US-12620947-B2 - Power amplification system for high modulation bandwidth

Abstract

A power amplification system is provided herein. In certain embodiments, the power amplification system comprises: a power amplifier configured to amplify an input radio frequency (RF) signal to generate an output RF signal when powered by a supply voltage and biased by a biasing signal; an envelope tracker configured to generate an envelope signal that changes in relation to an envelope of the input RF signal; a mode controller configured to set an envelope tracking (ET) mode of the power amplification system based on a modulation bandwidth of the input RF signal; a supply voltage controller configured to control the supply voltage based on the envelope signal when the ET mode is set to a first mode; and a bias controller configured to control the biasing signal based on the envelope signal when the operation mode is set to a second mode.

Inventors

• Florinel G. Balteanu
• Serge Francois Drogi
• Sabah Khesbak

Assignees

• SKYWORKS SOLUTIONS, INC.

Dates

Publication Date

20260505

Application Date

20230706

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A power amplification system comprising: a power amplifier configured to amplify an input radio frequency signal to generate an output radio frequency signal when powered by a supply voltage and biased by a biasing signal; an envelope tracker configured to generate an envelope signal that changes in relation to an envelope of the input radio frequency signal; a mode controller configured to set an envelope tracking mode of the power amplification system based on a modulation bandwidth of the input radio frequency signal; a supply voltage controller, the mode controller disposed between the supply voltage controller and a node connecting a power source and the power amplifier, the mode controller configured to couple the supply voltage controller to the node to control the supply voltage based on the envelope signal when the envelope tracking mode is set to a first mode; and a bias controller configured to control the biasing signal based on the envelope signal when the envelope tracking mode is set to a second mode.
2. 2 . The power amplification system of claim 1 wherein the mode controller is configured to set the envelope tracking mode to the first mode when the modulation bandwidth of the input radio frequency signal is higher than a threshold value.
3. 3 . The power amplification system of claim 1 wherein the mode controller is configured to set the envelope tracking mode to the second mode when the modulation bandwidth of the input radio frequency signal is lower than a threshold value.
4. 4 . The power amplification system of claim 1 wherein the modulation bandwidth of the input radio frequency signal is determined based on a number of resource blocks included in a single carrier.
5. 5 . The power amplification system of claim 1 wherein the bias controller is configured to generate a multi-level biasing signal based on the envelope signal.
6. 6 . The power amplification system of claim 1 wherein the bias controller includes a feedback loop to detect the output radio frequency signal.
7. 7 . The power amplification system of claim 6 wherein the biasing signal is controlled further based on the detected output radio frequency signal.
8. 8 . The power amplification system of claim 6 wherein the bias controller further includes an adjustment circuit to adjust the input radio frequency signal based on the detected output radio frequency signal to enhance a linearity of the power amplification system.
9. 9 . The power amplification system of claim 8 wherein the adjustment circuit is a digital pre-distortion circuit.
10. 10 . The power amplification system of claim 1 wherein the supply voltage controller includes an AC coupler to extract an AC component of the envelope signal and to provide the supply voltage with the extracted AC component of the envelope signal when the envelope tracking mode is set to the first mode.
11. 11 . A power amplification system comprising: a power amplifier configured to amplify an input radio frequency signal to generate an output radio frequency signal when powered by a supply voltage and biased by a biasing signal; an envelope tracker configured to generate an envelope signal that changes in relation to an envelope of the input radio frequency signal; a mode controller configured to set an envelope tracking mode of the power amplification system based on a modulation bandwidth of the input radio frequency signal; a supply voltage controller including an AC coupler configured to extract an AC component of the envelope signal, the mode controller configured to, when the envelope tracking mode is set to a first mode, couple the supply voltage controller to a node connecting a power source and the power amplifier such that the supply voltage controller provides the supply voltage with the extracted AC component of the envelope signal to control the supply voltage based on the envelope signal; and a bias controller configured to control the biasing signal based on the envelope signal when the envelope tracking mode is set to a second mode.
12. 12 . The power amplification system of claim 11 wherein the mode controller is disposed between the supply voltage controller and a node connecting a power source and the power amplifier.
13. 13 . A radio frequency system comprising: a packaging substrate configured to receive a plurality of components; and a power amplification system implemented on the packaging substrate, the power amplification system including a power amplifier configured to amplify an input radio frequency signal to generate an output radio frequency signal when powered by a supply voltage and biased by a biasing signal, an envelope tracker configured to generate an envelope signal that changes in relation to an envelope of the input radio frequency signal, a mode controller configured to set an envelope tracking mode of the power amplification system based on a modulation bandwidth of the input radio frequency signal, a supply voltage controller including an AC coupler configured to extract an AC component of the envelope signal, the mode controller configured to, when the envelope tracking mode is set to a first mode, couple the supply voltage controller to a node connecting a power source and the power amplifier such that the supply voltage controller provides the supply voltage with the extracted AC component of the envelope signal to control the supply voltage based on the envelope signal, and a bias controller configured to control the biasing signal based on the envelope signal when the envelope tracking mode is set to a second mode.
14. 14 . The radio frequency system of claim 13 wherein the radio frequency system is a front-end module.
15. 15 . The radio frequency system of claim 13 wherein the mode controller is configured to set the envelope tracking mode to the first mode when the modulation bandwidth of the input radio frequency signal is higher than a threshold value.
16. 16 . The radio frequency system of claim 13 wherein the mode controller is configured to set the envelope tracking mode to the second mode when the modulation bandwidth of the input radio frequency signal is lower than a threshold value.
17. 17 . The radio frequency system of claim 13 wherein the modulation bandwidth of the input radio frequency signal is determined based on a number of resource blocks included in a single carrier.
18. 18 . The radio frequency system of claim 13 wherein the bias controller is configured to generate a multi-level biasing signal based on the envelope signal.
19. 19 . A radio frequency system comprising: a packaging substrate configured to receive a plurality of components; and a power amplification system implemented on the packaging substrate, the power amplification system including a power amplifier configured to amplify an input radio frequency signal to generate an output radio frequency signal when powered by a supply voltage and biased by a biasing signal, an envelope tracker configured to generate an envelope signal that changes in relation to an envelope of the input radio frequency signal, a mode controller configured to set an envelope tracking mode of the power amplification system based on a modulation bandwidth of the input radio frequency signal, a supply voltage controller, the mode controller disposed between the supply voltage controller and a node connecting a power source and the power amplifier, the mode controller configured to couple the supply voltage controller to the node to control the supply voltage based on the envelope signal when the envelope tracking mode is set to a first mode, and a bias controller configured to control the biasing signal based on the envelope signal when the envelope tracking mode is set to a second mode.
20. 20 . The radio frequency system of claim 13 wherein the supply voltage controller includes an AC coupler to extract an AC component of the envelope signal and to provide the supply voltage with the extracted AC component of the envelope signal when the envelope tracking mode is set to the first mode.

Description

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE TO ANY PRIORITY APPLICATIONS Any and all applications for which a foreign or domestic priority claim is identified in the Application Data Sheet as filed with the present application are hereby incorporated by reference under 37 CFR 1.57. BACKGROUND Field Embodiments of the invention relate to electronic systems, and in particular, to power amplifiers for use in radio frequency (RF) electronics. Description of the Related Technology Power amplifiers are used in radio frequency (RF) communication systems to amplify RF signals for transmission via antennas. It is important to manage the power of RF signal transmissions to prolong battery life and/or provide a suitable transmit power level. Examples of RF communication systems with one or more power amplifiers include, but are not limited to, mobile phones, tablets, base stations, network access points, customer-premises equipment (CPE), laptops, and wearable electronics. For example, in wireless devices that communicate using a cellular standard, a wireless local area network (WLAN) standard, and/or any other suitable communication standard, a power amplifier can be used for RF signal amplification. An RF signal can have a frequency in the range of about 30 kHz to 300 GHz, such as in the range of about 410 MHz to about 7.125 GHz for certain communications standards. SUMMARY In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a power amplification system including a power amplifier configured to amplify an input radio frequency signal to generate an output radio frequency signal when powered by a supply voltage and biased by a biasing signal. The system can further include an envelope tracker configured to generate an envelope signal that changes in relation to an envelope of the input radio frequency signal; a mode controller configured to set an envelope tracking mode of the power amplification system based on a modulation bandwidth of the input radio frequency signal; a supply voltage controller configured to control the supply voltage based on the envelope signal when the envelope tracking mode is set to a first mode. The system can additionally have a bias controller configured to control the biasing signal based on the envelope signal when the envelope tracking mode is set to a second mode. In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a power amplification system wherein the mode controller is configured to set the envelope tracking mode to the first mode when the modulation bandwidth of the input radio frequency signal is higher than a threshold value. In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a power amplification system wherein the mode controller is configured to set the envelope tracking mode to the second mode when the modulation bandwidth of the input radio frequency signal is lower than a threshold value. In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a power amplification system wherein the modulation bandwidth of the input radio frequency signal is determined based on a number of resource blocks included in a single carrier. In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a power amplification system wherein the supply voltage controller includes an AC coupler to extract an AC component of the envelope signal and to provide the supply voltage with the extracted AC component of the envelope signal. In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a power amplification system wherein the mode controller is disposed between the supply voltage controller and a node connecting a power source and the power amplifier. In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a power amplification system wherein the bias controller is configured to generate a multi-level biasing signal based on the envelope signal. In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a power amplification system wherein the bias controller includes a feedback loop to detect the output radio frequency signal. In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a power amplification system wherein the biasing signal is controlled further based on the detected output radio frequency signal. In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a power amplification system wherein the bias controller further includes an adjustment circuit to adjust the input radio frequency signal based on the detected output radio frequency signal to enhance a linearity of the power amplification system. In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a power amplification system wherein the adjustment circuit is a digital pre-distortion circuit. In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a radio frequency module. The module can include a packaging substrate configured to receive a plurality of components; and a power amplification system implemented on the packaging substrate. The power amplification system can include a power amplifier configure