Abstract: A bias circuit (3300) for a power amplifier (3310) is disclosed. The bias circuit (3300) may select between different power sources based on a power need for the power amplifier (3310). As voltage levels between the different power sources may differ at the moment of transition, additional circuitry is provided to smooth the transition between the differing power levels. Further, the bias circuit (3300) may provide bias signals to multiple stacked transistors in the power amplifier (3310) in such a manner so as to avoid collapsing any of the transistors. One such approach is a piecewise linear bias signal. Still further, the bias circuit (3300) may interoperate with predistortion circuitry to assist in linear operation of the power amplifier (3310). Still further, the bias circuit (3300) may interoperate with protection circuitry to prevent over current, over voltage, or over power conditions that may damage the power amplifier (3310).

Abstract: A power amplifier includes an over-current protection loop and/or an over-voltage protection loop to assist in preventing operation outside a safe operating zone. In particular, a trigger threshold for the protection loop may dynamically change as a function of another parameter associated with the transmission. Exemplary parameters include, but are not necessarily limited to: supply voltage, temperature, frequency, modulation, voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR), or combinations thereof. In still further exemplary aspects, the over-voltage protection loop may operate independently of the over-current protection current loop, or the over-voltage protection loop contribute to an over-current protection signal.

Abstract: A power amplifier system having a power amplifier stage with dynamic bias circuitry is disclosed. Also included is bias control circuitry having a compression sensor having a sensor input coupled to a RF signal output and a sensor output, wherein the compression sensor is configured to generate a gain deviation signal in response to a sensed deviation from a flat gain profile of the power amplifier stage. Further included is a bias driver that is configured to drive dynamic bias circuitry to adjust bias to the power amplifier stage to maintain the flat gain profile in response to the gain deviation signal.

Abstract: A power amplifier includes an over-current protection loop and/or an over-voltage protection loop to assist in preventing operation outside a safe operation zone. In a further exemplary aspect, triggering of the over-current protection loop adjusts a threshold voltage for the over-voltage protection loop. In further exemplary aspects, the over-current protection loop may adjust not only a bias regulator, but also provide an auxiliary control signal that further limits signals reaching the power amplifier. In still further exemplary aspects, the over-voltage protection loop may operate independently of the over-current protection current loop or the over-voltage protection loop contribute to an over-current protection signal.

Abstract: A multigenerational front-end module (FEM) is disclosed. In particular, a FEM having a single transmission path may include a single power amplifier with supporting elements such as for example, bias levels, load modulation, supply voltages, or the like, that may be reconfigured and tuned so as to allow the single power amplifier to adapt effectively and work with different generations of wireless protocols. The use of such an adaptive, reconfigurable, tunable transmission path allows smaller and more cost-effective FEMs to be provided. Settings for the various changes may be stored in a look-up table (LUT) or the like.

Abstract: A multigenerational front-end module (FEM) with 2G Vramp capabilities is disclosed. In particular, a FEM having a single transmission path may include a single power amplifier with supporting elements such as for example, bias levels, load modulation, supply voltages, or the like, that may be reconfigured and tuned so as to allow the single power amplifier to adapt effectively and work with different generations of wireless protocols. Further, this multigenerational FEM is able to accommodate a 2G Vramp mode with a multistage power amplifier, each with its own gate or base control signal instead of a collector signal control. This control is further effectuated by efficient power detection.

Abstract: A power amplifier system is disclosed having a first amplifier with a high-power input and a high-power output. A second amplifier has a low-power input and a low-power output. A reconfigurable mode switch network has a first series switch branch coupled between the high-power output and an RF output, a first shunt branch is coupled between the RF output and a fixed voltage node, and a second series switch branch is coupled between the low-power output and a shared node of the first shunt branch. The shared node separates the first shunt branch into a first shared section that is between the RF output and the shared node and a second shared section that is between the shared node and the fixed voltage node.

Abstract: A power amplification circuit includes an amplifier circuit (800) comprising cascode transistors coupled in series between an output node (816) and a reference voltage node. A bias control circuit includes an on-state bias control circuit (806), a first off-state bias control circuit, and a second off-state bias control circuit to provide bias voltages to control terminals of the plurality of cascode transistors. The on-state bias control circuit (806) controls the bias voltages during operation. In a first off-state, an electrostatic charge may cause a destructive voltage on the output node (816). The first off-state bias circuit (808) generates bias voltages based on the electrostatic charge. A second off-state condition occurs in an inactive amplifier circuit coupled to an output node on which a voltage is generated by a parallel active amplifier circuit coupled to the output node (816).

Abstract: A power amplifier with analog predistortion is disclosed. In one aspect, a signal in the transmission chain is sampled to determine if a phase distortion (delay or advancement) is present. Information about the sampled signal is provided to a control circuit, which uses an analog predistortion circuit to inject a correction signal into the transmission chain so as to offset or compensate for the phase distortion. In an exemplary aspect, the analog predistortion circuit may use a variable capacitor to generate the correction signal that is injected. This detection and adjustment may be done in the front end of the transmission chain so as to avoid reliance on a baseband processor. Use of such analog predistortion helps maintain desired linear operation over the large bandwidths of emerging wireless communication standards.

Abstract: A power amplifier with analog predistortion is disclosed. In one aspect, a signal in the transmission chain is sampled to determine if an amplitude distortion (expansion or compression) is present. Information about the sampled signal is provided to a control circuit, which uses an analog predistortion circuit to inject a correction signal into the transmission chain so as to offset or compensate for the amplitude distortion. In an exemplary aspect, the analog predistortion circuit adjusts a bias signal provided to the power amplifier. This detection and adjustment may be done in the front end of the transmission chain so as to avoid reliance on a baseband processor. Use of such analog predistortion helps maintain desired linear operation over the large bandwidths of emerging wireless communication standards.

Abstract: A power amplification circuit (600) includes an amplifier circuit (100) and a circuit (602) protecting the amplifier circuit (100) from destructive voltage. The amplifier circuit includes a first cascode transistor (104(1)) coupled to an output node, a last cascode transistor (104(5)) coupled to a reference voltage node (GND), and one or more cascode transistors (104(2)-104(4)) coupled between the first cascode transistor (104(1)) and the last cascode transistor (104(5)). Circuit protecting the amplifier circuit (100) may include a protection circuit (602) to provide a feedback signal to a bias circuit (606) to reduce the bias voltage on the last cascode transistor (104(5)) and/or a stress control circuit (604) coupled to a control terminal of the first cascode transistor (104(1)) to increase the bias voltage on a control terminal of the first cascode transistor (104(1)) to avoid a destructive voltage.

Abstract: Disclosed is a power amplifier having an output stage (12) having a radio frequency (RF) output (14) and an RF input (16) and a driver stage (18) having a driver input (20) coupled to the RF input (16), a control input (22), and a driver output (24), wherein the driver stage (18) is configured to have a controllable soft compression characteristic that substantially neutralizes a gain expansion characteristic of the output stage (12). Also included is a controller (26) having a control output (28) coupled to the control input (22) of the driver stage (18), wherein the controller (26) is configured to generate a control signal at the control output (28) that controls the soft compression characteristic of the driver stage (18).

Abstract: Embodiments of an apparatus that includes a substrate and an inductor residing in the substrate are disclosed. In one embodiment, the inductor is formed as a conductive path that extends from a first terminal to a second terminal. The conductive path has a shape corresponding to a two-dimensional (2D) lobe laid over a three-dimensional (3D) volume. Since the shape of the conductive path corresponds to the 2D lobe laid over a 3D volume, the magnetic field generated by the inductor has magnetic field lines that are predominately destructive outside the inductor and magnetic field lines that are predominately constructive inside the inductor. In this manner, the inductor can maintain a high quality (Q) factor while being placed close to other components.

Abstract: A protection circuit for an acoustic filter and/or a power amplifier is disclosed. In one aspect, the protection circuit includes a bidirectional coupler that helps secure a measurement of power at an antenna. The power measurement is compared to a threshold by a detector, and if the power measurement is above the threshold, a signal is sent that causes debiasing of a power amplifier stage, which reduces power levels of signals being amplified by the power amplifier stage and correspondingly lowers the power level going through a filter associated with the power amplifier stage. By lowering the power level going through the power amplifier stage and the filter, both elements are protected against overpower conditions, allowing functionality to be maintained.

Abstract: A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes detecting actions taken by users in a computer-implemented matching system and, for each of the detected actions, storing data indicative of the detected action. The method further includes filtering the stored data in accordance with at least one filter selected by an administrator of the computer-implemented matching system and creating a user action log from the filtered stored data. The user action log includes all of the stored data that matches the selected at least one filter. The at least one filter may include log start time, log end time, type of action, user ID, target user ID, and/or site type. The detected action may include viewing another user's profile, changing the user's own profile, sending a message to another user via the computer-implemented matching system, and/or performing a matching search using the computer-implemented matching system.

Abstract: A power amplifier includes an over-current protection loop and/or an over-voltage protection loop to assist in preventing operation outside a safe operation zone. In a further exemplary aspect, triggering of the over-current protection loop adjusts a threshold voltage for the over-voltage protection loop. In further exemplary aspects, the over-current protection loop may adjust not only a bias regulator but also provide an auxiliary control signal that further limits signals reaching the power amplifier. In still further exemplary aspects, the over-voltage protection loop may operate independently of the over-current protection current loop, or the over-voltage protection loop contributes to an over-current protection signal.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A protection circuit for an acoustic filter and/or a power amplifier is disclosed. In one aspect, the protection circuit includes a bidirectional coupler that helps secure a measurement of power at an antenna. The power measurement is compared to a threshold by a detector, and if the power measurement is above the threshold, a signal is sent that causes debiasing of a power amplifier stage, which reduces power levels of signals being amplified by the power amplifier stage and correspondingly lowers the power level going through a filter associated with the power amplifier stage. By lowering the power level going through the power amplifier stage and the filter, both elements are protected against over power conditions allowing functionality to be maintained.

Abstract: A driving amplifier with low output impedance is disclosed. In one aspect, a driving amplifier stage that does not need an inter-stage impedance matching network between the driving amplifier stage and an output amplifier stage in a transmission chain may be achieved by providing stacking transconductance devices within the driving amplifier stage and reusing a supply current to provide an intermediate signal with high current but moderated voltage swing to drive the output amplifier stage. In specifically contemplated aspects, the stacked transconductance devices may be complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) field effect transistors (FETs).

Abstract: A power amplifier includes an over-current protection loop and/or an over-voltage protection loop to assist in preventing operation outside a safe operation zone. In a further exemplary aspect, triggering of the over-current protection loop adjusts a threshold voltage for the over-voltage protection loop. In further exemplary aspects, the over-current protection loop may adjust not only a bias regulator, but also provide an auxiliary control signal that further limits signals reaching the power amplifier. In still further exemplary aspects, the over-voltage protection loop may operate independently of the over-current protection current loop or the over-voltage protection loop contribute to an over-current protection signal.