Freescale Semiconductor,inc.

Nxp Usa, Inc.

Macom Technology Solutions Holdings, Inc.

Abdulrhman M S Ahmed

Joseph Staudinger

Paul Richard Hart

Mario M Bokatius

Richard Emil Sweeney

Ramanujam Srinidhi Embar

Ramanujam Shinidhi Embar

Yu-Ting David Wu

Monte Gene Miller

Nicholas J Spence

Ibrahim Khalil

Lei Zhao

Roy McLaren

Ricardo Uscola

Sarmad K Musa

James Krehbiel

Donald Vernon Hayes

Ebrahim M Al Seragi

Srinidhi R Embar

Greg Durnan

Ebrahim Al Seragi

James B Krehbiel

The present disclosure relates to an RF amplifier device including an IC chip including at least one transistor formed on a substrate, at least one operational circuit formed on the substrate and electrically coupled to the transistor, and a port configured to electrically couple the at least one operational circuit with operational circuitry outside the IC chip to adjust operation of the operational circuitry.

Hybrid RF integrated circuit device

A circulator-coupler device includes a ferrite element, a resonator over and aligned along an axis with the ferrite element, and a plurality of resonator ports connected to the resonator. The plurality of resonator ports includes first and second resonator ports, and a first portion of a perimeter of the resonator extends between the first and second resonator ports. The circulator further includes a coupler element positioned across a gap from the first portion of the perimeter of the resonator, and a coupler port connected to the coupler element. The device also may include a permanent magnet aligned along the axis with the ferrite element, where the permanent magnet biases the ferrite element and causes a signal conducted through the resonator to have a directionality along a rotational direction that extends from the first resonator port to the second resonator port.

Circulator with integrated directional coupler, and communication systems including the same

A radio frequency (RF) amplifier circuit includes a field effect transistor (FET) (e.g., a FET belonging to a III-V FET enhancement group), where the FET includes a gate terminal coupled to an RF input node. The circuit further includes a prematch and biasing network coupled between a bias voltage node and the RF input node. The prematch and biasing network includes a nonlinear gate current blocking device configured to block a current from flowing between the bias voltage node and the RF input node.

Linearity enhancement of high power amplifiers

An embodiment of an amplifier includes a first amplifier with a first output terminal, a second amplifier with a second output terminal, and a plurality of microstrip transmission lines electrically connected to the amplifiers. The transmission lines include an impedance inverter line electrically connected between the first and second output terminals, and an output line electrically connected between the second output terminal and an output of the amplifier, where the output line forms a portion of an output impedance transformer. The amplifier also includes a directional coupler formed from a main line and a coupled line positioned in proximity to the main line, where the main line is formed from a portion of one of the transmission lines. The amplifier may also include a module substrate with a plurality of metal layers, where the main line and the coupled line are formed from different portions of the metal layers.

Amplifier with integrated directional coupler

Embodiments of circuits for use with an amplifier that includes multiple amplifier paths include a first circuit and a second circuit in parallel with the first circuit. The first circuit includes a first input coupled to a first power divider output, a first output coupled to a first amplifier path of the multiple amplifier paths, and a first adjustable phase shifter and a first attenuator series coupled between the first input and the first output. The second circuit includes a second input coupled to a second power divider output, a second output coupled to a second amplifier path of the multiple amplifier paths, and a second adjustable phase shifter coupled between the second input and the second output.

Phase shift and attenuation circuits for use with multiple-path amplifiers

A Doherty amplifier is able to enhance efficiency in low-power and high-power RF communication states by enabling carrier and peaking amplifiers as required, and controlling bias modulation, depending on traffic loading levels in each of a set of consecutive communications timeslots. For example, if, in a low-power state, traffic loading levels do not exceed a relatively lower threshold in a communications timeslot, carrier amplifiers are selectively enabled as needed, peaking amplifiers are not enabled, and carrier amplifier bias levels are kept substantially constant. If, in an intermediate-power state, the lower threshold is exceeded but a relatively higher threshold is not exceeded, all carrier amplifiers are enabled, peaking amplifiers are selectively enabled, and bias levels are kept substantially constant. If, in a high-power state, the higher threshold is exceeded, all carrier and peaking amplifiers can be enabled, and the peaking amplifier bias tracks the RF envelope of the received RF signal.

RF power amplifier bias modulation with programmable stages

An embodiment of an amplifier system includes a modifiable signal adjustment device with an RF signal adjustment circuit coupled between first and second nodes. The RF signal adjustment circuit includes an adjustable phase shifter and an adjustable attenuator coupled in series with each other. The device also includes a memory and a controller circuit. The controller circuit retrieves a phase shift value and an attenuation value from the memory. The controller circuit then controls the adjustable phase shifter to apply a phase shift corresponding to the phase shift value to an input RF signal received at the first node, and controls the adjustable attenuator to apply an attenuation corresponding to the attenuation value to the input RF signal. Applying the phase shift and the attenuation results in an output RF signal at the second node.

Modifiable signal adjustment devices for power amplifiers and corresponding methods and apparatus

A series-type Doherty amplifier circuit includes a first amplifier, a second amplifier, and a directional coupler. The first amplifier is of a first type and has an input for receiving a radio frequency input signal, and an output. The second amplifier is of a second type and has an input and an output. The directional coupler has a first terminal coupled to the output of the first amplifier, a second terminal coupled to the input of the second amplifier, and a third terminal coupled to the output of the second amplifier for providing a radio frequency output signal. The series-type Doherty amplifier circuit may also include variable phase and attenuation circuits for adjusting the phase and attenuation of input signal for the second amplifier. The ability to adjust phase and attenuation allows high operating efficiency for any saturation power level.

Series-type Doherty amplifier

The embodiments described herein include amplifiers configured for use in radio frequency (RF) applications. In accordance with these embodiments, the amplifiers are implemented to generate a shaped envelope signal, and to apply the shaped envelope signal to transistor gate(s) of the amplifier to provide gate bias modulation. So configured, the shaped envelope signal may facilitate high linearity in the amplifier.

Amplifier devices with envelope signal shaping for gate bias modulation

A Doherty amplifier device operable over multiple frequency bands includes a controller that, in some embodiments, is configured to output a carrier bias signal to a first amplifier and a peaking bias signal to a second amplifier as part of a first operating configuration associated with a first frequency band, and output the peaking bias signal to the second amplifier and the carrier bias signal to a third amplifier as part of a second operating configuration associated with a second frequency band. In some embodiments, the controller is configured to select an impedance inverter configuration associated with a respective frequency band. At least one impedance inverter configuration includes a compound impedance inverter including two or more impedance inverters coupled in series with at least one node between the two or more impedance inverters coupled to an output of a third amplifier.

Multi-band Doherty amplifier device and method therefor

A dual-band Doherty amplifier and method therefor are provided. The dual-band Doherty amplifier includes a first amplifier gain element, a first transmission line coupled to a first output of the first amplifier gain element, a second amplifier gain element, a second transmission line coupled to a second output of the second amplifier gain element, and a controller configured, when a signal to be amplified is in a first band, to provide a first bias signal to a first bias input of the first amplifier gain element and a second bias signal to a second bias input of the second amplifier gain element and, when the signal is in a second band, to provide the second bias signal to the first bias input of the first amplifier gain element and the first bias signal to the second bias input of the second amplifier gain element.

Growing community of inventors

Gilbert, AZ, United States of America

Abdulrhman M S Ahmed