RF Power Amplifier Controller Circuit

#1. Field of the Invention

#The present invention relates to a circuit for controlling RF PAs (Radio Frequency Power Amplifiers), and more specifically, to an RF PA controller circuit that controls the supply voltage of a PA using a closed amplitude control loop with an amplitude correction signal.

#2. Description of the Related Art

#The teachings of the present invention can be readily understood by considering the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

#FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional RF transmitter circuit.

#FIG. 2 illustrates an RF transmitter circuit including the PA controller in accordance with the present invention.

#The Figures (FIG.) and the following description relate to preferred embodiments of the present invention by way of illustration only. It should be noted that from the following discussion, alternative embodiments of the structures and methods disclosed herein will be readily recognized as viable alternatives that may be employed without departing from the principles of the claimed invention.

#Reference will now be made to several embodiments of the present invention(s), examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying figures. Wherever practicable similar or like reference numbers may be used in the figures and may indicate similar or like functionality. The figures depict embodiments of the present invention for purposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following description that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the invention described herein.

#FIG. 2 illustrates an RF transmitter circuit including the PA controller 202 in accordance with the present invention. The PA controller 202 is placed between the transmitter IC 102 and the PA 104 to receive the RF signal 204 from the TXIC 102 and provide the RF signal 206 to the PA 104, while controlling the PA 104 by way of an adjusted supply voltage 208. The PA controller 202 is also placed between the power supply line (Vcc) 210 and the PA 104. The PA 104 amplifies the RF signal 206 to output the amplified RF output signal 110, which is also provided as a feedback signal back to the PA controller 202. As will be explained below with reference to FIGS. 3A, 3B, 4A, 4B, 5A, and 5B, the adjusted supply voltage 208 is generated by the PA controller 202 based on an amplitude correction signal (not shown in FIG. 2) indicative of the difference between the attenuated amplitude of the feedback RF output signal 110 and the amplitude of the RF input signal 204. Note that the term “amplitude correction signal” is used herein synonymously with the term “amplitude error signal.” The PA controller 202 adjusts the supply voltage (Vcc) 210 based upon the amplitude correction signal to generate the adjusted supply voltage 208 provided to the PA 104, to optimize the efficiency of the PA 104. An advantage of the PA controller 202 is that existing signal connections to the PA 104 and the TXIC 102 need not change when the PA controller 202 is inserted between the TXIC 102, the PA 104, and the supply voltage (Vcc) 210.