REACTANCE CANCELLING RADIO FREQUENCY CIRCUIT ARRAY
A reactance cancelling radio frequency (RF) circuit array is disclosed. The reactance cancelling RF circuit array includes multiple RF circuits each coupled to one or two adjacent RF circuits by one or two pairs of coupling mediums each having a respective length less than one-quarter wavelength. In one aspect, an RF input signal is first split across the RF circuits and then combined to form an RF output signal. As a result, each RF circuit requires a lower power handling capability to process a portion of the RF input signal. In another aspect, each pair of the coupling mediums can cause reactance cancellation in each reactance-cancelling pair of the RF circuits. By coupling the RF circuits via the coupling mediums and enabling splitting-combining among the RF circuits, it is possible to miniaturize the reactance cancelling RF circuit array for improved performance across a wide frequency spectrum.
The technology of the disclosure relates generally to a reactance cancelling among multiple radio frequency (RF) circuits.
BACKGROUNDMobile communication devices have become increasingly common in current society for providing wireless communication services. The prevalence of these mobile communication devices is driven in part by the many functions that are now enabled on such devices. Increased processing capabilities in such devices means that mobile communication devices have evolved from being pure communication tools into sophisticated mobile multimedia centers that enable enhanced user experiences.
A wireless communication device often needs to split and/or combine the RF signal(s) in various stages of signal processing. Conventional power dividers and combiners are typically made with one-quarter wavelength (¼ λ) or, sometimes, even one-half wavelength (1/2 λ) long transmission lines and/or lumped elements in between circuits to be split or combined. Given the inverse relationship between wavelength and frequency, the approximately ¼ λ to approximately 1/2 λ long transmission lines can lead to a significant increase in footprint when the RF signal(s) is modulated in lower frequencies (e.g., FR1). The approximately ¼ λ to approximately 1/2 λ long lumped elements, on the other hand, can cause excessively large reactance and increased cost. Further, the ¼ λ to ½ λ long transmission lines and/or lumped elements can also limit operating bandwidth of the power divider and combiner. It is thus desirable to miniaturize the power divider and combiner concurrent to reducing reactance and cost.
SUMMARYAspects disclosed in the detailed description include a reactance cancelling radio frequency (RF) circuit array. The reactance cancelling RF circuit array includes multiple RF circuits each coupled to one or two adjacent RF circuits by one or more coupling mediums each having a respective length less than one-quarter wavelength. In one aspect, an RF input signal is first split across the RF circuits and then combined to form an RF output signal. As a result, each RF circuit requires a lower power handling capability to process a portion of the RF input signal. In another aspect, each group of the coupling mediums (e.g., lumped elements and/or transmission lines) can be individually or collectively optimized to cause reactance cancellation in each reactance-cancelling pair of the RF circuits. By coupling the RF circuits via the coupling mediums and enabling splitting-combining among the RF circuits, it is possible to miniaturize the reactance cancelling RF circuit array for improved performance across a wide frequency spectrum.
In one aspect, a reactance cancelling RF circuit array is provided. The reactance cancelling RF circuit array includes at least one input medium. The input medium includes multiple first coupling mediums. The reactance cancelling RF circuit array also includes at least one output medium. The output medium includes multiple second coupling mediums. The reactance cancelling RF circuit array also includes multiple RF circuits provided between the input medium and the output medium. The multiple RF circuits are each coupled to a respective one or two adjacent RF circuits among the multiple RF circuits via a respective one or two of the multiple first coupling mediums and a respective one or two of the multiple second coupling mediums to thereby divide the multiple RF circuits into one or more reactance-cancelling pairs each comprising a pair of the multiple RF circuits. The multiple first coupling mediums and the multiple second coupling mediums are configured to cause a reactance cancellation between the pair of the multiple RF circuits in each of the one or more reactance-cancelling pairs.
In another aspect, a reactance cancelling circuit array network is provided. The reactance cancelling circuit array network includes multiple input coupling elements. The reactance cancelling circuit array network also includes multiple output coupling elements. The reactance cancelling circuit array network also includes multiple reactance cancelling RF circuit arrays each coupled to a respective one or two adjacent reactance cancelling RF circuit arrays among the multiple reactance cancelling circuit arrays via a respective one or two of the multiple input coupling elements and a respective one or two of the multiple output coupling elements. Each of the multiple reactance cancelling RF circuit arrays includes at least one input medium. The input medium includes multiple first coupling mediums. Each of the multiple reactance cancelling RF circuit arrays also includes at least one output medium. The output medium includes multiple second coupling mediums. Each of the multiple reactance cancelling RF circuit arrays also includes multiple RF circuits provided between the input medium and the output medium. The multiple RF circuits are each coupled to a respective one or two adjacent RF circuits among the multiple RF circuits via a respective one or two of the multiple first coupling mediums and a respective one or two of the multiple second coupling mediums to thereby divide the multiple RF circuits into one or more reactance-cancelling pairs each comprising a pair of the multiple RF circuits. The multiple first coupling mediums and the multiple second coupling mediums are configured to cause a reactance cancellation between the pair of the multiple RF circuits in each of the one or more reactance-cancelling pairs.
Those skilled in the art will appreciate the scope of the present disclosure and realize additional aspects thereof after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments in association with the accompanying drawing figures.
The accompanying drawing figures incorporated in and forming a part of this specification illustrate several aspects of the disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the disclosure.
The embodiments set forth below represent the necessary information to enable those skilled in the art to practice the embodiments and illustrate the best mode of practicing the embodiments. Upon reading the following description in light of the accompanying drawing figures, those skilled in the art will understand the concepts of the disclosure and will recognize applications of these concepts not particularly addressed herein. It should be understood that these concepts and applications fall within the scope of the disclosure and the accompanying claims.
It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element could be termed a second element, and, similarly, a second element could be termed a first element, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
It will be understood that when an element such as a layer, region, or substrate is referred to as being “on” or extending “onto” another element, it can be directly on or extend directly onto the other element or intervening elements may also be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on” or extending “directly onto” another element, there are no intervening elements present. Likewise, it will be understood that when an element such as a layer, region, or substrate is referred to as being “over” or extending “over” another element, it can be directly over or extend directly over the other element or intervening elements may also be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly over” or extending “directly over” another element, there are no intervening elements present. It will also be understood that when an element is referred to as being “connected” or “coupled” to another element, it can be directly connected or coupled to the other element or intervening elements may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly connected” or “directly coupled” to another element, there are no intervening elements present.
Relative terms such as “below” or “above” or “upper” or “lower” or “horizontal” or “vertical” may be used herein to describe a relationship of one element, layer, or region to another element, layer, or region as illustrated in the Figures. It will be understood that these terms and those discussed above are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in addition to the orientation depicted in the Figures.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” and/or “including” when used herein specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. It will be further understood that terms used herein should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of this specification and the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.
Embodiments are described herein with reference to a reactance cancelling radio frequency (RF) circuit array. The reactance cancelling RF circuit array includes multiple RF circuits each coupled to one or two adjacent RF circuits by one or more coupling mediums each having a respective length less than one-quarter wavelength. In one aspect, an RF input signal is first split across the RF circuits and then combined to form an RF output signal. As a result, each RF circuit requires a lower power handling capability to process a portion of the RF input signal. In another aspect, each pair of the coupling mediums (e.g., lumped elements and/or transmission lines) can be individually or collectively optimized to cause reactance cancellation in each reactance-cancelling pair of the RF circuits. By coupling the RF circuits via the coupling mediums and enabling splitting-combining among the RF circuits, it is possible to miniaturize the reactance cancelling RF circuit array for improved performance across a wide frequency spectrum.
Before discussing the reactance cancelling RF circuit array of the present disclosure, starting at
Further, quadrants 2 and 3 represent a high impedance region as they correspond to the real resistance R that is higher than a normalized resistance represented by a center point Pc. In contrast, quadrants 1 and 4 represent a low impedance region as they correspond to the real resistance R that is lower than the nominal resistance represented by the center point Pc. The terms “inductive reactance region,” “capacitive reactance region,” “high impedance region,” and “low impedance region,” as defined herein, will be frequently referenced in various embodiments of the present disclosure, which are discussed next.
As discussed in detail below, the reactance cancelling RF circuit array 10 can be configured according to various embodiments of the present disclosure to enable both the splitting-combining and the reactance cancelling operations. As such, it is possible to miniaturize the reactance cancelling RF circuit array for improved performance across a wide frequency spectrum.
The RF circuits 12(1)-12(N) are coupled between the input medium 16 and the output medium 20. In this regard, the RF circuit 12(1) is referred to as a first one of the RF circuits 12(1)-12(N) as the RF circuit 12(1) precedes each of the RF circuits 12(2)-12(N). In contrast, the RF circuit 12(N) is referred to as a last one of the RF circuits 12(1)-12(N) as the RF circuit 12(N) succeeds each of the RF circuits 12(1)-12(N-1).
In one non-limiting example, each of the RF circuits 12(1)-12(N) can be a passive RF circuit such as an RF filter, which can include a bulk acoustic wave (BAW) filter, a surface acoustic wave (SAW) filter, a crystal filter, and so on. In another non-limiting example, each of the RF circuits 12(1)-12(N) can be an active RF circuit, such as a power amplifier (e.g., push-pull power amplifier), a low-noise amplifier (LNA), and so on. It should be appreciated that the RF circuits 12(1)-12(N) can also be a combination of passive and active RF circuits.
The reactance cancelling RF circuit array 10 includes at least one signal input SIN and at least one signal output SOUT, and each can be coupled to any one of the RF circuits 12(1)-12(N). The signal input SIN can be configured to receive an RF input signal 22 and the signal output SOUT can be configured to output an RF output signal 24. Notably, the RF output signal 24 can include the same content (e.g., payload) as the RF input signal 22, but change in frequency and/or power compared to the RF input signal 22.
In one aspect, the reactance cancelling RF circuit array 10 is configured to enable the splitting-combining operation. In this regard, the RF input signal 22 is first split across the RF circuits 12(1)-12(N) such that each of the RF circuits 12(1)-12(N) only receives and processes a respective portion of the RF input signal 22. In a non-limiting example, the RF input signal 22 can be split evenly such that the RF circuits 12(1)-12(N) will each receive an equal portion of the RF input signal 22. After processing (e.g., filtering, amplifying, etc.) the respective portion of the RF input signal 22, the RF circuits 12(1)-12(N) each provide the respective portion of the RF input signal 22 to the signal output SOUT, whereat the respective portion of the RF input signal 22 received from each of the RF circuits 12(1)-12(N) is combined into the RF output signal 24.
The splitting-combining operation allows each of the RF circuits 12(1)-12(N) to be optimized for higher efficiency, lower complexity, and smaller footprint. For example, when the RF circuits 12(1)-12(N) are implemented as BAW filters, each of the RF circuits 12(1)-12(N) can only handle up to a maximum amount (e.g.,1 watt) of power. However, the RF input signal 22 may have been generated at a much higher amount (e.g., 5-20 watts or even 100 watts) of power for transmission via a massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) scheme. By splitting the RF input signal 22 across the RF circuits 12(1)-12(N), it is possible for each of the RF circuits 12(1)-12(N) to resonate at a respective resonance frequency to pass the respective portion of the RF input signal 22 within power handling capability of the RF circuits 12(1)-12(N). In this regard, the splitting-combining operation can break capability bottleneck of the RF circuits 12(1)-12(N), thus helping to reduce complexity and cost of the RF circuits 12(1)-12(N).
In another example, when the RF circuits 12(1)-12(N) are implemented as power amplifiers, the power amplifier in each of the RF circuits 12(1)-12(N) will only amplify the respective portion of the RF input signal 22 and provide the amplified portion of the RF input signal 22 to the signal output SOUT. Given that the power amplifier in each of the RF circuits 12(1)-12(N) only amplifies the respective portion of the RF input signal 22, the power amplifier can operate with a lower supply voltage.
In embodiments disclosed herein, the first coupling mediums 14(1)-14(M) and the second coupling mediums 18(1 )-18(M) can each be a transmission line, a negative-length lumped element, and/or a positive-length lumped element. Herein, a negative-length lumped element can be an LCL-Pi network, which includes a first shunt inductor (L), a series capacitor (C), and a second shunt inductor (L), or a CLC—Tee network, which includes a first series capacitor (C), a shunt inductor (L), and a second series capacitor (C). In contrast, a positive-length lumped element can be an LCL-Tee network, which includes a first series inductor (L), a shunt capacitor (C), and a second series inductor (L), or a CLC-Pi network, which includes a first shunt capacitor (C), a series inductor (L), and a second shunt capacitor (C). Notably, the LCL-Pi network, the CLC—Tee network, the LCL-Tee network, and the CLC-Pi network are merely non-limiting examples of the negative-length lumped element and the positive-length lumped element. It should be appreciated that the negative-length lumped element and/or the positive-length lumped element may also be provided based on similar higher or lower order networks.
In an embodiment, the RF circuits 12(1)-12(N) are each coupled to a respective one or two adjacent RF circuits among the RF circuits 12(1)-12(N) via a respective one or two of the first coupling mediums 14(1)-14(M) and a respective one or two of the second coupling mediums 18(1 )-18(M). For example, the RF circuit 12(1), which is the first one of the RF circuits 12(1)-12(N), is only coupled to the RF circuit 12(2) via the first coupling medium 14(1) and the second coupling medium 18(1). In contrast, the RF circuit 12(2) is coupled to the RF circuit 12(1) via the first coupling medium 14(1) and the second coupling medium 18(1), and to the RF circuit 12(3) via the first coupling medium 14(2) and the second coupling medium 18(2).
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the RF circuits 12(1)-12(N) are divided into one or more reactance-cancelling pairs, such as the reactance-cancelling pairs SPAIR-1 and SPAIR-2 as illustrated in
By coupling the pair of the RF circuits 12(1)-12(N) in each of the reactance-cancelling pairs SPAIR-1 and SPAIR-2 using a proper selection and/or combination of the transmission line, the negative-length lumped element, and/or the positive-length lumped element, it is possible to cause a reactance cancellation between the pair of the RF circuits 12(1)-12(N) in each of the reactance-cancelling pairs SPAIR-1 and SPAIR-2. Herein, a reactance-cancelling pair refers to any pair of the RF circuits 12(1)-12(N) wherein a respective reactance of one of the RF circuits in the reactance-cancelling pair can be rotated to cancel a respective reactance of another RF circuit in the reactance-cancelling pair.
In another example, the RF circuits 12(3) and 12(N) in the reactance-cancelling pair SPAIR-2 each has a respective impedance Z = R + j(-X2), as represented by a dot 28. To cancel the capacitive reactance -X2, the impedance Z of one of the RF circuits 12(3) and 12(N) (e.g., the RF circuit 12(N)) is rotated clockwise from the capacitive reactance region to the inductive reactance region to thereby transform the impedance Z from R + j(-X2) to approximately R +jX2, as represented by a dot 28′. As a result, the capacitive reactance -X2 can be canceled by the inductive reactance X2 in the reactance-cancelling pair SPAIR-2.
As previously mentioned, the reactance cancelling RF circuit array 10 can include an even number (N = an even integer ≥ 3) or an odd number (N = an odd integer ≥ 3) of the RF circuits 12(1)-12(N). When the reactance cancelling RF circuit array 10 includes an even number of the RF circuits 12(1)-12(N), each of the RF circuits 12(1)-12(N) will belong to a respective one of the reactance-cancelling pairs (e.g., SPAIR-1 and SPAIR-2). However, one of the RF circuits 12(1)-12(N) (referred to as a “standalone RF circuit” for distinction) needs to be configured to have an impedance that only includes, on average, the real resistance R (Z = R), as represented by a dot 29. In this regard, the standalone RF circuit is excluded from any of the reactance-cancelling pairs (e.g., SPAIR-1 and SPAIR-2) as there is no reactance cancelling, per se, for the standalone RF circuit. Alternatively, it may also be said that the standalone RF circuit belongs to a special reactance-cancelling pair SPAIR-SELF, wherein the reactance is self-cancelled.
The choice as to how the pairs of the RF circuit 12(1)-12(N) are coupled to one another in each of the reactance-cancelling pairs SPAIR-1 and SPAIR-2 depends on an actual number of the RF circuits 12(1)-12(N) and locations of the dots 26 and 28 on the Smith Chart, as further illustrated in
With reference back to
The reactance cancelling RF circuit array 10 in
For the convenience of illustration, the reactance cancelling RF circuit array 10A is shown with eight RF circuits 12(1)-12(8). It should be appreciated that the illustration herein does not constitute a limitation as to how many of the RF circuits 12(1)-12(N) can be included in the reactance cancelling RF circuit array 10.
In this embodiment, the RF circuits 12(1)-12(8) include a first RF circuit 12(1), a second RF circuit 12(2) that immediately succeeds the first RF circuit 12(1), and one or more third RF circuits 12(3)-12(8) that succeed the second RF circuit 12(2). The first coupling mediums 14(1)-14(M) include a first negative-length lumped element 14(1) and one or more first transmission lines 14(2)-14(7). Similarly, the second coupling mediums 18(1 )-18(M) include a second negative-length lumped element 18(1) and one or more second transmission lines 18(2)-18(7).
In this embodiment, the first RF circuit 12(1) is coupled to the second RF circuit 12(2) via the first negative-length lumped element 14(1) and the second negative-length lumped element 18(1). The third RF circuits 12(3)-12(8) are each coupled to a respective one or two of the RF circuits 12(1)-12(8) via a respective one or two of the first transmission lines 14(3)-14(7) and a respective one or two of the second transmission lines 18(3)-18(7).
In this embodiment, the first RF circuit 12(1) and the second RF circuit 12(2) form a first reactance-cancelling pair SPAIR-1, the third RF circuit 12(3) and the third RF circuit 12(8) form a second reactance-cancelling pair SPAIR-2, the third RF circuit 12(4) and the third RF circuit 12(7) form a third reactance-cancelling pair SPAIR-3, and the third RF circuit 12(5) and the third RF circuit 12(6) form a fourth reactance-cancelling pair SPAIR-4. Herein, the first negative-length lumped element 14(1) and the second negative-length lumped element 18(1) each has a respective length of approximately one-quarter of a wavelength, while the first transmission lines 14(2)-14(7) and the second transmission lines 18(2)-18(7) each have a respective length of approximately one-tenth of the wavelength or less.
In this embodiment, the first coupling mediums 14(1)-14(M) include a first positive-length lumped element 14(1) and one or more first transmission lines 14(2)-14(7). Similarly, the second coupling mediums 18(1 )-18(M) include a second positive-length lumped element 18(1) and one or more second transmission lines 18(2)-18(7).
In this embodiment, the first RF circuit 12(1) is coupled to the second RF circuit 12(2) via the first positive-length lumped element 14(1) and the second positive-length lumped element 18(1). The third RF circuits 12(3)-12(8) are each coupled to a respective one or two of the RF circuits 12(1)-12(8) via a respective one or two of the first transmission lines 14(3)-14(7) and a respective one or two of the second transmission lines 18(3)-18(7).
In this embodiment, the first RF circuit 12(1) and the second RF circuit 12(2) form a first reactance-cancelling pair SPAIR-1, the RF circuit 12(3) and the RF circuit 12(8) form a second reactance-cancelling pair SPAIR-2, the RF circuit 12(4) and the RF circuit 12(7) form a third reactance-cancelling pair SPAIR-3, and the RF circuit 12(5) and the RF circuit 12(6) form a fourth reactance-cancelling pair SPAIR-4. Herein, the first negative-length lumped element 14(1) and the second negative-length lumped element 18(1) each has a respective length of approximately one-quarter of a wavelength, while the first transmission lines 14(2)-14(7) and the second transmission lines 18(2)-18(7) each have a respective length of approximately one-tenth of the wavelength or less.
In this embodiment, the first coupling mediums 14(1)-14(M) include one or more first transmission lines 14(1)-14(7). Similarly, the second coupling mediums 18(1)-18(M) include one or more second transmission lines 18(1)-18(7).
In this embodiment, the RF circuits 12(1)-12(8) are each coupled to a respective one or two adjacent RF circuits among the RF circuits 12(1)-12(8) via a respective one or two of the first transmission lines 14(1)-14(7) and a respective one or two of the second transmission lines 18(1)-18(7).
In this embodiment, the RF circuit 12(1) and the RF circuit 12(8) form a first reactance-cancelling pair SPAIR-1, the RF circuit 12(2) and the RF circuit 12(7) form a second reactance-cancelling pair SPAIR-2, the RF circuit 12(3) and the RF circuit 12(6) form a third reactance-cancelling pair SPAIR-3, and the RF circuit 12(4) and the RF circuit 12(5) form a fourth reactance-cancelling pair SPAIR-4. Herein, each of the first transmission lines 14(1)-14(7) and the second transmission lines 18(1 )-18(7) has a respective length of less than one-quarter of a wavelength.
Notably, the reactance cancelling RF circuit array 10A of
As an example,
In this embodiment, the reactance cancelling RF circuit array 10D includes the RF circuits 12(1)-12(7), the first coupling mediums 14(1)-14(M) include one or more first negative-length lumped elements 14(1)-14(6), and the second coupling mediums 18(1 )-18(M) include one or more second negative-length lumped elements 18(1 )-18(6).
In this embodiment, the RF circuits 12(1)-12(7) are each coupled to a respective one or two adjacent RF circuits among the RF circuits 12(1)-12(8) via a respective one or two of the first negative-length lumped elements 14(1)-14(6) and a respective one or two of the second negative-length lumped elements 18(1 )-18(6).
In this embodiment, the RF circuit 12(1) and the RF circuit 12(2) form a first reactance-cancelling pair SPAIR-1, the RF circuit 12(3) and the RF circuit 12(7) form a second reactance-cancelling pair SPAIR-2, the RF circuit 12(4) and the RF circuit 12(6) form a third reactance-cancelling pair SPAIR-3, and the RF circuit 12(5) is the standalone RF circuit. According to the previous discussion in
The reactance cancelling RF circuit array 10 of
In this embodiment, the reactance cancelling RF circuit array 10E may optionally include a differential input coupler 34 and a differential output coupler 36. Notably, the differential input coupler 34 and the differential output coupler 36 are not needed if the RF input signal 22 is already a differential signal. The differential input coupler 34 can be coupled to any two of the RF circuits 12(1)-12(8) as long as a total length of the first coupling elements between the coupled RF circuits can provide approximately 180°- (e.g., 180°-±37°-) phase rotation on the Smith Chart. In a non-limiting example, the differential input coupler 34 is coupled to a first one of the RF circuits 12(1)-12(8) and a last one of the RF circuits 12(1)-12(8). In this regard, a total length of the first coupling elements 14(1)-14(M) can provide approximately 180°- (e.g., 180°-±37°-) phase rotation on the Smith Chart. The differential input coupler 34 is configured to convert the RF input signal 22 into a positive RF input signal 22P and a negative RF input signal 22N. Accordingly, the differential input coupler 34 can provide the positive RF input signal 22P and the negative RF input signal 22N to the first one of the RF circuits 12(1)-12(8) and the last one of the RF circuits 12(1)-12(8).
The differential output coupler 36 can also be coupled to any two of the RF circuits 12(1)-12(8) as long as a total length of the second coupling elements between the two RF circuits can provide approximately 180°- (e.g., 1802+-372) phase rotation on the Smith Chart. In a non-limiting example, the differential output coupler 36 is also coupled to the first one of the RF circuits 12(1)-12(8) and the last one of the RF circuits 12(1)-12(8). In this regard, a total length of the coupling elements 18(1 )-18(M) can provide a 180°- phase rotation on the Smith Chart. The differential output coupler 36 is configured to receive a positive RF output signal 24P and a negative RF output signal 24N from the first one of the RF circuits 12(1)-12(8) and the last one of the RF circuits 12(1)-12(8). Accordingly, the differential output coupler 36 converts the positive RF output signal 24P and the negative RF output signal 24N into the RF output signal 24.
The reactance cancelling RF circuit array 10 of
In this embodiment, the reactance cancelling RF circuit array 10F may optionally include a quadrature input coupler 38 and a quadrature output coupler 40. The quadrature input coupler 38 can be coupled to any two of the RF circuits 12(1)-12(8) as long as a total length of the first coupling elements between the two RF circuits can provide approximately 90°- (e.g., 90°-±37°-) phase rotation on the Smith Chart. In a non-limiting example, the quadrature input coupler 38 is coupled to a first one of the RF circuits 12(1)-12(8) and a last one of the RF circuits 12(1)-12(8). In this regard, a total length of the first coupling elements 14(1)-14(M) can provide a 90°- phase rotation on the Smith Chart. The quadrature input coupler 38 is configured to convert the RF input signal 22 into an in-phase RF input signal 221 and a quadrature RF input signal 22Q. Accordingly, the quadrature input coupler 38 can provide the in-phase RF input signal 221 and the quadrature RF input signal 22Q to the first one of the RF circuits 12(1)-12(8) and the last one of the RF circuits 12(1)-12(8).
The quadrature output coupler 40 can be coupled to any two of the RF circuits 12(1)-12(8) as long as a total length of the second coupling elements between the two RF circuits can provide approximately 90°- (e.g., 90°-±37°-) phase rotation on the Smith Chart. In a non-limiting example, the quadrature output coupler 40 is also coupled to the first one of the RF circuits 12(1)-12(8) and the last one of the RF circuits 12(1)-12(8). In this regard, a total length of the second coupling elements 18(1 )-18(M) can provide approximately 90°- (e.g., 90°-±37°) phase rotation on the Smith Chart. The quadrature output coupler 40 is configured to receive an in-phase RF output signal 24I and a quadrature RF output signal 24Q from the first one of the RF circuits 12(1)-12(8) and the last one of the RF circuits 12(1)-12(8). Accordingly, the quadrature output coupler 40 converts the in-phase RF output signal 24I and the quadrature RF output signal 24Q into the RF output signal 24.
The reactance cancelling RF circuit array 10 of
In this embodiment, the differential input coupler 34 is coupled to a first one of the RF circuits 12(1)-12(8) and a last one of the RF circuits 12(1)-12(8). In this regard, a total length of the first coupling elements 14(1)-14(M) needs to provide a 180°- phase rotation on the Smith Chart. The differential input coupler 34 is configured to convert the RF input signal 22 into a positive RF input signal 22P and a negative RF input signal 22N. Accordingly, the differential input coupler 34 can provide the positive RF input signal 22P and the negative RF input signal 22N to the first one of the RF circuits 12(1)-12(8) and the last one of the RF circuits 12(1)-12(8).
Similar to the reactance cancelling RF circuit array 10 in
Notably, the reactance cancelling RF circuit array 10G in
In this embodiment, the quadrature input coupler 38 is coupled to a first one of the RF circuits 12(1)-12(4) and a last one of the RF circuits 12(1)-12(4). In this regard, a total length of the first coupling elements 14(1)-14(M) needs to provide a 90°- phase rotation on the Smith Chart. The quadrature input coupler 38 is configured to convert the RF input signal 22 into an in-phase RF input signal 22I and a quadrature RF input signal 22Q. Accordingly, the quadrature input coupler 38 can provide the in-phase RF input signal 22I and the quadrature RF input signal 22Q to the first one of the RF circuits 12(1)-12(4) and the last one of the RF circuits 12(1)-12(4).
Similar to the reactance cancelling RF circuit array 10 in
Notably, the reactance cancelling RF circuit array 10H in
The reactance cancelling RF circuit array 10 of
In this embodiment, as a non-limiting example, the reactance cancelling RF circuit array 10I includes three RF circuits 12(1)-12(3), two first coupling mediums 14(1), 14(2), and two second coupling mediums 18(1), 18(2). The RF circuit 12(1) is coupled to the RF circuit 12(2) via the first coupling medium 14(1) and the second coupling medium 18(1), which are both negative-length lumped elements. The RF circuit 12(2) is coupled to the RF circuit 12(3) via the first coupling medium 14(2) and the second coupling medium 18(2), which are both positive-length lumped elements. The signal input SIN is coupled to the RF circuit 12(1), which is the first one of the RF circuits 12(1)-12(3), and the signal output SOUT is coupled to the RF circuit 12(3), which is the last one of the RF circuits 12(1)-12(3).
The reactance cancelling RF circuit array 10 of
In an embodiment, the reactance cancelling splitter array 42 is created by removing and replacing the output medium 20 in
The reactance cancelling RF circuit array 10 of
In an embodiment, the reactance cancelling combiner array 46 is created by removing and replacing the input medium 16 in
In an embodiment, it is also possible to create a reactance cancelling RF circuit arrays network based on the reactance cancelling RF circuit array 10 of
The reactance cancelling RF circuit array network 50 includes multiple reactance cancelling RF circuit arrays 52(1)-52(L). Each of the reactance cancelling RF circuit arrays 52(1)-52(L) is identical to the reactance cancelling RF circuit array 10 of
Those skilled in the art will recognize improvements and modifications to the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure. All such improvements and modifications are considered within the scope of the concepts disclosed herein and the claims that follow.
Claims
1. A reactance cancelling radio frequency (RF) circuit array comprising:
- at least one input medium comprising a plurality of first coupling mediums;
- at least one output medium comprising a plurality of second coupling mediums; and
- a plurality of RF circuits provided between the at least one input medium and the at least one output medium, the plurality of RF circuits each coupled to a respective one or two adjacent RF circuits among the plurality of RF circuits via a respective one or two of the plurality of first coupling mediums and a respective one or two of the plurality of second coupling mediums to thereby divide the plurality of RF circuits into one or more reactance-cancelling pairs each comprising a pair of the plurality of RF circuits;
- wherein the plurality of first coupling mediums and the plurality of second coupling mediums are configured to cause a reactance cancellation between the pair of the plurality of RF circuits in each of the one or more reactance-cancelling pairs.
2. The reactance cancelling RF circuit array of claim 1, wherein the plurality of RF circuits comprises at least three RF circuits configured to form at least one of the one or more reactance-cancelling pairs.
3. The reactance cancelling RF circuit array of claim 1, wherein the plurality of RF circuits comprises an even number of RF circuits each belonging to a respective one of the one or more reactance-cancelling pairs.
4. The reactance cancelling RF circuit array of claim 1, wherein:
- the plurality of RF circuits comprises an odd number of RF circuits; and
- one of the odd number of RF circuits is excluded from any of the one or more reactance-cancelling pairs and configured to have an impedance comprising a real resistance.
5. The reactance cancelling RF circuit array of claim 1, further comprising:
- a plurality of first impedance networks each coupled between a respective one of the plurality of RF circuits and the respective one or two of the plurality of first coupling mediums; and
- a plurality of second impedance networks each coupled between the respective one of the plurality of RF circuits and the respective one or two of the plurality of second coupling mediums.
6. The reactance cancelling RF circuit array of claim 1, further comprising:
- at least one signal input coupled to any one of the plurality of RF circuits and configured to receive an RF input signal; and
- at least one signal output coupled to any one of the plurality of RF circuits and configured to output an RF output signal.
7. The reactance cancelling RF circuit array of claim 6, wherein:
- each of the plurality of RF circuits is configured to receive a portion of the RF input signal from the at least one signal input and provide the portion of the RF input signal to the at least one signal output; and
- the at least one signal output is configured to output the RF output signal comprising a sum of the portion of the RF input signal provided by each of the plurality of RF circuits.
8. The reactance cancelling RF circuit array of claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of RF circuits is further configured to receive an equal portion of the RF input signal.
9. The reactance cancelling RF circuit array of claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of RF circuits comprises a filter configured to resonate at a respective resonance frequency to pass the portion of the RF input signal to the at least one signal output.
10. The reactance cancelling RF circuit array of claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of RF circuits comprises a power amplifier configured to amplify the portion of the RF input signal and provide the amplified portion of the RF input signal to the at least one signal output.
11. The reactance cancelling RF circuit array of claim 1, wherein:
- the plurality of RF circuits comprises a first RF circuit, a second RF circuit immediately succeeding the first RF circuit, and one or more third RF circuits succeeding the second RF circuit;
- the plurality of first coupling mediums comprises a first negative-length lumped element and one or more first transmission lines;
- the plurality of second coupling mediums comprises a second negative-length lumped element and one or more second transmission lines;
- the first RF circuit is coupled to the second RF circuit via the first negative-length lumped element and the second negative-length lumped element; and
- each of the one or more third RF circuits is coupled to a respective one or two of the plurality of RF circuits via a respective one or two of the one or more first transmission lines and a respective one or two of the one or more second transmission lines.
12. The reactance cancelling RF circuit array of claim 11, wherein the plurality of RF circuits each belong to a respective one of the one or more reactance-cancelling pairs.
13. The reactance cancelling RF circuit array of claim 11, wherein one of the one or more third RF circuits is excluded from any of the one or more reactance-cancelling pairs and configured to have an impedance consisting of a real resistance.
14. The reactance cancelling RF circuit array of claim 1, wherein:
- the plurality of RF circuits comprises a first RF circuit, a second RF circuit immediately succeeding the first RF circuit, and one or more third RF circuits succeeding the second RF circuit;
- the plurality of first coupling mediums comprises a first positive-length lumped element and one or more first transmission lines;
- the plurality of second coupling mediums comprises a second positive-length lumped element and one or more second transmission lines;
- the first RF circuit is coupled to the second RF circuit via the first positive-length lumped element and the second positive-length lumped element; and
- each of the one or more third RF circuits is coupled to a respective one or two of the plurality of RF circuits via a respective one or two of the one or more first transmission lines and a respective one or two of the one or more second transmission lines.
15. The reactance cancelling RF circuit array of claim 1, wherein:
- the plurality of first coupling mediums comprises a plurality of first transmission lines;
- the plurality of second coupling mediums comprises a plurality of second transmission lines; and
- each of the plurality of RF circuits is coupled to the respective one or two adjacent RF circuits among the plurality of RF circuits via a respective one or two of the plurality of first transmission lines and a respective one or two of the plurality of second transmission lines.
16. The reactance cancelling RF circuit array of claim 1, further comprising:
- a differential input coupler coupled to a first one of the plurality of RF circuits and a last one of the plurality of RF circuits, the differential input coupler is configured to: convert an RF input signal into a positive RF input signal and a negative RF input signal; and provide the positive RF input signal and the negative RF input signal to the first one of the plurality of RF circuits and the last one of the plurality of RF circuits; and
- a differential output coupler coupled to the first one of the plurality of RF circuits and the last one of the plurality of RF circuits, the differential output coupler is configured to: receive a positive RF output signal and a negative RF output signal from the first one of the plurality of RF circuits and the last one of the plurality of RF circuits; and convert the positive RF output signal and the negative RF output signal into an RF output signal.
17. The reactance cancelling RF circuit array of claim 1, further comprising:
- a quadrature input coupler coupled to a first one of the plurality of RF circuits and a last one of the plurality of RF circuits, the quadrature input coupler is configured to: convert an RF input signal into an in-phase RF input signal and a quadrature RF input signal; and provide the in-phase RF input signal and the quadrature RF input signal to the first one of the plurality of RF circuits and the last one of the plurality of RF circuits; and
- a quadrature output coupler coupled to the first one of the plurality of RF circuits and the last one of the plurality of RF circuits, the quadrature output coupler is configured to: receive an in-phase RF output signal and a quadrature RF output signal from the first one of the plurality of RF circuits and the last one of the plurality of RF circuits; and convert the in-phase RF output signal and the quadrature RF output signal into an RF output signal.
18. The reactance cancelling RF circuit array of claim 1, further comprising:
- a differential input coupler coupled to a first one of the plurality of RF circuits and a last one of the plurality of RF circuits, the differential input coupler is configured to: convert an RF input signal into a positive RF input signal and a negative RF input signal; and provide the positive RF input signal and the negative RF input signal to the first one of the plurality of RF circuits and the last one of the plurality of RF circuits; and
- at least one signal output coupled to any one of the plurality of RF circuits and configured to output an RF output signal.
19. The reactance cancelling RF circuit array of claim 1, further comprising:
- a quadrature input coupler coupled to a first one of the plurality of RF circuits and a last one of the plurality of RF circuits, the quadrature input coupler is configured to: convert an RF input signal into an in-phase RF input signal and a quadrature RF input signal; and provide the in-phase RF input signal and the quadrature RF input signal to the first one of the plurality of RF circuits and the last one of the plurality of RF circuits; and
- at least one signal output coupled to any one of the plurality of RF circuits and configured to output an RF output signal.
20. The reactance cancelling RF circuit array of claim 1, wherein:
- the plurality of RF circuits comprises a first RF circuit, a second RF circuit immediately succeeding the first RF circuit, and a third RF circuit immediately succeeding the second RF circuit;
- the plurality of first coupling mediums comprises a first negative-length lumped element and a first positive-length lumped element;
- the plurality of second coupling mediums comprises a second negative-length lumped element and a second positive-length lumped element;
- the first RF circuit is coupled to the second RF circuit via the first negative-length lumped element and the second negative-length lumped element; and
- the second RF circuit is coupled to the third RF circuit via the first positive-length lumped element and the second positive-length lumped element.
21. A reactance cancelling radio frequency (RF) circuit array network comprising:
- a plurality of input coupling elements;
- a plurality of output coupling elements; and
- a plurality of reactance cancelling RF circuit arrays each coupled to a respective one or two adjacent reactance cancelling RF circuit arrays among the plurality of reactance cancelling RF circuit arrays via a respective one or two of the plurality of input coupling elements and a respective one or two of the plurality of output coupling elements;
- wherein the plurality of reactance cancelling RF circuit arrays each comprises: at least one input medium comprising a plurality of first coupling mediums; at least one output medium comprising a plurality of second coupling mediums; and a plurality of RF circuits provided between the at least one input medium and the at least one output medium, the plurality of RF circuits each coupled to a respective one or two adjacent RF circuits among the plurality of RF circuits via a respective one or two of the plurality of first coupling mediums and a respective one or two of the plurality of second coupling mediums to thereby divide the plurality of RF circuits into one or more reactance-cancelling pairs each comprising a pair of the plurality of RF circuits; wherein the plurality of first coupling mediums and the plurality of second coupling mediums are configured to cause a reactance cancellation between the pair of the plurality of RF circuits in each of the one or more reactance-cancelling pairs.
Type: Application
Filed: Dec 15, 2021
Publication Date: Jun 15, 2023
Inventors: Kelly M. Lear (Longwood, FL), Jeffery Galipeau (Apopka, FL), Nikolaus Klemmer (Dallas, TX)
Application Number: 17/551,603