Source Switched Split LNA
AssigneePeregrine Semiconductor Corporation
InventorsEmre Ayranci, Miles Sanner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A receiver front end capable of receiving and processing intraband non-contiguous carrier aggregate (CA) signals using multiple low noise amplifiers (LNAs) is disclosed herein. A cascode having a “common source” configured input FET and a “common gate” configured output FET can be turned on or off using the gate of the output FET. A first switch is provided that allows a connection to be either established or broken between the source terminal of the input FET of each LNA. Further switches used for switching degeneration inductors, gate capacitors and gate to ground caps for each legs can be used to further improve the matching performance of the invention.
Claims35
An amplifier including:
- (a) a plurality of low noise amplifiers (LNA), each including an input transistor and an output transistor;
- (b) at least two control input terminals, each coupled to an output transistor of a corresponding one of the LNAs;
- and
- (c) at least one source switch connecting source terminals of the input transistors of at least two of the LNAs during a first mode of operation and disconnecting the source terminals during at least a second mode of operation.
A method for amplifying a signal in more than one amplifier including:
- (a) coupling the signal to be amplified to the input of at least a first and second LNA, each LNA having an input transistor having a first terminal to which the input signal is applied, a second terminal and a third terminal;
- (b) turning on the first and second LNAs during a first mode;
- (c) opening a switch between the second terminal of the first transistor and the second terminal of the second transistor during the first mode;
- (d) turning off one of the first and second transistors during a second mode;
- and
- (e) closing the switch between the first and second transistor in the second mode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.