Low-load-modulation broadband amplifier
AssigneeMACOM Technology Solutions Holdings, Inc.
InventorsBi Ngoc Pham, Kelly Doherty
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Low-load-modulation, broadband power amplifiers and method of use are described. The amplifiers can include multiple amplifiers connected in parallel to amplify a signal that has been divided into parallel circuit branches. One of the amplifiers can operate as a main amplifier in a first amplification class and the remaining amplifiers can operate as peaking amplifiers in a second amplification class. The main amplifier can see low modulation of its load between the fully-on and fully backed-off states of the amplifier. With lower load modulation, the power amplifiers described herein exhibit better power-handling capability and RF fractional bandwidth as compared to conventional amplifiers.
Claims27
A power amplifier comprising:
- a main amplifier coupled to a first combining node;
- a first impedance inverter between the main amplifier and the first combining node;
- a first peaking amplifier coupled to the first combining node;
- a second impedance inverter between the first combining node and a second combining node;
- a second peaking amplifier coupled to the second combining node;
- and
- a third impedance inverter between the second peaking amplifier and the second combining node.
A method of operating a power amplifier, the method comprising:
- amplifying, with a main amplifier, a first portion of a received signal;
- providing a first output from the main amplifier to a first impedance inverter;
- receiving, at a first combining node, a first signal from the first impedance inverter;
- amplifying, with a first peaking amplifier arranged in parallel with the main amplifier, a second portion of the received signal;
- receiving, at the first combining node, a second signal from the first peaking amplifier;
- providing a first combined signal from the first combining node to a second impedance inverter;
- providing an output signal from the second impedance inverter to a second combining node;
- amplifying, with a second peaking amplifier arranged in parallel with the first peaking amplifier, a third portion of the received signal;
- providing an output from the second peaking amplifier to a third impedance inverter;
- and
- receiving, at the second combining node, a third signal from the third impedance inverter.
The method of claim Error! Reference source not found., wherein the second signal does not pass through an impedance inverter when travelling from an output of the first peaking amplifier to the first combining node.
The method of claim Error! Reference source not found., further comprising delaying, between an input terminal of the power amplifier and the second combining node, a carrier wave of the third portion of the received signal by N×180 degrees (to within 10%) with respect to a carrier wave of the second portion of the received signal, wherein N is an integer greater than 0.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.