Combining power amplifiers at millimeter wave frequencies
AssigneeTexas Instruments Incorporated
InventorsKrishnanshu Dandu, Brian Paul Ginsburg
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system having a set of power amplifiers each having a primary inductive structure configured to provide an output signal. A secondary inductive structure is configured to inductively couple to each of the primary inductive structures. A transmission line is provided with a signal trace and a ground trace. The signal trace of the transmission line is connected to a first end of the secondary inductive structure. A return path from a second end of the secondary inductive structure is coupled via a resonant network to the ground trace of the transmission line, in which the return path is spaced away from the secondary inductive structure to minimize inductive coupling to the primary structures.
Claims20
A method for operating a set of power amplifiers, the method comprising:
- inductively coupling an output of primary windings from respective power amplifiers of the set of power amplifiers to a secondary winding, to form a combined output from the set of power amplifiers, wherein the secondary winding has a first end and a second end opposite the first end;
- providing the combined output from the first end of the secondary winding to a transmission line, wherein the transmission line comprising a signal trace and a reference trace;
- and
- providing resonant termination on the secondary winding by a return path from the second end of the secondary winding to the reference trace of the transmission line via a capacitive coupling using a coupling capacitor in series with the return path, wherein the return path is spaced away from the secondary winding.
A system comprising:
- a set of power amplifiers, power amplifiers of the set of power amplifiers comprising respective primary windings configured to provide corresponding output signals;
- a secondary winding coupled to the set of power amplifiers, the secondary winding configured to inductively couple the primary windings of the set of power amplifiers, wherein the secondary winding has a first end and a second end opposite the first end;
- a transmission line having a signal trace and a ground trace, wherein the signal trace is connected to the first end of the secondary winding;
- and
- a return path for resonant termination on the secondary winding, the return path from the second end of the secondary winding coupled via a resonant network to the ground trace, wherein the return path is spaced away from the secondary winding.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.