminal; the second signal branch is provided with a second power amplifier unit;

The control methods include:

A bias voltage control signal is sent to the bias voltage input terminal so that the output phase of the first signal branch matches the output phase of the second signal branch.

In a third aspect, a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application includes the Doherty power amplifier of the embodiment of the first aspect of the present application.

Description of drawings

Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a power amplifier provided by an embodiment of the present application;

Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a power amplifier provided by another embodiment of the present application;

Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a first PIN tube phase shifter provided by an embodiment of the present application;

Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a cascade of multiple first PIN tube phase shifters provided by an embodiment of the present application;

Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a first PIN tube phase shifter provided by another embodiment of the present application;

Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a first PIN tube phase shifter provided by another embodiment of the present application;

Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of capacitance changes of the first PIN tube phase shifter provided by an embodiment of the present application under different reverse bias voltages;

Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the corresponding schematic diagram of the output phase of the power amplifier and the compensation phase of the first PIN tube phase shifter when the first PIN tube phase shifter is not added according to an embodiment of the present application;

Figure 9 is a schematic diagram comparing the output efficiency of the power amplifier before and after phase alignment according to an embodiment of the present application; and

Figure 10 is a flow chart of a power amplifier control method provided by an embodiment of the present application.

Detailed ways

In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present application more clear, the present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described here are only used to explain the present application and are not used to limit the present application.

It should be noted that although the functional modules are divided in the device schematic diagram and the logical sequence is shown in the flow chart, in some cases, the modules can be divided into different modules in the device or the order in the flow chart can be executed. The steps shown or described. The terms "first", "second", etc. in the description, claims and the above-mentioned drawings are used to distinguish between to identify similar objects without necessarily describing a specific order or sequence.

This application provides a power amplifier, its control method, and communication equipment, which utilizes the phase shift capability of the first PIN tube phase shifter 100. After the bias voltage input terminal receives the bias voltage control signal, the first PIN tube The phase shifter 100 can adjust the phase of the output signal of the first signal branch so that the phase of the output signal of the first signal branch can match the phase of the output signal of the second signal branch, effectively improving the output efficiency of the power amplifier. , and has the ability to dynamically adjust.

The embodiments of the present application will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

As shown in Figure 1, Figure 1 is a schematic circuit diagram of a power amplifier provided by an embodiment of the present application. The power amplifier includes a signal input terminal 400, a signal output terminal 500, a first signal branch and a second signal branch;

Signal input terminal 400;

The signal output terminal 500 has a first signal branch and a second signal branch connected in parallel between the signal output terminal 500 and the signal input terminal 400;

The first signal branch is provided with a connected first PIN tube phase shifter 100 and a first power amplifier unit 200, wherein the first PIN tube phase shifter 100 is provided with a bias voltage input terminal, and the first PIN tube phase shifter 100 is provided with a bias voltage input terminal. 100 adjusts the output phase of the first signal branch when the bias voltage input terminal receives the bias voltage control signal;

The second signal branch is provided with a second power amplifier unit 300.

In this embodiment, the first PIN tube phase shifter 100 can adjust the phase of the radio frequency signal. When the radio frequency signal is input to the signal input terminal 400, the signals directly output by the first power amplifier unit 200 and the second power amplifier unit 300 will There is a phase difference. At this time, by sending a bias voltage control signal to the bias voltage input terminal of the first PIN tube phase shifter 100, the phase adjustment of the output signal of the first power amplifier unit 200 can be completed, so that the first signal The phase between the branch and the second signal branch is matched, thereby reducing the loss of power synthesis and improving the output efficiency of the entire power amplifier.

Specifically, when the first signal branch and the second signal branch are operating, the phase difference will continue to change as the power level and frequency change. After the power amplifier is determined and formed, the phase difference between the first signal branch and the second signal branch at different power levels and frequencies can be determined. Finally, by sending different bias voltage control signals, the first signal branch can be The PIN tube phase shifter 100 can perform phase adjustment to different degrees to achieve phase matching between the first signal branch and the second signal branch at different power levels, effectively improving the output efficiency of the entire power amplifier.

As shown in Figure 3, Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a first PIN tube phase shifter provided by an embodiment of the present application. The first PIN tube phase shifter 100 includes a first PIN tube group 110 and a second PIN tube group 120. , the first PIN tube group 110 and the second PIN tube group 120 both include two PIN diodes with anodes connected to each other, and the two PIN tube groups are connected by microstrip lines 103 (ML, meander line) of different lengths. Connect the cathodes of different PIN tubes, and there are two in the first PIN tube group 110 A phase-shifting input terminal 101 is provided at the anode connection of the PIN tube, and a phase-shifting output terminal 102 is provided at the anode connection of the two PIN tubes in the second PIN tube group 120 .

There is a big difference between the PIN tube in the forward biased circuit state and the reverse biased circuit state. When it is in the forward biased circuit state, it is approximately equivalent to a resistor, and when it is in the reverse biased circuit state, it is approximately equivalent to a capacitor. Using This can be achieved with different phasers. The phase shift input terminal 101 of the first PIN tube phase shifter 100 is connected to the signal input terminal 400, and the phase shift output terminal 102 is connected to the first power amplifier unit 200. When phase adjustment is required, the first PIN tube group 110 and Multiple PIN tubes in the second PIN tube group 120 send bias voltage control signals, so that different PIN tubes complete corresponding bias state adjustments, thereby realizing phase adjustment. The length of the phase shift is affected by the microstrip between the PIN tubes. Line 103 Impact. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3 , the microstrip line 103 on the upper side and the microstrip line 103 on the lower side have different line lengths, which can affect the phase adjustment of the first PIN tube phase shifter 100 to varying degrees.

As shown in Figure 4, Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a cascade of multiple first PIN tube phase shifters provided by an embodiment of the present application. The multiple first PIN tube phase shifters 100 are connected through the phase shift input terminal 101 and The phase shift output terminal 102 is connected in turn.

Based on the first PIN tube phase shifter 100 shown in Figure 3, the range of phase adjustment that a single first PIN tube phase shifter 100 can complete is small, and it is difficult to meet the needs of phase shift in some cases. In this case, Multiple first PIN tube phase shifters 100 can be cascaded, so that a larger range of phase shift can be achieved. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4 , a single first PIN tube phase shifter 100 can achieve smaller phase adjustment. When a larger phase adjustment is required, the microstrip line 103 can be added or the microstrip line can be reduced. Line 103 quantity is enough.

As shown in Figure 5, Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a first PIN tube phase shifter 100 provided by another embodiment of the present application. The first PIN tube phase shifter 100 includes: a phase-shifting input terminal 101 and a phase-shifting output terminal. 102. Microstrip line 103 and at least two third PIN tube groups; at least two third PIN tube groups are connected in parallel between the microstrip line 103 and the ground line; the microstrip line 103 is connected between the phase-shifting input terminal 101 and the phase-shifting Between the phase output terminals 102; each third PIN tube group includes a first open-circuit branch unit 131 and a PIN tube connected in series.

The first open-circuit stub unit 131 is a microstrip open-circuit stub. Each first open-circuit stub unit 131 in the third PIN tube group can be equivalent to a section of reactance. The phase-shifting input terminal 101 of the first PIN tube phase shifter 100 is connected to the signal input terminal 400 , and the phase-shifting output terminal 102 is connected to the first power amplifier unit 200 . When phase adjustment is required, the bias voltage control signal is sent to each third PIN tube group to change the bias state of the PIN tube connected to the first signal branch, thereby achieving phase adjustment.

Specifically, as shown in Figure 5, a microstrip line 103 is connected between the phase-shifting input terminal 101 and the phase-shifting output terminal 102. The two ends of the microstrip line 103 are each connected to one end of a third PIN tube group. , the other end of the third PIN tube group is connected to the ground wire. More specifically, the cathode of the PIN tube of each third PIN tube group is connected to the ground wire, and the anode is connected to the microstrip line 103 The first open branch unit 131 is formed.

When phase adjustment is required, the bias state of the PIN tubes in the two third PIN tube groups can be adjusted by sending a bias voltage control signal, thereby achieving phase adjustment. In some embodiments, in order to further improve the phase-shifting capability, more third PIN tube groups are incorporated between the phase-shifting input terminal 101 and the phase-shifting output terminal 102. Each third PIN tube group is connected to Between the microstrip line 103 and the ground line, that is, a plurality of third PIN tube groups divide the microstrip line 103 into multiple sections.

As shown in Figure 6, Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a first PIN tube phase shifter provided by another embodiment of the present application. The first PIN tube phase shifter 100 includes: a phase-shifting input terminal 101 and a phase-shifting output terminal 102. , a four-port bridge, a fourth PIN tube group and a fifth PIN tube group; the four-port bridge is provided with an RF input end, an RF output end, a first bias end, a second bias end, an RF input end and a phase shifter The input terminal 101 is connected, the radio frequency output terminal is connected to the phase-shifting output terminal 102, the first bias terminal is connected to the ground wire through the fourth PIN tube group, and the second bias terminal is connected to the ground wire through the fifth PIN tube group; the fourth Both the PIN tube group and the fifth PIN tube group include parallel second open-circuit branch units 141 and PIN tubes.

The four-port bridge can choose a 3dB bridge or similar functional circuit, which can achieve 3dB power division, and the two phases of the power division are 0° and 90° respectively. The RF input end and RF output end of the four-port bridge are connected to the shifter respectively. The phase input terminal 101, the phase shift output terminal 102, the first bias terminal and the second bias terminal are connected to the fourth PIN tube group and the fifth PIN tube group respectively. The second open-circuit branch unit 141 in the fourth PIN tube group and the fifth PIN tube group can be equivalent to a section of reactance. Specifically, the cathodes of the PIN tubes in the fourth PIN tube group and the fifth PIN tube group are connected to the ground wire. The anode of the PIN tube in the fourth PIN tube group is connected to the first bias terminal, the anode of the PIN tube in the fifth PIN tube group is connected to the second bias terminal, and the second open-circuit branch in the fourth PIN tube group and the fifth PIN tube group Unit 141 is directly connected in parallel at both ends of the respective PIN tubes. The phase-shifting input terminal 101 is connected to the signal input terminal 400 , and the phase-shifting output terminal 102 is connected to the first power amplifier unit 200 .

When phase adjustment is required, the reverse bias capacitance value can be changed by adjusting the stub length of the second open-circuit stub unit 141 and the bias state of the PIN tube, thereby changing the phase of the input signal, thereby achieving a more accurate phase alignment effect. , to achieve higher power amplifier efficiency. As shown in Figure 7, Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the capacitance change of the first PIN tube phase shifter provided by an embodiment of the present application under different reverse bias voltages. The abscissa in Figure 7 is the reverse bias voltage value, and the ordinate is the reverse bias value. Capacitance value, it can be clearly seen from the figure that the greater the anti-fraud voltage, the smaller the reverse bias capacitance value. Using this clear correspondence, the phase adjustment can be completed by adjusting the status of the fourth PIN tube group.

In some embodiments, the second signal branch is further provided with a second PIN tube phase shifter connected to the second power amplifier unit 300 .

Installing PIN tube phase shifters in both the first signal branch and the second signal branch can also complete phase correction, and in some scenarios, can provide more accurate phase alignment, thereby more effectively improving the performance of the power amplifier. Output efficiency. In some embodiments, the circuit structure of the second PIN tube phase shifter adopts the same circuit structure as that of the first PIN tube phase shifter. circuit structure, or the circuit structure can be appropriately adjusted according to actual phase adjustment needs to better achieve phase alignment.

As shown in Figure 2, the first power amplifier unit 200 and the second power amplifier unit 300 are composed of a power amplifier (PA, power amplifier), a compensation line (Offset line), an input matching network (IMN, input matching network), and an output matching network ( OMN, output matching network), the first power amplifier unit 200 is a main power amplifier branch, and the second power amplifier unit 300 is an auxiliary power amplifier branch. The first power amplifier unit 200 includes a first power amplifier 210 and a first compensation line 220 connected in sequence. , the first input matching network 230, the second power amplifier 240 and the first output matching network 250; the first power amplifier 210 is connected to the first PIN tube phase shifter 100.

In this embodiment, the first PIN tube phase shifter 100 receives the radio frequency signal through the signal input terminal 400, and outputs the phase-shifted radio frequency signal to the input terminal of the first power amplifier 210. A compensation line 220, the first input matching network 230, the second power amplifier 240, and the first output matching network 250 complete signal amplification and conditioning and then output the signal through the output end of the first output matching network 250.

In some embodiments, when the first power amplifier unit 200 is a main power amplifier branch, the second power amplifier unit 300 is an auxiliary power amplifier branch. The second power amplifier unit 300 includes a third power amplifier 310 and a second input matching device connected in sequence. Network 320, fourth power amplifier 330, second output matching network 340 and second compensation line 350.

The third power amplifier 310 receives the radio frequency signal through the signal input terminal 400, and completes amplification through the third power amplifier 310, the second input matching network 320, the fourth power amplifier 330, the second output matching network 340, and the second compensation line 350. , is conditioned and output through the output end of the second compensation line 350, and is synthesized with the phase-shifted signal output by the first output matching network 250. In some embodiments, in order to ensure good use of the power amplifier, the first power amplifier 210 and the second power amplifier 240 both work in class AB mode, and the third power amplifier 310 and the fourth power amplifier 330 need to work in class C. mode.

In some embodiments, the first power amplifier unit 200 includes a first power amplifier 210, a first compensation line 220, and a first matching network connected in sequence; the first power amplifier 210 is phase-shifted with the first PIN tube. 100 connections.

In this embodiment, the first PIN tube phase shifter 100 receives the radio frequency signal through the signal input terminal 400, and outputs the phase-shifted radio frequency signal to the input terminal of the first power amplifier 210. A compensation line 220 and the first matching network output the signal after completing signal amplification and conditioning. In this embodiment, a single power amplifier, compensation line and matching network are used to design the signal branch. In some application scenarios, the purpose of signal power amplification and phase adjustment can also be achieved, and the space occupied can be reduced to a certain extent.

In some embodiments, the second power amplifier unit 300 includes a third power amplifier 310, a second matching network, and a second compensation line 350 connected in sequence.

In this embodiment, the third power amplifier 310 receives the radio frequency signal through the signal input terminal 400, and passes through the third power amplifier 310. The rate amplifier 310, the second matching network, and the second compensation line 350 complete amplification and conditioning before outputting, and are synthesized with the phase-shifted signal output by the first matching network. Similar to the first power amplifier unit 200, in this embodiment, a single power amplifier, compensation line and matching network are used to design the signal branch. In some application scenarios, the purpose of signal power amplification and phase adjustment can also be achieved, and can be achieved in a certain manner. Reduce space occupied to a certain extent.

In another embodiment, the first power amplifier unit 200 is an auxiliary power amplifier branch, and the second power amplifier unit 300 is a main power amplifier branch. The first PIN tube phase shifter 100 is connected to the power amplifier at the front end of the auxiliary power amplifier branch. By adjusting the phase of the auxiliary power amplifier branch, the purpose of improving power output efficiency can also be achieved.

In order to better explain the power amplifier of the embodiment of the present application, a specific embodiment will be used to illustrate the following. In the example, the power amplifier is a Doherty power amplifier, the first signal branch is the main power amplifier branch, and the second signal branch It is the auxiliary power amplifier branch.

The input end of the first PIN tube phase shifter 100 is connected to the signal input end 400 for accessing radio frequency signals. When it is necessary to use the first PIN tube phase shifter 100 to complete the phase adjustment, the first PIN tube phase shifter 100 is used to complete the phase adjustment. The bias voltage input terminal of 100 sends a bias voltage control signal, and the bias voltage control signal is used to change the phase shift of the radio frequency signal passing through the first PIN tube phase shifter 100. The radio frequency signal after adjusting the phase will pass through the main power amplifier branch. The circuit completes signal amplification and conditioning, and performs power synthesis with the output signal of the auxiliary power amplifier branch for phase offset adjustment.

Among them, the bias voltage control signal sent to the bias voltage input end of the first PIN tube phase shifter 100 will be appropriately adjusted according to the power level of the power amplifier. Different power levels are usually accompanied by different degrees of phase. Offset, by predetermining the relationship between power level and phase offset, and the corresponding relationship between the specific control value of the bias voltage control signal and the power level, the corresponding bias voltage control signal can be used at a specific power level. Complete phase adjustment.

As shown in Figure 8, Figure 8 is a schematic diagram corresponding to the output phase of the power amplifier and the compensation phase of the first PIN tube phase shifter when the first PIN tube phase shifter is not added according to an embodiment of the present application. The abscissa in the figure is frequency. , the ordinate phase, the circular icon is the output phase of the first signal branch of the power amplifier when the first PIN tube phase shifter is not added, and the rectangular icon is the compensation phase of the first PIN tube phase shifter. As can be seen from Figure 8, as the frequency increases, the output phase of the power amplifier deviates. At this time, the first PIN tube phase shifter can be used to compensate accordingly, so that the phase can be aligned to within ±5°. For A power amplifier that works in a wide frequency band has an improvement effect at different frequency points within the working frequency band.

Figure 9 is a schematic diagram comparing the output efficiency of the power amplifier before and after phase alignment provided by an embodiment of the present application. The abscissa in the figure is the output power, the ordinate is the efficiency, and the rectangular icon is before phase alignment (that is, the first PIN tube phase shift is not added). The corresponding relationship between the output power and the effect of the device), the circular icon is the corresponding relationship between the output power and the effect after phase alignment (that is, adding the first PIN tube phase shifter). It can be clearly seen from Figure 9 that after adding the first PIN tube phase shifter to complete the phase alignment, Under the same output power, the output efficiency will be at a higher level.

In addition, when both the main power amplifier branch and the auxiliary power amplifier branch have PIN tube phase shifters, the bias voltage control can be controlled by sending the bias voltage to the first PIN tube phase shifter 100 and the second PIN tube phase shifter respectively. The signal method completes the phase adjustment of the two branches.

When both the main power amplifier branch and the auxiliary power amplifier branch have PIN tube phase shifters, the bias voltage control signal can be sent to the first PIN tube phase shifter 100 and the second PIN tube phase shifter respectively. This method completes the phase adjustment of the two branches.

In some embodiments, in addition to considering the impact of the power level on the phase difference between the main power amplifier branch and the auxiliary power amplifier branch, other factors that affect the phase difference can also be used to adjust the phase difference according to the power level. The way to complete the adjustment is not limited to the adjustment based on the power level. For example, the phase difference between the main power amplifier branch and the auxiliary power amplifier branch can be matched according to the operating frequency of the power amplifier.

Based on the power amplifier of the above embodiment, a control method of the power amplifier is proposed below.

As shown in Figure 1, the power amplifier includes a signal input terminal 400 and a signal output terminal 500. A parallel first signal branch and a second signal branch are provided between the signal output terminal 500 and the signal input terminal 400; the first signal The branch is provided with a connected first PIN tube phase shifter 100 and a first power amplifier unit 200, wherein the first PIN tube phase shifter 100 is provided with a bias voltage input terminal; the second signal branch is provided with a second power amplifier Unit 300;

Control methods include:

The bias voltage control signal is sent to the bias voltage input terminal so that the output phase of the first signal branch matches the output phase of the second signal branch.

In this embodiment, after the radio frequency signal is input to the signal input terminal 400, there will be a phase difference in the signals directly output by the first power amplifier unit 200 and the second power amplifier unit 300, and the first PIN tube phase shifter 100 can realize phase adjustment. Adjustment. By sending a bias voltage control signal to the bias voltage input end of the first PIN tube phase shifter 100, the phase adjustment of the output signal of the first power amplifier unit 200 can be completed, so that the first signal branch and the second signal The phases between the branches are matched, thereby reducing the loss of power synthesis and improving the output efficiency of the entire power amplifier.

As shown in Figure 10, sending a bias control voltage signal to the bias voltage input terminal includes but is not limited to step S100 to step S300,

Step S100, obtain the power information of the power amplifier;

Step S200, determine the bias control voltage signal according to the power information;

Step S300: Send a bias voltage signal to the bias voltage input terminal.

When the first signal branch and the second signal branch are working, the phase difference will continue due to power changes and other reasons. Variety. After the power amplifier is determined and shaped, the phase difference between the first signal branch and the second signal branch at different power levels can be determined, and by sending different bias voltage control signals at different power levels, so that The first PIN tube phase shifter 100 can perform phase adjustment to different degrees, ultimately achieving phase matching for the first signal branch and the second signal branch under different working conditions, effectively improving the output efficiency of the entire power amplifier. .

In order to better explain the control method of the power amplifier in the embodiment of the present application, a specific embodiment will be used to illustrate the following. In the example, the power amplifier is a Doherty power amplifier, the first signal branch is the main power amplifier branch, and the second signal branch is the main power amplifier branch. The signal branch is the auxiliary power amplifier branch.

The input end of the first PIN tube phase shifter 100 is connected to the signal input end 400, and the radio frequency signal is connected. When the power amplifier starts to work, due to changes in power level and frequency, the main power amplifier branch and the auxiliary power amplifier branch will change. Different degrees of phase offset will occur. At this time, in order to ensure that the combined power loss of the power amplifier is small, the phase of the output signal of the main power amplifier branch needs to be adjusted.

When the power amplifier is at different power levels and frequencies, the phase difference between the output of the main power amplifier and the auxiliary power amplifier is different, which requires different degrees of phase adjustment for different power levels and frequencies. At this time, by entering the first PIN The bias voltage input end of the tube phase shifter 100 sends different bias control voltage signals, so that corresponding phase adjustments can be completed for different power levels and frequencies.

The radio frequency signal adjusted by the first PIN tube will be processed and conditioned by the main power amplifier, and will be power synthesized with the output signal of the auxiliary power amplifier branch for phase offset adjustment.

As shown in Figure 8, Figure 8 is a schematic diagram corresponding to the output phase of the power amplifier and the compensation phase of the first PIN tube phase shifter when the first PIN tube phase shifter is not added according to an embodiment of the present application. The abscissa in the figure is frequency. , the ordinate phase, the circular icon is the output phase of the first signal branch of the power amplifier when the first PIN tube phase shifter is not added, and the rectangular icon is the compensation phase of the first PIN tube phase shifter. It can be seen from Figure 8 that as the frequency increases, the output phase of the power amplifier deviates. At this time, the first PIN tube phase shifter can be used to compensate accordingly.

Figure 9 is a schematic diagram comparing the output efficiency of the power amplifier before and after phase alignment provided by an embodiment of the present application. The abscissa in the figure is the output power, the ordinate is the efficiency, and the rectangular icon is before phase alignment (that is, the first PIN tube phase shift is not added). The corresponding relationship between the output power and the effect of the device), the circular icon is the corresponding relationship between the output power and the effect after phase alignment (that is, adding the first PIN tube phase shifter). It can be clearly seen from Figure 9 that after adding the first PIN tube phase shifter to complete phase alignment, the output efficiency will be at a higher level under the same output power.

Claims

A power amplifier including:

signal input terminal; and

A signal output terminal, a first signal branch and a second signal branch connected in parallel are provided between the signal output terminal and the signal input terminal;

in,

The first signal branch is provided with a connected first PIN tube phase shifter and a first power amplifier unit, wherein the first PIN tube phase shifter is provided with a bias voltage input terminal, and the first PIN tube The phase shifter adjusts the output phase of the first signal branch when the bias voltage input terminal receives a bias voltage control signal; and

The second signal branch is provided with a second power amplifier unit.
The power amplifier according to claim 1, wherein the first PIN tube phase shifter includes a first PIN tube group and a second PIN tube group, and the first PIN tube group and the second PIN tube group both It includes two PIN tubes with anodes connected to each other. The two PIN tube groups are connected to the cathodes of different PIN tubes through microstrip lines of different lengths. The two PIN tubes in the first PIN tube group A phase-shifting input terminal is provided at the anode connection of the two PIN tubes, and a phase-shifting output terminal is provided at the anode connection of the two PIN tubes in the second PIN tube group.
The power amplifier according to claim 2, wherein the number of the first PIN tube phase shifters is multiple, and the plurality of first PIN tube phase shifters are connected by the phase shifting input terminal and the The phase shift outputs are connected in turn.
The power amplifier according to claim 1, wherein the first PIN tube phase shifter includes: a phase-shifting input terminal, a phase-shifting output terminal, a microstrip line and at least two third PIN tube groups; the at least two A third PIN tube group is connected in parallel between the microstrip line and the ground line; the microstrip line is connected between the phase-shifting input terminal and the phase-shifting output terminal; each of the third PIN Each tube group includes a series-connected first open-circuit branch unit and a PIN tube.
The power amplifier according to claim 1, wherein the first PIN tube phase shifter includes: a phase-shifting input terminal, a phase-shifting output terminal, a four-port bridge, a fourth PIN tube group and a fifth PIN tube group; The four-port bridge is provided with a radio frequency input terminal, a radio frequency output terminal, a first bias terminal, and a second bias terminal. The radio frequency input terminal is connected to the phase-shifting input terminal, and the radio frequency output terminal is connected to the phase shift input terminal. The phase-shifting output terminal is connected, the first bias terminal is connected to the ground wire through the fourth PIN tube group, and the second bias terminal is connected to the ground wire through the fifth PIN tube group; Both the fourth PIN tube group and the fifth PIN tube group include parallel second open-circuit branch units and PIN tubes.
The power amplifier according to claim 1, wherein the second signal branch is further provided with a second PIN tube phase shifter connected to the second power amplifier unit.
The power amplifier according to claim 1, wherein the first power amplifier unit includes a first power amplifier unit connected in sequence. A power amplifier, a first compensation line, a first input matching network, a second power amplifier and a first output matching network; the first power amplifier is connected to the first PIN tube phase shifter.
The power amplifier according to claim 1, wherein the second power amplifier unit includes a third power amplifier, a second input matching network, a fourth power amplifier, a second output matching network and a second compensation line connected in sequence.
The power amplifier according to claim 1, wherein the first power amplifier unit includes a first power amplifier, a first compensation line, and a first matching network connected in sequence; the first power amplifier and the first PIN tube Phaser connection.
The power amplifier of claim 1, wherein the second power amplifier unit includes a third power amplifier, a second matching network, and a second compensation line connected in sequence.
A control method for a power amplifier, wherein the power amplifier includes a signal input terminal and a signal output terminal, and a parallel first signal branch and a second signal branch are provided between the signal output terminal and the signal input terminal. path; the first signal branch is provided with a connected first PIN tube phase shifter and a first power amplifier unit, wherein the first PIN tube phase shifter is provided with a bias voltage input terminal; the second The signal branch is provided with a second power amplifier unit;

The control methods include:

A bias voltage control signal is sent to the bias voltage input terminal so that the output phase of the first signal branch matches the output phase of the second signal branch.
The control method according to claim 11, wherein sending a bias control voltage signal to the bias voltage input terminal includes:

Obtain power information of the power amplifier;

Determining the bias control voltage signal based on the power information; and

The bias voltage signal is sent to the bias voltage input terminal.
A communication device including the power amplifier according to any one of claims 1 to 10.