A radio frequency power amplifier (RF PA) apparatus includes a first RF PA, a second RF PA, and a controller. The first RF PA is configured to deliver RF power to a load over a first range of RF power levels. The second RF PA is configured to deliver RF power to the load over a second range of RF power levels greater than the first range of RF power levels. The controller controls whether the first RF PA is delivering RF power to the load or the second RF PA is delivering RF power to the load, and is further configured to coordinate and control handoffs between the first and second RF PAs by varying magnitudes of input RF voltages applied to the RF input ports of the first and second RF PAs or by varying magnitudes of input bias voltages applied to the RF input ports of the first and second RF PAs.

A method and arrangement for RF high power generation includes a power combiner having RF inputs and an RF output, and at least two power amplifier modules, respectively electrically connected by a transmission line to an input of the power combiner, wherein a directional coupler is electrically connected to the RF output of the power combiner and every transmission line includes an RF switch, where the Method includes measuring and determining values of the power amplifier modules, storing the values and applying the values as a correction to the input signal of the power amplifier modules.

Amplifiers with wide input range and low input capacitance are provided. In certain embodiments, an amplifier input stage includes a pair of input terminals, a pair of n-type input transistors, a first pair of isolation switches connected between the input terminals and the n-type input transistors, a pair of p-type input transistors, and a second pair of isolation switches connected between the input terminals and the p-type input transistors. The amplifier input stage further includes a control circuit that determines whether to use the n-type input transistors and/or the p-type input transistors for amplification based on a detected common-mode voltage of the input terminals. The control circuit opens the first pair of isolation switches to decouple the input terminals from the n-type input transistors when unused, and opens the second pair of isolation switches to decouple the input terminals from the p-type input transistors when unused.

A communication device includes a power amplifier that generates power signals according to one or more operating bands of communication data, with the amplitude being driven and generated in output stages of the power amplifier. The final stage can include an output passive network that suppresses suppress an amplitude modulation-to-phase modulation (AM-PM) distortion. During a back-off power mode a bias of a capacitive unit of the output power network component can be adjusted to minimize an overall capacitance variation. A output passive network can further generate a flat-phase response between dual resonances of operation.

This invention aims to present a smart and dynamic power amplifier module that features both power combining and power sharing capabilities. The proposed flexible power amplifier (PA) module consists of a pre-processor, N PAs, and a post-processor. The pre-processor is an M-to-N wavefront (WF) multiplexer (muxer), while the post processor is a N-to-M WF de-multiplexer (demuxer), where N≧M≧2. Multiple independent signals can be concurrently amplified by a proposed multi-channel PA module with a fixed total power output, while individual signal channel outputs feature different power intensities with no signal couplings among the individual signals. In addition to basic configurations, some modules can be configured to feature both functions of parallel power amplifiers and also as M-to-M switches. Other programmable features include configurations of power combining and power redistribution functions with a prescribed amplitude and phase distributions, as well as high power PA with a linearizer.

Transconductor circuits with programmable tradeoff between bandwidth and flicker noise are disclosed. An example circuit includes an input port, an output port, a plurality of transistors, and a switch arrangement that includes a plurality of switches, configured to change coupling between the input port, the output port, and the transistors to place the transconductor circuit in a first or a second mode of operation. An input capacitance of the transconductor circuit operating in the first mode is larger than when the transconductor circuit is operating in the second mode. In the first mode, having a larger input capacitance results in a decreased flicker noise because the amount of flicker noise is inversely proportional to the input capacitance. In the second mode, having a smaller input capacitance leads to an increased flicker noise but that is acceptable for wide-bandwidth applications because wide-bandwidth signals may be less sensitive to flicker noise.

The invention relates to a variable gain system, particularly for optical receiver systems, having: an input for an electronic signal, at least two variable gain amplifiers, and an output for an amplified electrical signal, wherein the at least two variable gain amplifiers are connected in parallel to the input and the output aggregates the signals of the at least two variable gain amplifiers.

A radio-frequency (RF) amplifier circuit facilites carrier-aggregation (CA) operation in a wireless communication network. A first amplifier subcircuit is coupled to an input node, and a second amplifier subcircuit is coupled to the input node. An amplifier subcircuit selector is to selectively enable operation of the first amplifier subcircuit, the second amplifier subcircuit, or the first and the second amplifier subcircuits together, in response to a selection indication. A reactive coupling network is arranged to selectively adjust the input impedance at the input node in response to the selection indication to reduce the input impedance variation.

Amplification device and processes capable of miniaturization in a device for performing linear amplification and switching amplification operations on incoming signals are provided. The amplifying device includes a first amplifying unit for amplifying an input signal and outputting a first output signal, the input switch unit connected in parallel with the first amplifying unit for performing a switching operation by an input signal and outputting a switch output signal, and a second amplifying unit for amplifying a first output signal or a switch output signal and outputting a second output signal, and the first amplifying unit or the input switch unit operates based on the type of the input signal.

Methods related to amplification of radio-frequency signals. In some embodiments, a method for amplifying a radio-frequency signal can include configuring a gain stage to be in a selected one of a plurality of gain settings, with at least some of the gain settings resulting in different phases for the radio-frequency signal. The method can further include adjusting the phase of the radio-frequency signal for the selected gain setting, such that the adjusted phase is part of desired phases adjusted from the different phases.