According to one aspect, an integrated circuit includes a power amplifier having a succession of at least two amplifier stages. The two amplifier stages include a first amplifier stage configured to receive a radio frequency signal as input and a last amplifier stage configured to deliver as an output of an amplified radio frequency signal. The power amplifier further includes a safety circuit with a control circuit configured to compare the amplified radio frequency signal voltage with a threshold voltage. The safety circuit further comprises a gain reduction circuit configured to reduce a bias voltage of an upstream amplifier stage of the last amplifier stage when the amplified radio frequency signal voltage is greater than the threshold voltage.

A transistor stack can include a combination of floating and body tied devices. Improved performance of the RF amplifier can be obtained by using a single body tied device as the input transistor of the stack, or as the output transistor of the stack, while other transistors of the stack are floating transistors. Transient response of the RF amplifier can be improved by using all body tied devices in the stack.

The present disclosure relates to current control circuitry for controlling a current through a load. The current control circuitry comprises amplifier circuitry, reference voltage generator circuitry configured to supply a fixed reference voltage to a first input of the amplifier circuitry and an output stage comprising: a control terminal coupled to an output of the amplifier circuitry; a current input terminal configured to be coupled to the load; and a current output terminal. The current control circuitry further comprises a variable resistance coupled to the current output terminal of the output stage, and a feedback path between the current output terminal of the output stage and a second terminal of the amplifier circuitry for providing a feedback voltage to a second input of the amplifier circuitry.

A LNA (low-noise amplifier) includes a matching network configured to provide a three-way coupling between an input node, a matched node, and a source node; a gate capacitor configured to provide AC (alternate current) coupling between the matched node and a gate node; a cascode amplifier configured to receive a gate voltage at the gate node and output an output voltage at an output node in accordance with a source degeneration at the source node; and a load network connected to the output node, wherein the matching network having a shunt inductor and a series inductor that are overlapped in layout to have a strong mutual coupling and a source degenerating inductor that is laid out in a close proximity to the shunt inductor to have a strong mutual coupling

A protection circuit and method for protecting driven circuitry against voltage peaks in a radio frequency signal, “V.sub.RF”, past a predetermined voltage level “V.sub.detect”. The protection circuit includes an input for receiving the radio frequency signal. The protection circuit also includes at least one amplification stage coupled to the input. The amplification stage is operable to produce an amplified signal based on V.sub.detect−V.sub.RF. The protection circuit further includes a hold circuit operable to determine, from the amplified signal produced by the amplification stage, whether a peak voltage V.sub.peak of the radio frequency signal exceeds V.sub.detect. The hold circuit is operable to output a first detection value if V.sub.peak exceeds V.sub.detect. The hold circuit is operable to output a second detection value if V.sub.peak does not exceed V.sub.detect. The protection circuit also includes a latch circuit operable to latch the detection value outputted by the hold circuit.

A voltage converter comprising: a bootstrap circuit, comprising an output capacitor, an error amplifier, a charging control circuit and a charging circuit. The charging control circuit comprises: a detection circuit, configured to detect an output voltage of the output capacitor to generate a detection signal; and a power limiting circuit, configured to clamp an output voltage of the error amplifier to a specific range based on the detection signal. The charging circuit is configured to generate a charging signal according the output voltage of the error amplifier to the bootstrap circuit, to charge the output capacitor.

This switching power source 100 has: a switching output circuit 110 which drives an inductor current IL by turning on and off an upper switch 111 and a lower switch 112 and generates an output voltage VOUT from an input voltage PVDD; a lower current detection unit 210 which detects the inductor current IL flowing through the lower switch 112 during an ON-period of the lower switch 112 and acquires lower current feedback information Iinfo; an error amplifier 140 which outputs voltage feedback information Vinfo including information on an error between the output voltage VOUT (feedback voltage FB) and a reference voltage REF; an information synthesis unit 220 that generates synthesis feedback information VIinfo by synthesizing Iinfo with Vinfo; and an information holding unit 230 which samples Vinfo during the ON-period of the lower switch 112.

Power amplifiers having improved gate oxide integrity are disclosed. In particular, a dynamic asymmetric cascode bias circuit is used to provide a bias signal to a cascode power amplifier stage. The bias signal swings in synchronicity with an output signal from the power amplifier stage. By having this dynamic bias signal, the gate-drain stress on the device is reduced, preserving gate oxide integrity. Preserving gate oxide integrity helps preserve the operational profile and extend device life, providing an enhanced user experience.

An electronic device includes: an antenna, a PAM including a PA configured to amplify a transmitting signal and a protection circuit, a PMIC configured to supply voltage to the PA, and at least one processor is configured to: provide a first signal, to a NAND gate in the protection circuit, provide to a AND gate in the protection circuit, a second signal indicating a result of a logical operation between the first signal and a bias enable signal for the PA, provide to the AND gate, a third signal indicating whether the transmitting signal is input to the PAM, provide to a switching circuit, a fourth signal indicating a result of logical operation between the second signal and the third signal, identify whether to apply a bias voltage to the PA based on the fourth signal, and transmit the transmitting signal, to the external electronic device, via the antenna.

An automated testing system comprises a high side switch circuit coupled to an input/output (I/O) connection, a low side switch circuit coupled to the I/O connection, a high side force amplifier (HFA) coupled to the high side switch, a low side force amplifier (LFA) coupled to the low side switch, an adjusting circuit coupled to the HFA and the LFA, and a control circuit configured to change the adjusting circuit to change control of current at the I/O connection from one of the HFA or LFA to the other of the HFA or LFA.