Methods and apparatus for power amplifier calibration

A wireless communication apparatus comprising:

• a transceiver;
• a memory having stored therein a characteristic correlation between an actual output power of a set of transmit amplifiers and an output power and of a set of corresponding power detection circuits over a range of transmit power levels in a corresponding set of wireless communication devices;
• processing circuitry configured to sense an output of a transmit power sensor of the transceiver while the transceiver transmits according to one or more first gain settings;
• processing circuitry configured to produce an estimate of actual output power based at least in part on the characteristic correlation;
• and
• processing circuitry configured to adjust gain setting data based at least in part on the estimate of actual output power.

A method of correlating an output of a transmit power sensor with actual output power of a wireless transmitter, the method comprising:

• transmitting a signal with the wireless transmitter according to one or more first gain settings of one or more amplifiers in the wireless transmitter;
• sensing an output of the transmit power sensor while the wireless transmitter transmits according to the one or more first gain settings;
• measuring one or more signal quality characteristics of the transmitted signal at the one or more first gain settings;
• deriving an estimate of actual output power at the one or more first gain settings, wherein the deriving is based at least in part on the one or more signal quality characteristics;
• and
• storing data correlating the estimate of actual output power to the output of the transmit power sensor at the one or more first gain settings.

A transceiver apparatus comprising:

• one or more transmit amplifiers configured to output a signal according to one or more first gain settings;
• a detector configured to produce an output dependent on a transmit output power level of the one or more transmit amplifiers;
• processing circuitry configured to measure one or more signal quality characteristics of the signal output by the one or more transmit amplifiers;
• processing circuitry configured to derive an estimate of actual output power by the one or more transmit amplifiers based at least in part on the one or more signal quality characteristics;
• and
• processing circuitry configured to store data correlating the estimate of actual output power with the output of the detector.

A transceiver apparatus, comprising:

• means for transmitting a signal according to one or more first gain settings of one or more amplifiers of the means for transmitting the signal;
• means for sensing transmit power while the means for transmitting transmits according to the one or more first gain settings;
• means for measuring one or more signal quality characteristics of the transmitted signal at the one or more first gain settings;
• means for deriving an estimate of actual output power at the one or more first gain settings, wherein the deriving is based at least in part on the one or more signal quality characteristics;
• and
• means for storing data correlating the estimate of actual output power to the output of the transmit power sensor at the one or more first gain settings.