Abstract: Systems, devices and methods related to multi-band power amplifier. In some embodiments, a power amplifier module includes a power amplifier having an output stage and configured to receive a signal. The power amplifier module also includes a first programmable harmonic termination circuit in electrical communication with the output stage of the power amplifier. The first programmable harmonic termination circuit includes a first plurality of capacitors and a first plurality of switches, with at least one of the first plurality of capacitors being in electrical communication with at least one of the first plurality of switches. The power amplifier module further includes a controller configured to modify a configuration of the first plurality of switches of the first programmable harmonic termination circuit based at least in part on a second harmonic frequency of the signal.

Abstract: A zero insertion loss directional coupler includes an input port, an antenna port, an isolation port, and a detect port. The coupler has a first signal trace, a second signal trace, and an inductive winding. The first signal trace is on one of two layers and is connected to the input port and the antenna port, while the inductive winding is on another one of the two layers. A first terminal of the inductive winding is connected to the isolation port. A first terminal of the second signal trace is connected to the detect port and a second terminal of the second signal trace is connected to a second terminal of the inductive winding.

Abstract: A method for modelling a power amplifier, including memory effect modelling, for general input waveforms and power levels involves generating an extraction waveform having a plurality of tones each having a different frequency, a difference between the frequencies of two adjacent tones of the plurality of tones not being an integer multiple of a difference in frequency between any two other adjacent tones of the plurality of tones. The method further involves providing the extraction waveform to the power amplifier, receiving output from the power amplifier generated in response to the extraction waveform, and generating a model of the power amplifier based on the output.

Abstract: A communication interface circuit includes a plurality of terminals, two receiver circuits, and a detection circuit. The detection circuit is coupled to at least one of the terminals and detects a communication format, and the detection circuit enables one of the two receiver circuits based on the detected communication format.

Abstract: According to some implementations, a radio-frequency (RF) device includes a communication interface coupled to a serial bus. The RF device also includes a monitoring component coupled to the communication interface, the monitoring component configured to monitor the serial bus for first data transmitted to a first device coupled to the serial bus and configure the RF device based on the first data.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for envelope tracking systems with automatic mode selection are provided herein. In certain configurations, a power amplifier system includes a power amplifier configured to provide amplification to a radio frequency signal and to receive power from a power amplifier supply voltage, and an envelope tracker including a signal bandwidth detection circuit configured to generate a detected bandwidth signal based on processing an envelope signal corresponding to an envelope of the radio frequency signal. The envelope tracker further includes a switch bank configured to receive a plurality of regulated voltages, a filter configured to filter an output of the switch bank to generate the power amplifier supply voltage, and a mode control circuit configured to control a filtering characteristic of the filter based on the detected bandwidth signal.

Abstract: An acoustic resonator that prevents a radio frequency (RF) signal from being coupled to a cap substrate. An electronic device includes a first substrate (device substrate) of piezoelectric material having a top surface on which an electronic circuit including a film bulk acoustic resonator is formed, a second substrate (cap substrate) of low-resistivity material, a bottom surface of which is disposed opposing the top surface of the first substrate, and a side wall disposed between the top surface of the first substrate and the bottom surface of the second substrate. The side wall defines a cavity together with the top surface of the first substrate and the bottom surface of the second substrate, the cavity internally including the electronic circuit. A thin film of high-resistivity material is formed on at least a portion of the bottom surface of the second substrate to prevent an RF signal emitted from the electronic circuit from being coupled to the second substrate.

Abstract: Piston mode Lamb wave resonators are disclosed. A piston mode Lamb wave resonator can include a piezoelectric layer, such as an aluminum nitride layer, and an interdigital transducer on the piezoelectric layer. The piston mode Lamb wave resonator has an active region and a border region, in which the border region has a velocity with a lower magnitude than a velocity of the active region. The border region can suppress a transverse mode.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are configurations and devices for amplifying radio-frequency signals. The devices and configurations include using a wide-band or tunable downstream amplifier to amplify signals in a downstream or back-end module. The signals are first filtered and amplified by an upstream or front-end module that receives a diversity signal from a diversity antenna.

Abstract: A method to avoid margin stacking is provided. The method includes accepting at least one component on consignment from a holding party, integrating the at least one component into the product, and selling the product to the holding party.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a wireless local area network (WLAN) front-end can be implemented on a semiconductor die having a semiconductor substrate, and a power amplifier implemented on the semiconductor substrate and configured for WLAN transmit operation associated with a frequency range. The semiconductor die can further include a low-noise amplifier (LNA) implemented on the semiconductor substrate and configured for WLAN receive operation associated with the frequency range. The semiconductor die can further include a transmit/receive switch implemented on the semiconductor substrate and configured to support the transmit and receive operations.

Abstract: Discharge circuits, devices and methods. In some embodiments, a MEMS device can include a substrate and an electromechanical assembly implemented on the substrate. The MEMS device can further include a discharge circuit implemented relative to the electromechanical assembly. The discharge circuit can be configured to provide a preferred arcing path during a discharge condition affecting the electromechanical assembly. The MEMS device can be, for example, a switching device, a capacitance device, a gyroscope sensor device, an accelerometer device, a surface acoustic wave (SAW) device, or a bulk acoustic wave (BAW) device. The discharge circuit can include a spark gap assembly having one or more spark gap elements configured to facilitate the preferred arcing path.

Abstract: Front end systems with switched termination for enhanced intermodulation distortion performance are provided herein. The switched termination can be used on transmit paths and/or receive paths of the front end system to suppress impedance variation when the signal paths are inactive. For example, with respect to switched termination for transmit paths, a front end system can include a frequency multiplexing circuit connected to a band switch by a first radio frequency (RF) signal path and by a second RF signal path. The band switch selectively provides the frequency multiplexing circuit with a first transmit signal over the first RF signal path and with a second transmit signal over the second RF signal path. The front end system further includes a switched termination circuit in shunt with the first RF signal path and operable to turn on to suppress impedance variation when the first RF signal path is inactive.

Abstract: Radio frequency (RF) communication systems with dynamic waveform control and power boost are provided herein. In certain embodiments, an RF communication system includes a power amplifier configured to amplify an RF signal to generate an RF transmit signal for transmission over a time-division duplex (TDD) communication link having a duty cycle, and a transmitter configured to provide the RF signal to the power amplifier. The transmitter is operable to change a type of waveform of the RF signal from a first waveform type to a second waveform type in response to a decrease in a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the TDD communication link, and to boost a power of the RF transmit signal by an amount based on the duty cycle.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein relate to an envelope tracking system that uses a single-bit digital signal to encode an analog envelope tracking control signal, or envelope tracking signal for brevity. In certain embodiments, the envelope tracking system can estimate or measure the amplitude of the baseband signal. The envelope tracking system can further estimate the amplitude of the envelope of the RF signal. The system can convert the amplitude of the envelope signal to a single-bit digital signal, typically at a higher, oversample rate. The single-bit digital signal can be transmitted in, for example, a low-voltage differential signaling (LVDS) format, from a transceiver to an envelope tracker. An analog-to-digital converter (ADC or A/D) can convert the single-bit digital signal back to an analog envelope signal. Moreover, a driver can increase the power of the A/D output envelope signal to produce an envelope-tracking supply voltage for a power amplifier.

Abstract: Radiofrequency and other electronic devices can be formed from textured hexaferrite materials, such as Z-phase barium cobalt ferrite Ba3Co2Fe24O41 (Co2Z) having enhanced resonant frequency. The textured hexaferrite material can be formed by sintering fine grain hexaferrite powder at a lower temperature than conventional firing temperatures to inhibit reduction of iron. The textured hexaferrite material can be used in radiofrequency devices such as circulators or telecommunications systems.

Abstract: A wireless device is disclosed that can support carrier aggregation uplink (“CAUL”) communication using a single wideband coupler. A single wideband coupler that can operate or support some or all of the communication bands of the wireless device can be used in conjunction with one or more diplexers and/or filters to measure the power of individual communication bands involved in the transmission process. Further, the use of a wideband coupler and switching network to measure the transmit power from the one or more transmit paths or main paths of a wireless device can reduce the size of a transceiver and reduce the insertion loss attributed to the power measurement components compared to systems that use separate measurement systems for each transmit path. The power measurement system may occur in a separate path in electrical connection with the wideband coupler, which may therefore be termed a coupler path.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are switching or other active field-effect transistor (FET) configurations that implement independently controlled main-auxiliary branch designs. Such designs include a circuit assembly for performing a switching function that includes a branch with a plurality of main FET devices in parallel with a plurality of auxiliary FET devices. The circuit assembly can include a plurality of gate bias networks where each controls one or more of the main FET devices. The circuit assembly includes a second plurality of gate bias networks that each controls one or more of the auxiliary FET devices.

Abstract: Devices and methods are disclosed, related to shielding and packaging of radio-frequency (RF) devices on substrates. In some embodiments, a method for providing electro-magnetic interference shielding for a radio-frequency module can include applying a metal-based covering over a portion of a lead-frame package, the package having a plurality of pins with at least one pin exposed from overmold compound and in contact with the metal-based covering. The method can also include mounting the lead-frame package on a substrate. The method can further include connecting the metal-based covering to a ground plane of the substrate.

Abstract: Radio frequency (RF) communication systems with coexistence management are provided herein. In certain embodiments, a method of coexistence management in a mobile device includes processing an RF receive signal to generate a digital baseband receive signal using a receive channel of a first transceiver, processing a first RF observation signal to generate a first digital observation signal using a first observation channel of the first transceiver, generating spectral regrowth observation data based on processing process the first digital observation signal using a first spectral regrowth baseband sampling circuit of the first transceiver, and compensating the digital baseband receive signal for RF signal leakage based on the spectral regrowth observation data and on direct transmit leakage observation data using a discrete time cancellation circuit of the first transceiver.