Systems and methods are described for a power amplifier with a tracking power supply. The power amplifier may use envelope tracking. The power amplifier is protected when the output of the power amplifier is short circuited or overloaded.

In a discrete supply modulation system, a circuit includes a multi-stage pulse shaping network (PSN) having a first PSN stage having an input configured to receive variable bias supply signals from a power management circuit (PMC) and having an output coupled to one or more second PSN stages with each of the one or more second PSN stages having an output configured to be coupled to a supply (or bias) terminal of a respective one of one or more radio frequency amplifiers. Such an arrangement is suitable for use with transmit systems in mobile handsets operating in accordance with 5.sup.th generation (5G) communications and other connectivity protocols such as 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax/ad/ay and is suitable for use with multiple simultaneous transmit systems including multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO), uplink carrier aggregation (ULCA) and beamforming.

The present application provides a pre-signal amplifier, supply power conditioning apparatus, a wireless communication device and a method for providing selective pre-signal amplifier, supply power conditioning. A selective voltage supply boost stage is included, which has an input coupled to a voltage supply source for receiving a voltage supply, and an output for producing a selectively boosted voltage supply source. A voltage boost circuit is further included having a voltage boost control input coupled to a modem for controlling when the selectively boosted voltage supply source produced at the output is boosted. When the voltage boost control input identifies at least one of one or more modes in which the modem is currently operating, that a boost to the received voltage supply is desired, the resulting selectively boosted voltage supply source produced at the output is boosted.

A vector distribution method for operation of a power amplifier of a wireless transmitter including receiving, by a first amplifier circuit, a first input vector and a second input vector. The first input vector includes data derived from an input signal of the wireless transmitter and the second input vector includes other data derived from the input signal of the wireless transmitter. The method includes, in response to receiving the input signal, instructing the first amplifier circuit to output an output signal at a high voltage.

Systems, methods and apparatus for practical realization of an integrated circuit comprising a stack of transistors operating as an RF amplifier are described. As stack height is increased, capacitance values of gate capacitors used to provide a desired distribution of an RF voltage at the output of the amplifier across the stack may decrease to values approaching parasitic/stray capacitance values present in the integrated circuit which may render the practical realization of the integrated circuit difficult. Coupling of an RF gate voltage at the gate of one transistor of the stack to a gate of a different transistor of the stack can allow for an increase in the capacitance value of the gate capacitor of the different transistor for obtaining an RF voltage at the gate of the different transistor according to the desired distribution.

A semiconductor device includes at least one RF power amplifier (RFPA) and a voltage supply adjustment network coupled with the RFPA for providing an internal supply voltage to the RFPA based on an applied input voltage. The voltage supply adjustment network includes multiple resistors, multiple Zener diodes, a voltage return connection, an internal supply voltage connection coupled with the RFPA for conveying the supply voltage to the RFPA, an input voltage connection adapted to receive the input voltage, and a configurable connection network coupled with the resistors and Zener diodes. A subset of the resistors and Zener diodes are selectively connected together between the input voltage and the voltage return connections via corresponding conductive links to provide a prescribed output voltage to the internal supply voltage connection as a function of the applied input voltage. The connection network is configured by applying an energy source to a selected conductive link(s) in the connection network.

An envelope tracking (ET) apparatus is provided. The ET apparatus includes an amplifier array(s) configured to amplify a radio frequency (RF) signal(s) based on an ET voltage(s). The ET apparatus also includes a distributed voltage amplifier (DVA) circuit(s), which may be co-located with the amplifier array(s) to help reduce trace inductance between the DVA circuit(s) and the amplifier array(s), configured to generate the ET voltage(s) based on an ET target voltage(s). The ET apparatus further includes a signal processing circuit configured to receive an analog signal(s) corresponding to the RF signal(s) and generates the ET target voltage(s) based on the analog signal. By employing a single signal processing circuit to generate the ET target voltage(s) for the amplifier array(s), it may be possible to reduce a footprint of the ET apparatus without compromising efficiency and/or increasing heat dissipation of the amplifier array(s).

An envelope tracking (ET) power amplifier apparatus is provided. In a non-limiting example, the ET power amplifier apparatus includes a single ET integrated circuit (ETIC) configured to support at least a pair of amplifier circuits for amplifying different radio frequency (RF) signals. One of the amplifier circuits may be configured to amplify a respective RF signal to a higher power and thus will operate based on an ET voltage whenever possible. Another amplifier circuit, on the other hand, may be configured to amplify a respective RF signal to a relatively lower power and thus will only operate based on the ET voltage when the other amplifier circuit is inactive. By employing a single ETIC, it may be possible to reduce footprint of the ET power amplifier apparatus, thus making it possible to fit the ET power amplifier apparatus into a small form factor electronic device, such as a wearable device.

A vector distribution method for operation of a power amplifier of a wireless transmitter including receiving, by a first amplifier circuit, a first input vector and a second input vector. The first input vector includes data derived from an input signal of the wireless transmitter and the second input vector includes other data derived from the input signal of the wireless transmitter. The method includes, in response to receiving the input signal, instructing the first amplifier circuit to output an output signal at a high voltage.

A semiconductor device includes at least one RF power amplifier (RFPA) and a voltage supply adjustment network coupled with the RFPA for providing an internal supply voltage to the RFPA based on an applied input voltage. The voltage supply adjustment network includes multiple resistors, multiple Zener diodes, a voltage return connection, an internal supply voltage connection coupled with the RFPA for conveying the supply voltage to the RFPA, an input voltage connection adapted to receive the input voltage, and a configurable connection network coupled with the resistors and Zener diodes. A subset of the resistors and Zener diodes are selectively connected together between the input voltage and the voltage return connections via corresponding conductive links to provide a prescribed output voltage to the internal supply voltage connection as a function of the applied input voltage. The connection network is configured by applying an energy source to a selected conductive link(s) in the connection network.