Qualcomm Incorporated

International Business Machines Corporation

Xiangdong Zhang

Xinwei Wang

Puay Hoe See

Yan Kit Gary Hau

Jonghae Kim

Changhan Hobie Yun

Mario Francisco Velez

Daeik Daniel Kim

Chengjie Zuo

Je-Hsiung Lan

Robert Paul Mikulka

Matthew Michael Nowak

David Francis Berdy

Jing-Hwa Chen

Zhenying Luo

Marc Gerald Dicicco

Jay Rodney Walton

Jisun Ryu

Yanjie Sun

Mark S Wallace

Marco Cassia

David R Helms

James Francis Imbornone

Hakan Inanoglu

Ryan Scott Castro Spring

ZhenQi Chen

Phillip Antognetti

Joshua C Park

Robert Wilson

James M Moniz

Leon Metreaud

Scott Munro

Carl Stuebing

Guoqing Fu

Jim Griffiths

Kanan Gandhi

Chenliang Du

Chirag Sthalekar

Tianzuo Xi

Ryan Scott C Spring

Frederic Carrez

Yongrong Zuo

Junzhi Yu

Haichuan Kang

Ashwin Duggal

Kihun Chang

Mark S c/o Qualcomm Inc Wallace

An apparatus is disclosed for waveform-tailored average power tracking. In an example aspect, the apparatus includes an amplifier, a power converter, and an average power tracking module. The amplifier is configured to amplify radio-frequency signals using a supply voltage. The radio-frequency signals have different waveforms. The power converter is coupled to the amplifier and configured to provide the supply voltage. The average power tracking module is coupled to the power converter and configured to adjust the supply voltage according to the different waveforms to cause the supply voltage to vary across at least two waveforms of the different waveforms for related average output powers.

Waveform-tailored average power tracking

An amplifier circuit includes an amplifier configured to receive a radio frequency (RF) input signal from an input node, a bias circuit comprising a reference transistor coupled between a reference current source and ground, and a bias transistor coupled to the reference transistor and configured to generate a main bias current to bias the amplifier, an input power sense circuit coupled to the input node, and an additional transistor coupled to the input power sense circuit and to the bias transistor, the additional transistor configured to generate an additional bias current to bias the amplifier, the additional bias current responsive to a power level of the RF input signal.

Radio frequency (RF) amplifier bias circuit

Certain aspects of the present disclosure are directed to an amplifier. The amplifier may include a transistor coupled to an output of the amplifier, and a resonator coupled between the output of the amplifier and a reference potential node, a resonant frequency of the resonator being set to be at a subharmonic of a fundamental frequency of the amplifier, and an impedance of the resonator being greater than a load impedance of the amplifier at the fundamental frequency of the amplifier.

Stability improvement circuit for radio frequency (RF) power amplifiers

An in-situ delay measurement is performed for an envelope-tracking power amplifier of an RF input signal. Because the delay measurement is in-situ, the delay measurement avoids the necessity to down convert and digitize a version of an RF output signal from the envelope-tracking power amplifier.

In-situ measurement of the delay between the envelope and the RF signal in envelope-tracking systems

Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide methods and apparatus for current-limiting protection of an amplifier, such as a power amplifier in a radio frequency (RF) front-end. One example current-limiting circuit generally includes a node coupled to a current source, a plurality of current-sinking devices coupled to the node, one or more switches coupled between the node and at least one of the plurality of current-sinking devices, and a bias circuit having an input coupled to the node and an output for coupling to an input of the amplifier.

Current-limiting circuit for a power amplifier

Exemplary embodiments are related to switch linearizer. A device may include at least one switch. The device may further include a linearizer coupled to the at least one switch and configured to cancel at least a portion of distortion generated by the at least one switch in an off-state.

Switch linearizer

A circuit including a radio frequency (RF) amplifier including a transistor configured to receive an RF signal at its control terminal, a capacitor coupled to a first terminal of the transistor, an inductor coupled to a second terminal of the transistor, wherein the capacitor and inductor form a loop from the first terminal to the second terminal, wherein the loop bypasses a parasitic inductance between the second terminal and ground.

Systems and methods providing a matching circuit that bypasses a parasitic impedance

Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide methods and apparatus for operating a power amplifier. In one example, the apparatus includes a power amplifier configured to amplify an input signal having a frequency to produce a radio frequency (RF) output signal at an output and a harmonic tuning circuit coupled between a power supply and the power amplifier output, the harmonic tuning circuit configured to reduce a current or voltage provided to the power amplifier via a resonance at one or more harmonics of the frequency of the input signal.

Methods and apparatuses for ruggedizing a power amplifier against breakdown using harmonic tuning

A method includes forming a first conductive spiral and a second conductive spiral of a spiral inductor coupled to a substrate. The second conductive spiral overlays the first conductive spiral. A first portion of an innermost turn of the spiral inductor has a first thickness in a direction perpendicular to the substrate. The first portion of the innermost turn includes a first portion of the first conductive spiral and does not include the second conductive spiral. A second portion of the innermost turn includes a first portion of the second conductive spiral. A portion of an outermost turn of the spiral inductor has a second thickness in the direction perpendicular to the substrate. The second thickness is greater than the first thickness. The portion of the outermost turn includes a second portion of the first conductive spiral and a second portion of the second conductive spiral.

Varying thickness inductor

A step attenuator with constant input capacitance and having good performance is disclosed. In an exemplary design, an apparatus includes a step attenuator having a constant input capacitance for different amounts of attenuation. The step attenuator receives an input signal, provides a variable amount of attenuation for the input signal, and provides an output signal. The step attenuator may include a plurality of attenuator sections coupled in series. Each attenuator section may include a plurality of capacitors and may have the constant input capacitance. At least one of the plurality of attenuator sections may be selected or unselected to obtain a selected amount of attenuation for the step attenuator. An attenuator section may provide a predetermined amount of attenuation or a variable amount of attenuation when selected. The apparatus may further include a power detector that receives and determines the power of the output signal from the step attenuator.

Step attenuator with constant input capacitance

An apparatus is disclosed that includes a frequency multiplexer circuit coupled to an input node and configured to receive an input signal via the input node. The frequency multiplexer circuit comprises a first filter circuit, a second filter circuit, and a third filter circuit. The apparatus also includes a switching circuit that is configurable to couple at least two of a first output of the first filter circuit, a second output of the second filter circuit, or a third output of the third filter circuit to a single output port.

Frequency multiplexer

Tunable diplexers in three-dimensional (3D) integrated circuits (IC) (3DIC) are disclosed. In one embodiment, the tunable diplexer may be formed by providing one of either a varactor or a variable inductor in the diplexer. The variable nature of the varactor or the variable inductor allows a notch in the diplexer to be tuned so as to select a band stop to eliminate harmonics at a desired frequency as well as control the cutoff frequency of the pass band. By stacking the elements of the diplexer into three dimensions, space is conserved and a variety of varactors and inductors are able to be used.

Tunable diplexers in three-dimensional (3D) integrated circuits (IC) (3DIC) and related components and methods

A device includes a first circuit path coupled to a first node and a second node, the first circuit path having at least one first varactor circuit configured to receive a first tuning voltage, the first circuit path having a resistor with a selectable value, and a second circuit path coupled to the first node and the second node, the second circuit path having at least one second varactor circuit configured to receive a second tuning voltage, the second circuit path having a capacitor with a selectable value.

Quadrature current-combining linearizing circuit for generating arbitrary phase and amplitude

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Westford, MA, United States of America

Xiangdong Zhang