Field of the Invention
The invention relates to envelope tracking modulated power supplies suitable for radio frequency power amplifier applications. The invention is particularly concerned with such power supplies in which a reference signal is used as an input to a low frequency path and a high frequency path, and in which each path generates separate outputs which are combined to form a supply voltage.
Description of the Related Art
Envelope tracking power supplies for radio frequency power amplifiers are well-known in the art. Typically a reference signal is generated based on an envelope of an input signal to be amplified, envelope tracking power supply generates a supply voltage for the power amplifier which tracks the reference signal.
An example of a power amplifier system incorporating a supply architecture such as illustrated in
An example of a power amplifier system incorporating a supply architecture such as illustrated in
It is an aim of the invention to provide an envelope tracking modulated power supply which offers improved performance characteristics, including improved efficiency, over the prior art, such as the arrangements of
The invention provides an envelope tracking modulated supply arranged to generate a modulated supply voltage in dependence on a reference signal, comprising a low frequency path for tracking low frequency variations in the reference signal and including a switched mode power supply, a correction path for tracking high frequency variations in the reference signal and including a linear amplifier, a feedback path from the output of the linear amplifier to the input of the linear amplifier, and a combiner for combining the output of the switched mode power supply and the output of the linear amplifier to generate a modulated supply voltage.
The linear amplifier in the correction path may amplify a signal comprising the full spectrum of frequencies in the reference signal.
The envelope tracking modulated supply may further comprise a voltage source for providing an offset voltage in the signal in the correction path. The value of the offset voltage may be chosen to position the signal input to the linear amplifier to allow the lowest possible supply voltage for the linear amplifier.
The combiner may include an inductor at the output of the low frequency path and a capacitor at the output of the correction path, for combining the output signals of said path. The inductor may be connected between the output of the switched mode power supply and the supply output and the capacitor is connected between the output of the linear amplifier and the supply output. The combiner may further include a further inductor connected between the output of the switched mode power supply and the inductor, and a capacitor connected between the connection of the two inductors and electrical ground, wherein any ripple current as a result of the switching of the switched mode power supply is generated in the further inductor and shorted to ground through the capacitor.
The low frequency path may include a low pass filter for removing frequency components above a certain frequency from the low frequency path to generate a filtered reference signal for the low frequency path. The switched mode power supply may generate a switched supply voltage in dependence on the low pass filtered reference signal. The switched mode power supply may comprise a peak-current-mode switched supply. The envelope tracking modulated supply may comprise: a pulse width modulator for controlling switches for generating a switched mode voltage output in dependence on the low pass filtered reference signal; an inner feedback control loop for adapting the control to the pulse width modulator in dependence on the output current of the switches; and an outer feedback control loop for adapting the control to the pulse width modulator in dependence on the output voltage of the switched mode power supply.
The envelope tracking modulated supply may further comprise a delay in the correction path. The delay may be set to compensate for the delay associated with the switched mode power supply in the low frequency path.
The invention may provide an RF amplifier including an envelope tracking modulated supply.
The invention may provide a wireless communication system including an envelope tracking modulated power supply.
The invention may provide a wireless mobile device including an envelope tracking modulated power supply.
The invention also provides a method of an envelope tracking modulated supply arranged to generate a modulated supply voltage in dependence on a reference signal, comprising a low frequency path for tracking low frequency variations in the reference signal and including a switched mode power supply, a correction path for tracking high frequency variations in the reference signal and including a linear amplifier, the method comprising providing a feedback path from the output of the linear amplifier to the input of the linear amplifier, the envelope tracking modulator further comprising a combiner for combining the output of the switched mode power supply and the output of the linear amplifier to generate a modulated supply voltage.
The invention is now described by way of example with reference to the accompanying Figures, in which:
In the following description the invention is described with reference to exemplary embodiments and implementations. The invention is not limited to the specific details of any arrangements as set out, which are provided for the purposes of understanding the invention.
With reference to the prior art arrangement of
In the arrangement of
With reference to
A similar problem occurs with the arrangement of
Thus the linear amplifier 24 in either of the arrangements of
With reference to
In accordance with the invention, the envelope tracking modulated supply comprises a low frequency path comprising a switched mode amplifier for tracking low frequency variation in a reference signal and for generating a switched mode voltage. Also provided is a correction path comprising a linear amplifier for tracking high frequency variations in the reference signal and for generating a correction voltage. The correction voltage is combined with the switched mode voltage to provide a modulated supply voltage. A feedback path is provided from the output of the linear amplifier to the input of the linear amplifier.
In a preferred embodiment, the correction path delivers a signal representing the full spectrum of the reference signal to the linear amplifier. Thus, as illustrated in
As also illustrated in
The feedback path 40, taken from the output of the linear amplifier 24, provides a feedback signal which is subtracted from the reference signal to derive a correction signal. This is achieved by the connection of the feedback path at the output of the linear amplifier before the combining element (capacitor 30a), rather than after the combining element (capacitor 30a).
The signal at the output of the linear amplifier 24 is a full spectrum signal. Hence the signal processed by the linear amplifier 24 in
In a preferred arrangement, to achieve maximum linear amplifier efficiency, the linear amplifier 24 is preferably always operated with the minimum possible supply voltage, which is provided by an efficient switched mode supply (not illustrated in the Figures). The supply voltage to the linear amplifier in the arrangement of
In
As noted above, however, the preferred arrangement is to (i) provide a feedback from the output of the linear amplifier before the combining stage to the input of the linear amplifier; and (ii) deliver the full spectrum reference signal to the input of the linear amplifier. This minimises the supply voltage required for the linear amplifier in the correction path.
In the arrangement of
Certain further improvements may be made to the envelope tracking modulator including the advantageous feedback architecture as illustrated in
To maximise efficiency, as shown in
A disadvantage of the arrangements of
In the modified arrangement of
In a still further arrangement, as illustrated in
In a preferred arrangement the LF path switched mode amplifier 22 is preferably implemented as a peak-current-mode buck-converter which is a known prior art technique for implementing high bandwidth switched mode power supplies. exemplary implementation of a peak-current-mode buck-converter for the switched mode amplifier 22 is illustrated in
As illustrated in
The switched mode amplifier 22 includes an inner current control feedback loop and an outer voltage control feedback loop.
The inner current control feedback loop senses the inductor current flowing in inductor 28b either directly or indirectly by sensing current in switch 52a or switch 52b, and provides a feedback path 58 to a combiner 61. The combiner 61 combines the feedback signal on feedback path 58 with a compensation ramp signal on line 63. The output of the combiner 61 provides an input to the inverting input of an amplifier 59. The amplifier 59 receives at its non-inverting input an output from an amplifier 60. The amplifier 59 generates the control signal on line 56.
The outer voltage control feedback loop provides a voltage feedback path 62 from the second terminal of the inductor 28b, where it connects to the inductor 28a and capacitor 28c. The feedback path 62 provides a feedback signal to an inverting input of the amplifier 60. The amplifier 60 receives the low frequency path signal on line 16 at its non-inverting input.
Inductor 28b behaves as a current source due to the action of the inner current feedback loop provided by feedback path 58. A compensation ramp is provided on line 63 in this inner current feedback loop, and is used to prevent frequency halving at high duty cycles.
The outer voltage feedback loop provided by feedback path 62 is used to control the voltage at the junction of inductor 28b, inductor 28a, and capacitor 28c.
The peak-current-mode buck-converter as illustrated in
The low pass filter 18 generates a signal representing low frequency variation in the reference signal. This signal on line 16 then comprises a control signal for the pulse signal for the buck switcher, comprising switches 52a and 52b, which has a duty cycle determined by the control signal, such that the voltage at the output of the buck switcher tracks the signal on line 16, i.e. the low frequency variation in the reference signal.
In addition, however, this control signal on line 16 is modified by the inner feedback current control loop and the outer feedback voltage control loop.
The outer feedback voltage control loop firstly adjusts the control signal in amplifier 60. The control signal (i.e. the low frequency reference signal) has the feedback signal on feedback path 62 removed therefrom. The feedback voltage on feedback path 62 represents the voltage at the output of the low frequency path, and the removal of this voltage from the low frequency reference signal on line 16 provides a signal representing the error between the output voltage and the reference voltage.
The inner feedback control loop secondly adjusts the control signal in amplifier 59. The second adjusted control signal (output from amplifier 59) has the feedback signal on feedback path 58 removed therefrom. The feedback signal on feedback path 58 represents the error in the output current.
Each of the additional arrangements of
The invention and its embodiments relates to the application of envelope tracking (ET) to radio frequency (RF) power amplifiers, and is applicable to a broad range of implementations including cellular handsets, wireless infrastructure, and military power amplifier applications at high frequencies to microwave frequencies.
The invention has been described herein by way of example with reference to embodiments. The invention is not limited to the described embodiments, nor to specific combinations of features in embodiments. Modifications may be made to the embodiments within the scope of the invention. The scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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1301856.9 | Feb 2013 | GB | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/EP2014/051965 | 1/31/2014 | WO | 00 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
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WO2014/118345 | 8/7/2014 | WO | A |
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