Circuits and methods for using in parallel amplification and signal combining are described herein. A circuit uses a digitally controlled multistage cascade combiner, a digital phase and drive signal amplifier controller and a digital combiner controller circuit with N parallel signals with constant amplitudes belonging to an alphabet with M discrete values and discrete phases feeding it. The signals resulting from N power amplifiers (PAs) have also constant amplitudes belonging to an alphabet with N discrete values and discrete phases prior to being fed to the multistage combiner. A digital combiner controller circuit generates digital control information to activate, or deactivate, the outputs of the PAs, where a set of digital control signals generated in digital combiner controller are used to control sets of switches, where the signals can be activated at the combiner's inputs, according to their power and phase values. The digital control information ensures that only in-phase signals are combined in the active combiner stage and any difference among the inputs of the combiners is always minimized. Both digital combiner controller and digital drive signal amplifier controller, share information about the signals not to be fed to the multistage combiner, so that PAs drive signals can also be powered off under these circumstances. In provide high efficiency amplification the signal amplifiers employed before the combining stage may be of switched or current source type.

Circuits and methods for using in parallel amplification and signal combining are described herein. A circuit uses a digitally controlled multistage cascade combiner, a digital phase and drive signal amplifier controller and a digital combiner controller circuit with N parallel signals with constant amplitudes belonging to an alphabet with M discrete values and discrete phases feeding it. The signals resulting from N power amplifiers (PAs) have also constant amplitudes belonging to an alphabet with N discrete values and discrete phases prior to being fed to the multistage combiner. A digital combiner controller circuit generates digital control information to activate, or deactivate, the outputs of the PAs, where a set of digital control signals generated in digital combiner controller are used to control sets of switches, where the signals can be activated at the combiner's inputs, according to their power and phase values. The digital control information ensures that only in-phase signals are combined in the active combiner stage and any difference among the inputs of the combiners is always minimized. Both digital combiner controller and digital drive signal amplifier controller, share information about the signals not to be fed to the multistage combiner, so that PAs drive signals can also be powered off under these circumstances. In provide high efficiency amplification the signal amplifiers employed before the combining stage may be of switched or current source type.

An amplification apparatus includes: a signal splitter for splitting an input radio frequency signal and outputting the resulting split radio frequency signals; a plurality of amplifier units for amplifying the radio frequency signals outputted from the signal splitter, the amplifier units being disposed circularly to form a generally cylindrical shape; a plurality of water cooling heat sinks disposed circularly at positions corresponding to the positions of the plurality of amplifier units so as to cool the plurality of amplifier units by cooling water; and a signal combiner for combining the radio frequency signals outputted from the plurality of amplifier units, respectively, and outputting the resulting combined radio frequency signal.

An amplification apparatus includes: a signal splitter for splitting an input radio frequency signal and outputting the resulting split radio frequency signals; a plurality of amplifier units for amplifying the radio frequency signals outputted from the signal splitter, the amplifier units being disposed circularly to form a generally cylindrical shape; a plurality of water cooling heat sinks disposed circularly at positions corresponding to the positions of the plurality of amplifier units so as to cool the plurality of amplifier units by cooling water; and a signal combiner for combining the radio frequency signals outputted from the plurality of amplifier units, respectively, and outputting the resulting combined radio frequency signal.