Reconfigurable distributed active transformers
AssigneeCalifornia Institute of Technology
InventorsAbbas Komijani, Seyed-Ali Hajimiri, Scott D. Kee, Ichiri Aoki
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Abstract
Reconfigurable distributed active transformers are provided. The exemplary embodiments provided allow changing of the effective number and configuration of the primary and secondary windings, where the distributed active transformer structures can be reconfigured dynamically to control the output power levels, allow operation at multiple frequency bands, maintain a high performance across multiple channels, and sustain desired characteristics across process, temperature and other environmental variations. Integration of the distributed active transformer power amplifiers and a low noise amplifier on a semiconductor substrate can also be provided.
Claims17
A distributed active transformer comprising:
- a primary winding having two or more sections, wherein each section having a pair of amplifiers at different points;
- one or more switches that can be used to bypass one or more of the amplifiers;
- a secondary winding disposed adjacent to the primary winding;
- and
- wherein the amplifiers are independently controlled.
A distributed active transformer disposed on a semiconductor substrate, comprising:
- a primary winding;
- a secondary winding disposed adjacent to the primary winding;
- and
- a second primary winding having one or more pairs of push/pull amplifiers and one or more capacitors connected thereto, forming a resonant circuit.
A method for providing a distributed active transformer on a semiconductor substrate comprising:
- controlling a first amplifier at a first point on a primary winding section and a second amplifier at a second point on the primary winding section so as to cause current to flow in alternating directions;
- extracting an alternating current induced in a secondary winding;
- controlling a third amplifier at a first point on a second primary winding section and a fourth amplifier at a second point on the second primary winding section;
- and
- bypassing the second amplifier and the third amplifier so as to cause current to flow over a portion of the first primary winding section and the second primary winding section.
A distributed active transformer disposed on a semiconductor substrate, comprising;
- a primary winding having two or more sections, wherein each section has a pair of push/pull amplifiers;
- one or more switches that can be used to bypass one or more of the amplifiers;
- a secondary winding;
- and
- wherein the push/pull amplifiers are controlled at different points of the primary winding to cause an alternating current to flow.
A circuit disposed on a semiconductor substrate for amplifying a signal comprising:
- a distributed active transformer having a primary and a secondary winding;
- a low noise amplifier coupled to the secondary winding of the distributed active transformer and a switch configures to bypass the low noise amplifier;
- and
- wherein the primary winding further comprises first and second amplifiers at different points that are controlled so as to generate an alternating current on the primary winding, and one or more switches that can be used to bypass one or more of the first and second amplifiers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.