Radio Frequency Pre-Drivers with Input Over Voltage Protection

A base station transceiver for transmitting and receiving wireless signal configured to operate for both 4G and 5GNR comprising:

• a transceiver operative to provide an RF signal for transmission;
• a gain block providing an amplified RF signal by amplifying the RF signal, wherein the power level of the amplified RF signal is higher in a calibration and startup phases;
• a pre-driver coupling the amplified RF signal to a power amplifier, the pre-driver employing GaAs HBT process comprises a power transistor amplifying the RF signal, wherein the RF signal is coupled to the base terminal of the power transistor and power of the RF signal is amplified in the form of a collector current of the power transistor;
• a bias electronics operative to bias the power transistor in a normal bias for the power amplification;
• and
• a over voltage protection is coupled to the input terminal is configured to limit the collector current by modifying the bias of the power transistor when the RF signal level increases above a threshold value.

A method to provide power amplification to a radio frequency (RF) signal comprising:

• biasing an amplifier to operate at a first operating condition to amplify the RF signal received on its input terminal;
• detecting an overvoltage at the input of the amplifier, wherein the overvoltage representing a voltage value of the RF signal greater than a threshold;
• and
• biasing the amplifier to a second operating condition when the said detecting results in the overvoltage,
• wherein, the amplifier does not amplify the RF signal in the second operating condition.