A filter includes M filter circuits. The M filter circuits are sequentially cascaded from an input terminal to an output terminal, in order to generate an output signal according to an input signal, in which M is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2. The M filter circuits include at least one first filter circuit and at least one second filter circuit. Each of the at least one first filter circuit is set to be an active filter circuit, and each of the at least one second filter circuit is set to be a passive filter circuit.

Methods and devices used in mobile receiver front end to support multiple paths and multiple frequency bands are described. The presented devices and methods provide benefits of scalability, frequency band agility, as well as size reduction by using one low noise amplifier per simultaneous outputs. Based on the disclosed teachings, variable gain amplification of multiband signals is also presented.

An amplifying system is provided for use as a high sensitivity receive booster or replacement for a low noise amplifier in a receive chain of a communication device. The amplifying system includes an amplifying circuit configured to receive an input signal having a first frequency and generate an oscillation based on the input signal, a sampling circuit coupled to the amplifying circuit and configured to terminate the oscillation based on a predetermined threshold to periodically clamp and restart the oscillation to generate a series of pulses modulated by the oscillation and by the input signal, and one or more resonant circuits coupled with the amplifying circuit and configured to establish a frequency of operation and to generate an output signal having a second frequency, the second frequency being substantially the same as the first frequency.

A logarithmic detector amplifying (LDA) system is provided for use as a high sensitivity receive booster or replacement for a low noise amplifier in a receive chain of a communication device. The LDA system includes an amplifying circuit configured to receive an input signal having a first frequency and generate an oscillation based on the input signal, a sampling circuit coupled to the amplifying circuit and configured to terminate the oscillation based on a predetermined threshold to periodically clamp and restart the oscillation to generate a series of pulses modulated by the oscillation and by the input signal, and one or more metamaterial (“MTM”) resonant circuits coupled in shunt with an RF path that couples the amplifying circuit in series and configured to establish a frequency of operation and a phase response to output a signal having RF frequencies with a ultra-wide bandwidth.

Apparatus and methods for quadrature combined Doherty amplifiers are provided herein. In certain embodiments, a separator is used to separate a radio frequency (RF) input signal into a plurality of input signal components that are amplified by a pair of Doherty amplifiers operating in quadrature. Additionally, a combiner is used to combine a plurality of output signal components generated by the pair of Doherty amplifiers, thereby generating an RF output signal exhibiting quadrature balancing.

A circuit includes a first transconductance stage having an output. The circuit further includes an output transconductance stage, and a first source-degenerated transistor having a first control input and first and second current terminals. The first control input is coupled to the output of the first transconductance stage. The circuit also includes a second transistor having a second control input and third and fourth current terminals. The third current terminal is coupled to the second current terminal and to the output transconductance stage.

An amplifying system is provided for use as a high sensitivity receive booster or replacement for a low noise amplifier in a receive chain of a communication device. The amplifying system includes an amplifying circuit configured to receive an input signal having a first frequency and generate an oscillation based on the input signal, a sampling circuit coupled to the amplifying circuit and configured to terminate the oscillation based on a predetermined threshold to periodically clamp and restart the oscillation to generate a series of pulses modulated by the oscillation and by the input signal, and one or more resonant circuits coupled with the amplifying circuit and configured to establish a frequency of operation and to generate an output signal having a second frequency, the second frequency being substantially the same as the first frequency.

A circuit includes a first transconductance stage having an output. The circuit further includes an output transconductance stage, and a first source-degenerated transistor having a first control input and first and second current terminals. The first control input is coupled to the output of the first transconductance stage. The circuit also includes a second transistor having a second control input and third and fourth current terminals. The third current terminal is coupled to the second current terminal and to the output transconductance stage.

A receiver front end capable of receiving and processing intraband non-contiguous carrier aggregate (CA) signals using multiple low noise amplifiers (LNAs) is disclosed herein. A cascode having a “common source” configured input FET and a “common gate” configured output FET can be turned on or off using the gate of the output FET. A first switch is provided that allows a connection to be either established or broken between the source terminal of the input FET of each LNA. Further switches used for switching degeneration inductors, gate capacitors and gate to ground caps for each legs can be used to further improve the matching performance of the invention.

This application relates to circuitry for monitoring for instability of an amplifier. The amplifier (100) has a first signal path between an amplifier input (IN.sub.N) and an amplifier output (V.sub.OUT) and a feedback path from the output to form a feedback loop with at least part of the first signal path. A comparator (212) has a first input configured to receive a first signal (IN.sub.N) derived from a first amplifier node which is part of said feedback loop and a second input configured to receive a second signal (IN.sub.P) derived from a second amplifier node which varies with the signal at the amplifier input but does not form part of said feedback loop. The comparator is configured to compare the first signal to the second signal and generate a comparison signal (COMP), wherein in the event of amplifier instability the comparison signal comprises a characteristic indicative of amplifier instability.