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US 12,381,528 B2Granted
Bidirectional variable gain amplifiers for radio frequency communication systems
AssigneeSkyworks Solutions, Inc.
InventorsJohn Jackson Nisbet, Hamed Golestaneh
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Bidirectional variable gain amplifiers (VGAs) for radio frequency (RF) communication systems are provided. In certain embodiments, a bidirectional VGA includes a first amplifier having an input coupled to a transmit/receive port, a second amplifier having an output coupled to a transmit port, a third amplifier having an input coupled to a receive port, a fourth amplifier having an output coupled to the transmit/receive port and to the input of the first amplifier, and a switch circuit that connects an output of the first amplifier to an input of the second amplifier in a transmit mode, and that connects an output of the third amplifier to an input of the fourth amplifier in a receive mode.
Claims18
A wireless device comprising:
- an antenna array including a plurality of antenna elements;
- a plurality of radio frequency signal conditioning circuits each operatively associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of antenna elements and including a bidirectional variable gain amplifier, the bidirectional variable gain amplifier including a first amplifier including an input connected to a transmit/receive port, a second amplifier including an output connected to a transmit port, a third amplifier including an input connected to a receive port, a fourth amplifier including an output connected to the transmit/receive port and to the input of the first amplifier, and a switch circuit configured to connect an output of the first amplifier to an input of the second amplifier in a transmit mode, and to connect an output of the third amplifier to an input of the fourth amplifier in a receive mode, the fourth amplifier being a first common-drain amplifier including a first transistor having a drain connected to a power supply voltage, a gate that is connected to the output of the third amplifier in the receive mode, and a source connected to the input of the first amplifier, the first amplifier including a first pair of input transistors and a second pair of input transistors that are selectable, the first pair of input transistors configured to provide a signal inversion when selected and the second pair of input transistors configured to provide no signal inversion when selected, a first transistor of the first pair of input transistors including a drain connected to a drain of a first transistor of the second pair of input transistors, and a source connected to a source of a second transistor of the second pair of input transistors;
- and
- a transceiver connected to the plurality of radio frequency signal conditioning circuits.
1 more element
A bidirectional variable gain amplifier comprising:
- a first amplifier including an input connected to a transmit/receive port, the first amplifier including a first pair of input transistors and a second pair of input transistors that are selectable, the first pair of input transistors configured to provide a signal inversion when selected and the second pair of input transistors configured to provide no signal inversion when selected, a first transistor of the first pair of input transistors including a drain connected to a drain of a first transistor of the second pair of input transistors, and a source connected to a source of a second transistor of the second pair of input transistors;
- a second amplifier including an output connected to a transmit port;
- a third amplifier including an input connected to a receive port;
- a fourth amplifier including an output connected to the transmit/receive port and to the input of the first amplifier, the fourth amplifier being a first common-drain amplifier including a first transistor having a drain connected to a power supply voltage, a gate that is connected to the output of the third amplifier in a receive mode, and a source connected to the input of the first amplifier;
- and
- a switch circuit configured to connect an output of the first amplifier to an input of the second amplifier in a transmit mode, and to connect an output of the third amplifier to an input of the fourth amplifier in the receive mode.
3 more elements
A front end system comprising:
- a power amplifier;
- a low noise amplifier;
- and
- a bidirectional variable gain amplifier including a first amplifier including an input connected to a transmit/receive port, a second amplifier including an output connected to an input of the power amplifier at a transmit port, a third amplifier including an input connected to an output of the low noise amplifier at a receive port, a fourth amplifier including an output connected to the transmit/receive port and to the input of the first amplifier, and a switch circuit configured to connect an output of the first amplifier to an input of the second amplifier in a transmit mode, and to connect an output of the third amplifier to an input of the fourth amplifier in a receive mode, the fourth amplifier being a first common-drain amplifier including a first transistor having a drain connected to a power supply voltage, a gate that is connected to the output of the third amplifier in the receive mode, and a source connected to the input of the first amplifier, the first amplifier including a first pair of input transistors and a second pair of input transistors that are selectable, the first pair of input transistors configured to provide a signal inversion when selected and the second pair of input transistors configured to provide no signal inversion when selected, a first transistor of the first pair of input transistors including a drain connected to a drain of a first transistor of the second pair of input transistors, and a source connected to a source of a second transistor of the second pair of input transistors.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.