Amplifier peak detection
AssigneeQUALCOMM Incorporated
InventorsJeremy GOLDBLATT, Arul BALASUBRAMANIYAN, Chinmaya MISHRA, Damin CAO, Bhushan Shanti ASURI
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Abstract
A peak detector for a power amplifier is provided that includes a threshold voltage detector configured to pulse a detection current in response to an amplified output signal from the amplifier exceeding a peak threshold. A plurality of such peak detectors may be integrated with a corresponding plurality of power amplifiers in a transmitter. Should any peak detector assert an alarm signal or more than a threshold number of alarm signals during a given period, a controller reduces a gain for the plurality of power amplifiers.
Claims29
A peak detector, comprising:
- a voltage divider configured to divide an amplifier output signal into a divided signal;
- a threshold voltage detector configured to conduct a detection current in response to the divided signal being greater than a threshold voltage;
- a current mirror configured to mirror the detection current into a mirrored current and configured to drive the mirrored current into a node;
- and
- at least one inverter configured to invert a voltage of the node to produce a binary output signal.
A method of peak detection for an amplifier, comprising:
- dividing an amplifier output signal from the amplifier to form a divided signal;
- conducting a detection current in response to the divided signal being greater than a threshold voltage;
- minoring the detection current into a mirrored current driven into a node;
- and
- asserting a binary output signal in response to a voltage of the node exceeding a trip voltage.
A transmitter, comprising:
- a plurality of antennas;
- a plurality of power amplifiers corresponding to the plurality of antennas, each power amplifier configured to drive a respective one of the antennas with an amplified RF output signal;
- a plurality of peak detectors corresponding to the plurality of power amplifiers, each peak detector being configured to generate an alarm signal in response to the corresponding power amplifier's amplified RF output signal being greater than a peak threshold;
- and
- a controller configured to reduce a gain for at least one of the power amplifiers responsive to an assertion of any of the alarm signals.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.