Switching circuit
AssigneeSiGe Semiconductor Inc.
InventorsJohn Jackson Nisbet, Michael Joseph McPartlin, Chun-Wen Paul Huang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for controlling a switch based on transistors is disclosed. A switching circuit for switching a signal from an input port to an output port thereof is provided. A shunting circuit for switchably shunting the signal from the input port to ground is also provided. A control signal is generated for biasing a control port of the shunting circuit and an approximately complimentary control signal is generated for biasing of the switching circuit to either shunt a signal received at the input port or to switch the signal to the output port. A further bias signal for biasing a port within the switching circuit along the signal path between the input port and the output port is also provided.
Claims20
A radio frequency (RF) device comprising:
- a transmit circuit configured to provide an RF signal including transmit information;
- an antenna configured to transmit the RF signal;
- and
- a microwave switch configured to provide a switching path between the antenna and the transmit circuit and including at least one switching FET configured to conduct the RF signal between the transmit circuit and the antenna in a first mode of operation, at least one shunt FET configured to shunt the RF signal to ground in a second mode of operation, and a plurality of control switches configured to turn on the at least one shunt FET in the second mode and to turn off the at least one shunt FET in the first mode, to turn off the at least one switching FET in the second mode and to turn on the at least one switching FET in the first mode, to increase a voltage difference between the gate and the drain of the at least one switching FET, and to increase a voltage difference between the gate and the drain of the at least one shunt FET.
A radio frequency (RF) device comprising:
- an antenna configured to receive a RF signal including receive information;
- a receive circuit configured to process the RF signal and extract the receive information;
- and
- a receive microwave switch configured to provide a receive switching path between the antenna and the receive circuit and including at least one switching FET configured to conduct the RF signal between the antenna and the receive circuit in a first mode of operation, at least one shunt FET configured to shunt the RF signal to ground in a second mode of operation, and a controller circuit configured to provide control signals including a first control signal for driving the at least one switching FET between the first mode and the second mode, a second control signal for driving the at least one shunt FET between the second mode and the first mode, a first biasing signal for biasing one of a source and a drain of the at least one switching FET, and a second biasing signal for biasing one of a source and a drain of the at least one shunt FET.
A method of operating a radio frequency (RF) device, the method comprising:
- receiving an RF signal at a first port;
- conducting the RF signal between the first port and a second port through at least one switching FET in a first mode of operation and shunting the RF signal through at least one shunt FET to ground in a second mode of operation, operating in the first mode including driving a gate of the at least one shunt FET to turn off the at least one shunt FET, driving a gate of at least one switching FET to turn on the at least one switching FET, and biasing one of a source and a drain of the at least one switching FET to increase a voltage difference between the gate and the drain of the at least one switching FET, operating in the second mode including driving a gate of at least one shunt FET to turn on the at least one shunt FET, driving a gate of at least one switching FET to turn off the at least one switching FET, and biasing a one of a source and a drain of the at least one shunt FET to increase a voltage different between the gate and the drain of the at least one shunt FET;
- and
- processing the RF signal at the second port when operating in the first mode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.