Gain control methods and systems in an amplifier assembly
AssigneeBroadcom Corporation
InventorsLeonard Dauphinee, Lawrence M. Burns
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A Variable Gain Amplifier (VGA) amplifies an input signal according to a gain, to produce an amplified signal. A detector module detects a power indicative of a power of the amplified signal. A comparator module compares the detected power to a high threshold, a low threshold and a target threshold intermediate the high and low thresholds. A controller module changes the gain of the VGA so as to drive the detected power in a direction toward the middle threshold when the comparator module indicates the detected power is not between the high and low thresholds.
Claims23
An Automatic Gain Control method, comprising:
- (a) amplifying an input signal using a plurality of parallel gain stages to produce an output signal, a gain of the amplification being a sum of gains of the plurality of gain stages;
- (b) determining if a power of the output signal is between a high threshold and a low threshold;
- and
- (c) changing the gain of the amplification so as to drive the power to be between the high and low thresholds when the power is not between the high and low thresholds.
An Automatic Gain Control system, comprising:
- a plurality of parallel gain stages configured to amplify an input signal and having a gain that is a sum of gains of the individual of gain stages, so as to produce an amplified signal;
- a comparator module configured to compare a power of the amplified signal to a high threshold, a low threshold, and a target threshold between the high and low thresholds;
- and
- a controller module configured to change the gain, based on the comparison, so as to drive the power towards the target threshold.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.