KR-20260066057-A - Bandwidth tuning using a single-input multiple-output low-noise amplifier

Abstract

The embodiments disclosed herein relate to impedance matching for outputting broadband signals in radio frequency applications. In one example, a circuit comprising a low-noise amplifier (LNA) sub-circuit (115) and a tuning sub-circuit (130) is provided. The LNA sub-circuit (115) is configured to be coupled to an antenna (101) and comprises a transistor (118) having a gate, a source, and a drain; a first inductor (116) having a first terminal and a second terminal configured to be coupled to the antenna (101); a second inductor (117) having a first terminal coupled to the first terminal of the first inductor (116) and a second terminal coupled to the gate of the transistor (118); and a third inductor (119) having a first terminal coupled to the source of the transistor (118) and a second terminal. The tuning sub-circuit (130) is coupled to the source of the transistor (118).

Inventors

• 사후, 데바프리야
• 줄루리, 라디카
• 아그라왈, 메그나

Assignees

• 텍사스 인스트루먼츠 인코포레이티드

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20240906

Priority Date

20230906

Claims (20)

1. As a circuit, A low-noise amplifier sub-circuit configured to be coupled to an antenna - the low-noise amplifier sub-circuit is, A transistor comprising a gate, a source, and a drain; A first inductor comprising a first terminal configured to be coupled to the antenna and a second terminal; A second inductor comprising a first terminal coupled to a first terminal of the first inductor and a second terminal coupled to the gate of the transistor; and A third inductor including a first terminal coupled to the source of the above transistor and a second terminal Includes -; and A tuning sub-circuit coupled to the drain of the above transistor A circuit including
2. In claim 1, the low-noise amplifier sub-circuit is configured to be coupled to the antenna through a first capacitor configured to be coupled to the antenna and a second capacitor coupled to the first capacitor and the low-noise amplifier sub-circuit.
3. In paragraph 2, the low-noise amplifier sub-circuit is further configured to be coupled to the antenna through a transmitter sub-circuit coupled to the first capacitor, and the transmitter sub-circuit is coupled in parallel with the second capacitor and includes a power amplifier and a balun.
4. In paragraph 3, the transmitter sub-circuit further comprises a switch, and the low-noise amplifier sub-circuit is additionally configured to be coupled to the antenna through the transmitter sub-circuit based on the state of the switch, and the switch enables port coupling based on the state of the switch, circuit.
5. In claim 1, the tuning sub-circuit comprises a first cascode array of transistors, a first LC circuit coupled to the first cascode array and a power supply, a first switch coupled to the first cascode array, the first LC circuit, and the power supply, a second switch coupled to the first cascode array, the first LC circuit, and the power supply, a second cascode array of transistors, a second LC circuit coupled to the second cascode array and the power supply, a third switch coupled to the second cascode array, the second LC circuit, and the power supply, and a fourth switch coupled to the second cascode array, the second LC circuit, and the power supply.
6. A circuit according to claim 5, further comprising a control sub-circuit coupled to the first switch, the second switch, the third switch, the fourth switch, the first cascode array, and the second cascode array.
7. In claim 6, the circuit is configured such that the first LC circuit is configured to generate a first output based on the first switch being in an open state, the second switch being in an open state, the third switch being in a closed state, and the fourth switch being in a closed state, the second LC circuit is configured to generate a second output based on the first switch being in a closed state, the second switch being in a closed state, the third switch being in an open state, and the fourth switch being in an open state, and the control sub-circuit is configured to control the open and closed states of the first switch, the second switch, the third switch, and the fourth switch.
8. In claim 7, the circuit wherein the first gain includes a bandwidth between 5-6 GHz and the second gain includes a bandwidth between 6-7 GHz.
9. In claim 7, the control sub-circuit is further configured to control the gain of the first output based on the state of the second cascode array and to control the gain of the second output based on the state of the first cascode array.
10. As a circuit, A first capacitor configured to be coupled to an antenna; A second capacitor coupled to the first capacitor and the low-noise amplifier sub-circuit; A transmitter sub-circuit coupled to the first capacitor and the low-noise amplifier sub-circuit—the transmitter sub-circuit is coupled in parallel with the second capacitor, and the transmitter sub-circuit includes a power amplifier and a balance, The above low-noise amplifier sub-circuit is, A transistor comprising a gate, a source, and a drain; A first inductor comprising a first terminal configured to be coupled to the antenna through the first capacitor and the second capacitor, and a second terminal; A second inductor comprising a first terminal coupled to a first terminal of the first inductor and a second terminal coupled to the gate of the transistor; and Includes a third inductor including a first terminal coupled to the source of the above transistor and a second terminal; and A tuning sub-circuit coupled to the drain of the above transistor A circuit including
11. In paragraph 10, the transmitter sub-circuit further comprises a switch, and the low-noise amplifier sub-circuit is additionally configured to be coupled to the antenna through the transmitter sub-circuit based on the state of the switch, and the switch enables port coupling based on the state of the switch, circuit.
12. In claim 10, the tuning sub-circuit comprises a first cascode array of transistors, a first LC circuit coupled to the first cascode array and a power supply, the first cascode array, the first LC circuit, and a first switch coupled to the power supply, the first cascode array, the first LC circuit, and a second switch coupled to the power supply, a second cascode array of transistors, the second cascode array and a second LC circuit coupled to the power supply, the second cascode array, the second LC circuit, and a third switch coupled to the power supply, and the second cascode array, the second LC circuit, and a fourth switch coupled to the power supply.
13. A circuit according to claim 12, further comprising a control sub-circuit coupled to the first switch, the second switch, the third switch, the fourth switch, the first cascode array, and the second cascode array.
14. In claim 13, the circuit is configured such that the first LC circuit is configured to produce a first output based on the first switch being in an open state, the second switch being in an open state, the third switch being in a closed state, and the fourth switch being in a closed state, the second LC circuit is configured to produce a second output based on the first switch being in a closed state, the second switch being in a closed state, the third switch being in an open state, and the fourth switch being in an open state, and the control sub-circuit is configured to control the open and closed states of the first switch, the second switch, the third switch, and the fourth switch.
15. In claim 14, the circuit wherein the first gain comprises a bandwidth between 5-6 GHz and the second gain comprises a bandwidth between 6-7 GHz.
16. As a low-noise amplifier circuit, A first inductor comprising a first set of conductive features arranged in rings; A second inductor comprising a second set of conductive features arranged in rings surrounding the first set of conductive features; and A third inductor comprising a third set of conductive features - said third set of conductive features are positioned so as to be close to the second set of conductive features, and said second set of conductive features are positioned between the first set of conductive features and the third set of conductive features - Includes, The conductive features of the second set above include a first terminal configured to be coupled to an antenna and a second terminal coupled to the gate of a transistor, and The conductive features of the first set above are configured to be coupled to the antenna and include a first terminal coupled to a first terminal of the conductive features of the second set above and a second terminal coupled to receive a bias voltage and coupled to a first ground node, The above third set of conductive features comprises a first terminal coupled to the source of the transistor and a second terminal coupled to the second ground node, in a low-noise amplifier circuit.
17. In claim 16, the first set of conductive features and the second set of conductive features form a single-coupled inductor coil, and the third set of conductive features comprises one or more inductor coils, a low-noise amplifier circuit.
18. A low-noise amplifier circuit according to claim 16, further comprising the transistor including the gate, the source, and the drain.
19. A low-noise amplifier circuit according to claim 18, wherein the drain of the transistor is coupled to a tuning sub-circuit, and the tuning sub-circuit comprises a first cascode array of transistors, a first LC circuit coupled to the first cascode array, the first LC circuit, and a first switch coupled to a power supply, the first cascode array, the first LC circuit, and a second switch coupled to the power supply, a second cascode array of transistors, a second LC circuit coupled to the second cascode array, the second cascode array, the second LC circuit, and a third switch coupled to the power supply, the second cascode array, the second LC circuit, and a fourth switch coupled to the power supply, and a control sub-circuit coupled to the first switch, the second switch, the third switch, the fourth switch, the first cascode array, and the second cascode array.
20. A low-noise amplifier circuit according to claim 19, wherein the first LC circuit is configured to generate a first output based on the first switch being in an open state, the second switch being in an open state, the third switch being in a closed state, and the fourth switch being in a closed state, the second LC circuit is configured to generate a second output based on the first switch being in a closed state, the second switch being in a closed state, the third switch being in an open state, and the fourth switch being in an open state, and the control sub-circuit is configured to control the open and closed states of the first switch, the second switch, the third switch, and the fourth switch.

Description

Bandwidth tuning using a single-input multiple-output low-noise amplifier The present invention generally relates to radio frequency circuits, and more specifically to the use of a single-input multiple-output low-noise amplifier for impedance matching of broadband outputs. Radio frequency (RF) circuits are often used in electronic systems for communication applications. RF circuits can receive and transmit radio signals at various frequencies and with varying gains based on their design. In various examples, RF circuits can receive signals from an antenna and transmit different signals downstream, for instance, at different bandwidths. To receive and transmit RF signals, RF circuits often include one or more stages of inductors to perform impedance conversion and matching. For example, an RF circuit may include a pair of inductors coupled in series to output signals of different bandwidths. In another example, an RF circuit may include a pair of conductors coupled in parallel to output such signals of different bandwidths. However, these solutions utilizing multiple inductors with shunts or series shifts often require a large amount of area on the chip, which increases costs and reduces design flexibility. Additionally, utilizing large areas on the chip to provide impedance matching can introduce significant insertion loss, which affects the noise of the RF circuit. Some RF circuits can also be configured to perform signal reception and transmission from a single pin. This may be referred to as port combining. While these solutions can reduce design area requirements on printed circuit boards, these implementations are used only at narrowband frequencies. Other RF circuits can output broadband signals by introducing switchable inductor structures. Switchable inductors may include a switch between two inductors that allows the system to switch between an inductor with one inductance and another inductor with a different inductance, which allows the system to output signals in different frequency bands. Problematically, these solutions operate by compromising the gain for one or all of the frequency bands that can be output. The various embodiments disclosed herein relate to radio frequency (RF) circuits, more specifically to using a port-coupled RF system to provide impedance conversion, impedance matching, and broadband matching. The RF system may include both a low-noise amplifier (LNA) subcircuit and a broadband matching subcircuit, which are combined to receive an antenna signal, amplify and match the impedance of the antenna signal, and output a signal at two or more different broadband frequencies based on upstream and/or downstream requirements. In one example, a circuit is provided. The circuit includes a low-noise amplifier (LNA) sub-circuit and a tuning sub-circuit. The LNA sub-circuit is configured to be coupled to an antenna and includes a transistor having a gate, a source, and a drain; a first inductor having a first terminal and a second terminal configured to be coupled to the antenna; a second inductor having a first terminal coupled to the first terminal of the first inductor and a second terminal coupled to the gate of the transistor; and a third inductor having a first terminal coupled to the source of the transistor and a second terminal. The tuning sub-circuit is coupled to the drain of the transistor. This summary is provided to introduce, in a brief form, the selection of concepts further explained in the detailed description below. This summary does not identify core or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor does it limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. FIGS. 1A and FIGS. 1B illustrate impedance and bandwidth matching systems that can be used in one embodiment. FIG. 2 illustrates aspects of conductive features used in an impedance and bandwidth matching system in one embodiment. FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary graphic representation related to conjugate matching for impedance in one embodiment. FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary graphic representation related to the gain generated by an impedance matching sub-circuit in one embodiment. The drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. In the drawings, similar reference numbers designate corresponding parts across several drawings. In some embodiments, components or operations may be separated into different blocks or combined into a single block. Enhanced components, techniques, and systems related to radio frequency (RF) circuits are described herein, and more specifically, to generate multiple broadband outputs using port-coupled low-noise amplifier (LNA) subcircuits and broadband matching subcircuits. Often, RF circuits are designed to receive and transmit radio signals at various frequencies and with variable gain. For example, RF circuits use antenna signals as inputs and, using electronic components, output different signals to downstream systems, for example, at different bandwidths. Conventional RF circui