Internal transmit / receive switch with hardware reuse

Abstract

An apparatus (305) includes a low noise amplifier (320) having an input and an output, a first switch (330) coupled between the input of the low noise amplifier (320) and the output of the low noise amplifier (320), and a transformer (345) including a first inductor (350) and a second inductor (360), wherein the first inductor (350) is coupled to the output of the low noise amplifier (320). The apparatus (305) also includes a power amplifier (370) having an input and an output, and a switching circuit (380) coupled between the output of the power amplifier (370) and the second inductor (360).

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to and the benefit of non-provisional application serial number 17 / 939,409 filed in the U.S. Patent Office on September 7, 2022, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein as if fully set forth below and for all applicable purposes. Background Art Technical Field

[0003] Aspects of the present disclosure relate generally to wireless communications and, more particularly, to interface circuits. Background Art

[0005] The wireless device includes a transceiver for transmitting and receiving radio frequency (RF) signals via one or more antennas. The transceiver may include a power amplifier (PA) configured to amplify RF signals for transmission via the antenna and a low noise amplifier (LNA) configured to amplify RF signals received by the antenna. The transceiver may also include an interface circuit configured to couple the PA and the LNA to the antenna. The interface circuit may include one or more switches for selectively coupling the PA and the LNA to the antenna. For example, one or more switches may couple the PA to the antenna in a transmit mode and couple the LNA to the antenna in a receive mode. Summary of the invention

[0006] The following content presents a simplified summary of one or more implementations in order to provide a basic understanding of such implementations. This summary is not an exhaustive overview of all contemplated implementations, and is not intended to identify key or important elements of all implementations, nor is it intended to delineate the scope of any or all implementations. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of one or more implementations in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.

[0007] A first aspect relates to an apparatus. The apparatus includes a low noise amplifier having an input and an output, a first switch coupled between the input of the low noise amplifier and the output of the low noise amplifier, and a transformer including a first inductor and a second inductor, wherein the first inductor is coupled to the output of the low noise amplifier. The apparatus also includes a power amplifier having an input and an output, and a switching circuit coupled between the output of the power amplifier and the second inductor.

[0008] A second aspect relates to an apparatus. The apparatus includes a low noise amplifier having an input and an output, and a first switch coupled between the input of the low noise amplifier and the output of the low noise amplifier. The apparatus also includes a transformer, the transformer including a first inductor, a second inductor, a third inductor, one or more first inductor switches coupled in series with the second inductor, and one or more second inductor switches coupled in series with the third inductor, wherein the first inductor is coupled to the output of the low noise amplifier. The apparatus also includes a power amplifier having an input and an output, wherein the output of the power amplifier is coupled to the third inductor.

[0009] A third aspect relates to a method for operating a wireless device. The wireless device includes a low noise amplifier having an input and an output, a switch coupled between the input of the low noise amplifier and the output of the low noise amplifier, and a power amplifier. The method includes: in a receive mode, opening the switch, receiving a first radio frequency (RF) signal from an antenna at the input of the low noise amplifier, and amplifying the first RF signal into an amplified RF signal using the low noise amplifier. The method also includes: in a transmit mode, closing the switch; and routing a second RF signal from the power amplifier to the antenna through the switch.

[0010] A fourth aspect relates to an apparatus. The apparatus includes a low noise amplifier having an input and an output, a switch coupled between the input of the low noise amplifier and the output of the low noise amplifier, and a power amplifier. The apparatus also includes: a component for opening the switch in a receive mode; and a component for inputting a first radio frequency (RF) signal from an antenna to the input of the low noise amplifier in a receive mode. The apparatus also includes: a component for closing the switch in a transmit mode, and a component for routing a second RF signal from the power amplifier to the antenna through the switch in a transmit mode. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Figure 1 An example of a wireless device including a power amplifier, a low noise amplifier, an antenna, and switching circuits in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0012] Figure 2 An exemplary implementation of a switching circuit according to certain aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0013] Figure 3 An example of a wireless device including a power amplifier, a low noise amplifier, a transformer, and a switching circuit in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0014] Figure 4A An example of a wireless device in a receive mode is shown in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

[0015] Figure 4B An example of a wireless device including a transconductor in a receive mode is shown in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

[0016] Figure 5A An example of a wireless device in a transmit mode is shown in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

[0017] Figure 5B An example of a wireless device including a transconductor in a transmit mode is shown in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

[0018] Figure 6 An example of a wireless device that also includes a resistor and one or more capacitors in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0019] Figure 7 Another example of a wireless device in a receive mode in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0020] Figure 8 Another example of a wireless device in transmit mode in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0021] Fig. 9 An example implementation of a low noise amplifier in a receive mode in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0022] Fig.10 An example implementation of a low noise amplifier in a transmit mode in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0023] Fig.11 An example of a wireless device including a bias circuit in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0024] Fig.12 An example implementation of an input matching circuit in receive mode according to certain aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0025] Fig.13 An exemplary implementation of an input matching circuit in transmit mode according to certain aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0026] Fig.14 An example implementation of a transformer in a receive mode according to certain aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0027] Fig.15 An example implementation of a transformer in a transmit mode according to certain aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0028] Fig.16An example of a power amplifier transmitting via a first antenna in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0029] Fig.17 An example of a power amplifier transmitting via a second antenna in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0030] Fig.18 An example of a switching circuit configured to switch a power amplifier between a first transformer and a second transformer in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0031] Fig.19 is an illustration of an environment including an electronic device including a transceiver in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

[0032] Fig. 20 is a flow chart illustrating an example method for operating a wireless device in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The detailed description set forth below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings is intended as a description of various configurations and is not intended to represent the only configurations in which the concepts described herein may be practiced. In order to provide a comprehensive understanding of the various concepts, the specific embodiments include specific details. However, it is apparent to those skilled in the art that these concepts may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, in order to avoid obscuring such concepts, well-known structures and elements are shown in block diagram form.

[0034] Figure 1 An example of a wireless device 105 according to certain aspects is shown. According to certain aspects, the wireless device 105 includes an antenna 110, a power amplifier (PA) 130, a low noise amplifier (LNA) 140, and a switching circuit 120. The PA 130 and the LNA 140 may be part of a transceiver configured to transmit and receive radio frequency (RF) signals via one or more antennas including the antenna 110. The PA 130 is configured to amplify RF signals for transmission via the antenna 110, and the LNA 140 is configured to amplify RF signals received by the antenna 110.

[0035] The switch circuit 120 acts as an interface circuit for the PA 130 and the LNA 140 to interface with the antenna 110. Figure 1, the switch circuit 120 has a first terminal 122 coupled to the antenna 110, a second terminal 124 coupled to the output of the PA 110, and a third terminal 126 coupled to the input of the LNA 140. In certain aspects, the switch circuit 120 is configured to selectively couple the PA 130 and the LNA 140 to the antenna 110. For example, the switch circuit 120 may couple the PA 130 to the antenna 110 in a transmit mode and couple the LNA 140 to the antenna 110 in a receive mode.

[0036] Figure 2 An example is shown in which the switch circuit 120 includes a first switch 210 (also referred to as a transmit (TX) switch) coupled between the antenna 110 and the PA 130, and a second switch 220 (also referred to as a receive (RX) switch) coupled between the antenna 110 and the LNA 140. In this example, in the transmit mode, the first switch 210 is closed and the second switch 220 is open, and in the receive mode, the second switch 220 is closed and the first switch 210 is open. However, it should be understood that the switch circuit 120 is not limited to this example.

[0037] Although in Figure 1 1, one PA 130, one LNA 140, and one antenna 110 are shown, but it should be understood that the wireless device 105 may include multiple PAs, multiple LNAs, and multiple antennas. For example, in some implementations, the switching circuit 120 may selectively couple the PA 130 to any one of multiple antennas, where the multiple antennas include the antenna 110. In this example, the multiple antennas may point in different directions. This allows the switching circuit 120 to switch the PA 130 between the multiple antennas to send signals in different directions.

[0038] exist Figure 1 and Figure 2 In the examples shown, the PA 130 and the LNA 140 are integrated on a chip 160 (i.e., a bare die) and the switch circuit 120 is off-chip (i.e., external to the chip 160). In these examples, the chip 160 includes a first pin 162 that couples the PA 130 to the switch circuit 120, and a second pin 164 that couples the LNA 140 to the switch circuit 120. A disadvantage of using an off-chip switch circuit for the switch circuit 120 is that the off-chip switch circuit increases the cost of the wireless device 105. For situations where the switch circuit 120 and the chip 160 are mounted on a substrate (e.g., a printed circuit board), using an off-chip switch circuit for the switch circuit 120 may require adding one or more additional layers to the substrate. Therefore, it is desirable to use an internal TX / RX switch (i.e., a switch integrated on the chip 160) to reduce costs.

[0039] In some designs using an internal TX / RX switch, the chip includes one or more transformers configured to inductively (i.e., magnetically) couple the RF signal from the PA to the antenna for transmission, and to inductively (i.e., magnetically) couple the RF signal received by the antenna to the LNA. In these designs, separate inductors or even separate transformers are used to transmit and receive RF signals, which may occupy a large area of ​​the chip. In addition, in designs that use an RX switch in the receive path to selectively couple the LNA to the antenna, signal losses in the RX switch can degrade the RF signal in the receive path.

[0040] Figure 3 An example of a wireless device 305 according to certain aspects is shown. As discussed further below, the wireless device 305 addresses one or more of the issues discussed above. In this example, according to certain aspects, the wireless device 305 includes an antenna 310, a power amplifier (PA) 370, a low noise amplifier (LNA) 320, a transformer 345, and a switching circuit 380. The PA 370 and the LNA 320 can be part of a transceiver that is configured to transmit and receive radio frequency (RF) signals via one or more antennas including the antenna 310. The PA 370 is configured to amplify RF signals for transmission via the antenna 310, and the LNA 320 is configured to amplify RF signals received by the antenna 310, as discussed further below.

[0041] exist Figure 3 In the example of , PA 370, LNA 320, transformer 345, and switch circuit 380 are integrated on chip 312 (ie, bare die). However, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to this example. Figure 3 In the example of , antenna 310 is located off-chip and may be coupled to chip 312 via transmission line 314. It should be understood that wireless device 305 may include one or more additional elements (not shown) coupled between antenna 310 and chip 312, such as filters (e.g., bandpass filters).

[0042] In this example, LNA 320 has an input 322 and an output 324. Input 322 of LNA 320 is coupled to antenna 310 via input / output (I / O) pin 315 on chip 312. LNA 320 is configured to receive an RF signal from antenna 310 at input 322, amplify the received RF signal, and output the amplified RF signal at output 324. Figure 3 In the example of , the receive path between the I / O pin 315 and the input 322 of the LNA 320 does not include an internal RX switch. This eliminates signal loss between the I / O pin 315 and the input 322 of the LNA 320 due to the internal RX switch. Figure 3 In the example shown, the output 324 of the LNA 320 is a single-ended output. However, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to this example, and in some implementations, the output 324 of the LNA 320 may be a differential output.

[0043] exist Figure 3 In the example of , PA 370 has an input 372 and a differential output, wherein the differential output includes a first output 374 and a second output 376. In this example, PA 370 is configured to receive an RF signal at input 372 (e.g., from a mixer or another circuit), amplify the RF signal, and output the amplified RF signal at the differential output. In some aspects, PA 370 can be implemented with one or more amplifiers. The input 372 of PA 370 can be a single-ended input or a differential input. In this example, a switch circuit 380 is coupled between the differential output of PA 370 and transformer 345. As discussed further below, the switch circuit 380 is configured to selectively couple PA 370 to transformer 345 under the control of a control circuit 390.

[0044] The transformer 345 includes a first inductor 350 and a second inductor 360 that are inductively (i.e., magnetically) coupled to each other. Each of the first inductor 350 and the second inductor 360 can be implemented with a coil inductor, a spiral inductor, a loop inductor, a planar inductor, or other types of inductors. It should be understood that each of the first inductor 350 and the second inductor 360 can also be referred to as a winding or a coil. It should also be understood that the inductor can be implemented with two or more inductors coupled in series and / or in parallel.

[0045] The first inductor 350 has a first terminal 352 and a second terminal 354, wherein the first terminal 352 is coupled to the output 324 of the LNA 320. The second inductor 360 has a first terminal 362 and a second terminal 364. The first terminal 362 and the second terminal 364 are coupled to the switching circuit 380. The first terminal 362 and the second terminal 364 may also be coupled to a mixer 385, which may be configured to down-convert the RF signal from the LNA 320 to an intermediate frequency (IF) signal or a baseband signal, as discussed further below. The second inductor 360 may also include a center tap biased by a voltage Vc, such as Figure 3 As discussed further below, both inductors 350 and 360 are used to transmit and receive RF signals, which reduces area compared to designs that use separate inductors to transmit and receive RF signals.

[0046] exist Figure 3In the example of , the wireless device 305 also includes a first switch 330 coupled between the I / O pin 315 and the first terminal 352 of the first inductor 350. As discussed further below, the first switch 330 is configured to provide a transmit path that bypasses the LNA 320 when the first switch 330 is closed (ie, turned on).

[0047] The wireless device 305 also includes a second switch 335 coupled between ground and the second terminal 354 of the first inductor 350, and a third switch 340 coupled between the power rail 318 and the second terminal 354 of the first inductor 350. The supply rail 318 is configured to provide a power supply voltage VDD (e.g., 0.8V) from a voltage source (not shown). As discussed further below, the second switch 335 and the third switch 340 are used to selectively ground or couple the second terminal 354 of the first inductor 350 to the power rail 318.

[0048] The on / off state of switches 330, 335, and 340 may be controlled by control circuit 390. Each of switches 330, 335, and 340 may be implemented by a corresponding transistor or another type of switch. For an example in which each of switches 330, 335, and 340 is implemented with a corresponding transistor, control circuit 390 may control the on / off state of each of switches 330, 335, and 340 by controlling the gate voltage of the corresponding transistor. In one example, second switch 335 may be implemented with an n-type field effect transistor (NFET), and third switch 340 may be implemented with a p-type field effect transistor (PFET). However, it should be understood that second switch 335 and third switch 340 are not limited to this example. For ease of illustration, in Figure 3 The individual connections between the control circuit 390 and the switches 330 , 335 , and 340 are not explicitly shown.

[0049]

[0046] Example operation of the wireless device 305 will now be described according to certain aspects.

[0050] In certain aspects, the wireless device 305 is configured to receive RF signals via the antenna 310 in a receive mode. Figure 4A 3. An example of a wireless device 305 in a receive mode is shown in FIG. 3. In the receive mode, the control circuit 390 closes (i.e., turns on) the third switch 340, and opens (i.e., turns off) the first switch 330 and the second switch 335. In this mode, the LNA 320 is biased by the power supply voltage VDD through the third switch 340. The control circuit 390 also causes the switch circuit 380 to decouple the PA 370 from the transformer 345.

[0051] In the receive mode, LNA 320 receives an RF signal from antenna 310 at input 322, amplifies the RF signal, and outputs the amplified RF signal at output 324. Transformer 345 inductively (ie, magnetically) couples the amplified RF signal from first inductor 350 to second inductor 360. Figure 4A In the example in FIG. 3 , the transformer 345 also converts the amplified RF signal from the signal end signal at the first inductor 350 to a differential signal at the second inductor 360 . However, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to this example.

[0052] The amplified RF signal can be input from the second inductor 360 to the mixer 385, which down-converts the amplified RF signal to an IF signal or a baseband signal. For example, the mixer 385 can down-convert the amplified RF signal by mixing the amplified RF signal with a local oscillator (LO) signal. The LO signal can be generated by a phase-locked loop (PLL) or another type of local oscillator. The mixer 385 outputs the IF signal or the baseband signal to other circuits (not shown) in the wireless device 305 for further processing. The other circuits may include a filter, another mixer, an amplifier, a phase shifter, and / or a baseband processor.

[0053] In some implementations, the mixer 385 can be coupled to the second inductor 360 of the transformer 345 via a transconductor 410 between the second inductor 360 and the mixer 385, such as Figure 4B In these implementations, the transconductor 410 can receive the differential RF signal from the second inductor 360 and convert the differential RF signal into a differential current for input to the mixer 385 or another circuit.

[0054] In certain aspects, the wireless device 305 is configured to transmit RF signals via the antenna 310 in a transmit mode. Figure 5A 305 in the transmit mode. In the transmit mode, the control circuit 390 opens (i.e., turns off) the third switch 340 and closes (i.e., turns on) the first switch 330 and the second switch 335. In this mode, the second terminal 354 of the first inductor 350 is grounded. The control circuit 390 also causes the switch circuit 380 to couple the PA 370 to the transformer 345.

[0055] In transmit mode, PA 370 receives an RF signal at input 372 (e.g., from a mixer (not shown) or another circuit on a wireless device), amplifies the RF signal, and outputs the amplified RF signal at outputs 374 and 376. In one example, PA 370 may output the amplified RF signal as a differential current. Switching circuit 380 couples the amplified RF signal to second inductor 360 of transformer 345. Transformer 345 inductively (i.e., magnetically) couples the amplified RF signal from second inductor 360 to first inductor 350. Figure 5A In the example of FIG. 3 , the transformer 345 also converts the amplified RF signal from a differential signal at the second inductor 360 to a single-ended signal at the first inductor 350. However, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to this example. The amplified RF signal is output from the first inductor 350 to the antenna 310 for transmission through the first switch 330 that bypasses the LNA 320.

[0056] In the transmit mode, LNA 320 may be turned off to prevent RF signals from entering LNA 320 (ie, to isolate LNA 320 from RF signals in the transmit path). For example, LNA 320 may include one or more internal nodes ( Figure 5A ), when LNA 230 is turned on in the receive mode, one or more internal nodes are biased by one or more bias voltages. In this example, one or more internal nodes may be grounded to turn off LNA 320 in the transmit mode.

[0057] For implementations where the wireless device 305 includes the transconductor 410, the transconductor 410 may be turned off in the transmit mode, such as Figure 5B Note that Figure 4B In FIG. 4 , the mark “(ON)” indicates that the transconductor 410 is turned on in the receiving mode, and Figure 5B In FIG. 4 , the mark “(off)” indicates that the transconductor 410 is turned off in the transmission mode. The transconductor 410 can be turned on and off by the control circuit 390 .

[0058] exist Figure 3 In the example shown, the switch circuit 380 includes a switch 382 coupled between the first terminal 362 of the second inductor 360 and the first output terminal 374 of the PA 370, and a switch 384 coupled between the second terminal 364 of the inductor 360 and the second output terminal 376 of the PA 370. In this example, the control circuit 390 disconnects (i.e., turns off) the switches 382 and 384 in the receive mode, as shown in FIG. Figure 4A and Figure 4B Also, in this example, the control circuit 390 closes (ie, turns on) switches 382 and 384 in the transmit mode, as shown. Figure 5A and Figure 5BIn one example, each of switches 382 and 384 may be implemented with a corresponding transistor (eg, a corresponding n-type field effect transistor (NFET) or a corresponding p-type field effect transistor (PFET)). It should be understood that switch circuit 380 is not limited to Figure 3 An exemplary implementation is shown.

[0059] Figure 6 An example is shown in which the wireless device 305 also includes a resistor 610 and a fourth switch 620. The resistor 610 can be used to provide impedance matching in the transmit mode, as discussed further below. In this example, the resistor 610 and the fourth switch 620 are coupled in series between the first terminal 352 of the first inductor 350 and the second terminal 354 of the first inductor 350. Although not shown in FIG. Figure 6 Although not explicitly shown in FIG. 4 , it should be understood that the wireless device 305 may include a transconductor 410 in this example.

[0060] In the receiving mode, the fourth switch 620 is open (ie, turned off). Figure 7 An example of a wireless device 305 in a receive mode is shown in FIG. Figure 7 As shown, the control circuit 390 closes (ie, turns on) the third switch 340 , and opens (ie, turns off) the first switch 330 , the second switch 335 , and the fourth switch 620 .

[0061] In the transmission mode, the fourth switch 620 is closed (ie, turned on). Figure 8 An example of a wireless device 305 in a transmit mode is shown in FIG. Figure 8 As shown, the control circuit 390 opens (ie, turns off) the third switch 340, and closes (ie, turns on) the first switch 330, the second switch 335, and the fourth switch 620. Figure 5B As discussed, the wireless device 305 transmits RF signals via the antenna 310 in a transmit mode.

[0062] In the transmit mode, the resistor 610 is coupled in parallel with the first inductor 350. In some aspects, the resistance of the resistor 610 can be selected to provide impedance matching with the transmission line 314 in the transmit mode. Figure 8 As shown in the example in FIG. 1 , in the transmit mode, for the case where the transmission line 314 has a characteristic impedance of 50 ohms, the resistor 610 can provide an impedance of 50 ohms looking into the transmit path. However, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to this example.

[0063] Despite Figure 6In the example of FIG. 3 , one switch 620 is shown coupled in series with the resistor 610, but it is understood that the wireless device 305 may include two switches coupled in series with the resistor 610, wherein one of the switches is coupled to one end of the resistor 610 and the other of the switches is coupled to the other end of the resistor 610. In this example, the switch may be open (i.e., turned off) in the receive mode and closed (i.e., turned on) in the transmit mode.

[0064] In certain aspects, the wireless device 305 may also include a first capacitor 630 and a fifth switch 640 coupled in series between the first terminal 352 of the first inductor 350 and the second terminal 354 of the first inductor 350. For example, the first capacitor 630 may be used with the first inductor 350 to provide an LC tank circuit (also referred to as an LC load or circuit) coupled to the output 324 of the LNA 320. In this example, the first capacitor 630 may be implemented with a variable capacitor having a tunable (e.g., programmable) capacitance to tune the resonant frequency of the LC tank circuit.

[0065] In the receive mode, the control circuit 390 may close (ie, turn on) the fifth switch 640 to provide an LC tank circuit at the output terminal 324 of the LNA 320, such as Figure 7 As shown. The resonant frequency of the LC tank circuit can be tuned to provide high gain for the receiver in a desired frequency band in the receive mode. In the transmit mode, the control circuit 390 can disconnect (ie, turn off) the fifth switch 640, as shown. Figure 8 shown.

[0066] Despite Figure 6 In the example of the wireless device 305, one switch 640 is shown as being coupled in series with the first capacitor 630, but it should be understood that the wireless device 305 may include two switches coupled in series with the first capacitor 630, wherein one of the switches is coupled to one end of the first capacitor 630 and the other of the switches is coupled to the other end of the first capacitor 630. In this example, the switch may be closed (i.e., turned on) in the receive mode and open (i.e., opened) in the transmit mode. However, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to this example.

[0067] In certain aspects, the wireless device 305 may also include a second capacitor 650 and a sixth switch 660 coupled in series between the first terminal 362 of the second inductor 360 and the second terminal 364 of the second inductor 360. For example, the second capacitor 650 may be used with the second inductor 360 to provide an LC tank circuit coupled to the output of the PA 370. In this example, the second capacitor 650 may be implemented with a variable capacitor having a tunable (e.g., programmable) capacitance to tune the resonant frequency of the LC tank circuit. For wireless devices 305 including the transconductor 410 (in Figure 4B and Figure 5B In the example shown in ), the transconductor 410 may be coupled between the second capacitor 650 and the mixer 385.

[0068] In the receiving mode, the control circuit 390 may disconnect (ie, turn off) the sixth switch 660. Figure 7 In the transmit mode, the control circuit 390 may close (ie, turn on) the sixth switch 660 to provide an LC tank circuit at the output of the PA 370, such as Figure 8 The resonant frequency of the LC tank circuit can be tuned to provide high gain for the transmitter in a desired frequency band in the transmit mode.

[0069] Despite Figure 6 In the example of the wireless device 305, one switch 660 is shown as being coupled in series with the second capacitor 650, but it should be understood that the wireless device 305 may include two switches coupled in series with the second capacitor 650, wherein one of the switches is coupled to one end of the second capacitor 650 and the other of the switches is coupled to the other end of the second capacitor 650. In this example, the switch may be closed (i.e., turned on) in the transmit mode and open (i.e., turned off) in the receive mode. However, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to this example.

[0070] Fig. 9 An exemplary implementation of an LNA 320 according to certain aspects is shown. In this example, the LNA 320 includes a first transistor 910, a second transistor 920, a first bias resistor 930, a second bias resistor 940, and an input matching circuit 950. In this example, the first transistor 910 is in a common source configuration and the second transistor 920 is in a common gate configuration. However, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to this example.

[0071] The gate of the first transistor 910 is coupled to the input terminal 322 of the LNA 320. It should be understood that in some implementations, the gate of the first transistor 910 can be coupled to the input terminal 322 via a coupling capacitor (not shown) between the gate of the first transistor 910 and the input terminal 322. The first bias resistor 930 is coupled to the gate of the first transistor 910. The input matching circuit 950 is coupled to the gate and source of the first transistor 910 and is grounded. In some aspects, the input matching circuit 950 is configured to provide impedance matching at the input terminal 322 of the LNA 320. For example, the input matching circuit 950 can be configured to provide an impedance of 50 ohms at the input terminal 322 to provide impedance matching when the transmission line 314 has a characteristic impedance of 50 ohms. However, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to this example.

[0072] The source of the second transistor 920 is coupled to the drain of the first transistor 910, and the drain of the second transistor 920 is coupled to the output terminal 324 of the LNA 320. The second bias resistor 940 is coupled to the gate of the second transistor 920. Fig. 9 In the example in FIG. 1 , each of the first transistor 910 and the second transistor 920 is implemented with a corresponding NFET. However, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to this example.

[0073] exist Figure 6 In the example shown, the first transistor 910 has a body connection to ground through a resistor 912, and the second transistor 920 has a body connection to ground through a resistor 922. However, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to this example.

[0074] Fig. 9 An example of an LNA 320 in receive mode is shown. In this example, the gate of the first transistor 910 is biased by a first bias voltage (labeled "Vb1") via a first bias resistor 930, and the gate of the second transistor 920 is biased by a second bias voltage (labeled "Vb2") via a second bias resistor 940. In some aspects, the second bias voltage may be approximately equal to the power supply voltage VDD (e.g., 0.8V). However, it should be understood that the second bias voltage is not limited to this example. The first bias voltage may be approximately equal to the voltage between the power supply voltage VDD and ground.

[0075] Fig.10 An example of LNA 320 in transmit mode is shown. In this example, first bias resistor 930 and second bias resistor 940 are grounded. Additionally, input matching circuit 950 is configured to have a high impedance in transmit mode, which helps isolate input 322 of LNA 320 from the transmit path in transmit mode.

[0076] Fig.11 An example is shown in which a wireless device 305 according to certain aspects includes a bias circuit 1100. The bias circuit 1100 is configured to bias a gate of a first transistor 910 and a gate of a second transistor 920. The bias circuit 1100 has a first terminal 1110 coupled to the gate of the first transistor 910 via a first bias resistor 930 and a second terminal 1120 coupled to the gate of the second transistor 920 via a second bias resistor 940.

[0077] In receive mode, the bias circuit 1100 is configured to use Fig. 9 The first bias voltage Vb1 shown biases the gate of the first transistor 910 via the first terminal 1110. The bias circuit 1100 may generate the first bias voltage Vb1 using, for example, a voltage divider, a digital-to-analog converter, or another type of circuit. In the transmit mode, the bias circuit 1100 is configured to ground the first bias resistor 930 via the first terminal 1110. For example, the bias circuit 1100 may include a switch coupled between the first terminal 1110 and ground. In this example, the bias circuit 1100 may open the switch in the receive mode and close the switch to ground the first terminal 1110 in the transmit mode.

[0078] In the receiving mode, the bias circuit 1100 is configured to receive the bias signal via the second terminal 1120. Fig. 9 318. In the example of FIG. 319, the bias circuit 1100 is configured to bias the gate of the second transistor 920 with the second bias voltage Vb2 shown. For an example in which the second bias voltage Vb2 is approximately equal to the power supply voltage VDD, in the receive mode, the bias circuit 1100 may couple the second terminal 1120 to the supply rail 318. In the transmit mode, the bias circuit 1100 is configured to ground the second bias resistor 940 via the second terminal 1120. For example, the bias circuit 1100 may include a switch coupled between the second terminal 1120 and ground. In this example, the bias circuit 1100 may open the switch in the receive mode and close the switch to ground the second terminal 1120 in the transmit mode.

[0079] Fig.12An exemplary implementation of an input matching circuit 950 in a receive mode according to certain aspects is shown. In this example, the input matching circuit 950 includes a source inductor 1220 and a switch 1240 coupled in series between the source of the first transistor 910 and ground. The source inductor 1220 may also be referred to as a source degeneration inductor. The input matching circuit 950 also includes a gate inductor 1210, a capacitor 1250, and a switch 1230 connected in parallel with the capacitor 1250. In this example, the gate inductor 1210 is coupled between the gate of the first transistor 910 and the capacitor 1250, and the capacitor 1250 is coupled between the gate inductor 1210 and ground. In addition, in this example, the source inductor 1220 is inductively coupled to the gate inductor 1210. Switches 1240 and 1230 can be controlled by the control circuit 390.

[0080] like Fig.12 As shown, in the receive mode, the control circuit 390 closes (i.e., turns on) the switch 1240, which couples the source inductor 1220 between the source of the first transistor 910 and the ground. In this mode, the source inductor 1220 provides source degeneration to the LNA 320. In addition, in the receive mode, the control circuit 390 opens (i.e., turns off) the switch 1230. Therefore, the capacitor 1250 and the gate inductor 1210 form an LC notch filter, which can be used to provide impedance matching at the input 322 of the LNA 320. For example, for a case where the transmission line 314 has a characteristic impedance of 50 ohms, the inductance of the gate inductor 1210 and the capacitance of the capacitor 1250 can be selected to provide an input impedance of 50 ohms. However, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to this example.

[0081] Fig.13 An input matching circuit 950 in a transmit mode according to certain aspects is shown. In this example, the control circuit 390 opens (i.e., turns off) the switch 1240, which decouples the source inductor 1220 from ground. This turns off the first transistor 910 and allows the source and gate of the first transistor 910 to track each other, which prevents the gate-source voltage of the first transistor 910 from becoming large in the transmit mode and potentially damaging the first transistor 910. Moreover, in the transmit mode, the control circuit 390 closes (i.e., turns on) the switch 1230, which grounds the gate inductor 1210.

[0082] It should be understood that the input matching circuit 950 is not limited to Fig.12 and Fig.13 For example, in some implementations, the gate inductor 1210 can be coupled between the input terminal 322 and the gate of the first transistor 910 .

[0083] Fig.14Another exemplary implementation of a transformer 345 according to certain aspects is shown. In this example, the transformer 345 includes a third inductor 1310 inductively coupled to the first inductor 350. Thus, in this example, the transformer 345 includes three inductors and may be referred to as a three-winding transformer or another term.

[0084] In this example, the second inductor 360 has two parts, wherein the seventh switch S7 and the eighth switch S8 are coupled between the two parts. The center tap of the second inductor 360 (based on the voltage Vc1) is between the seventh switch S7 and the eighth switch S8. The switches S7 and S8 are controlled by the control circuit 390. When the control circuit 390 closes (i.e., turns on) the switches S7 and S8, the parts of the second inductor 360 are coupled together. When the control circuit 390 opens (i.e., turns off) the switches S7 and S8, the parts of the second inductor 360 are decoupled and the second inductor 360 has a high impedance. As further discussed below, in this example, the second inductor 360 is used for the receive path.

[0085] The third inductor 1310 is coupled between the first output terminal 374 and the second output terminal 76 of the PA 130. The third inductor has two parts, and the ninth switch S9 and the tenth switch S10 are coupled between the two parts. The center tap (based on the voltage Vc2) of the third inductor 1310 is between the ninth switch S9 and the tenth switch S10. The switches S9 and S10 are controlled by the control circuit 390. When the control circuit 390 closes (i.e., turns on) the switches S9 and S10, the parts of the second inductor 360 are coupled together. When the control circuit 390 opens (i.e., turns off) the switches S9 and S10, the parts of the third inductor 1310 are decoupled and the third inductor 1310 has a high impedance. It should be understood that the voltages Vc1 and Vc2 may be different or approximately equal.

[0086] Fig.14 An example of the transformer 345 in the receiving mode is shown. In the receiving mode, the control circuit 390 closes the seventh switch S7 and the eighth switch S8, and opens the ninth switch S9 and the tenth switch S10. In this mode, the RF signal from the LNA 320 is inductively coupled from the first inductor 350 to the second inductor 360. The RF signal can be input to the mixer 385 or another circuit from the second inductor 360. Since the ninth switch S9 and the tenth switch S10 are opened in this mode, the third inductor 1310 has a high impedance, which helps to minimize the coupling of the RF signal from the LNA 320 to the third inductor 1310 in the receiving mode.

[0087] Fig.15An example of the transformer 345 in the transmit mode is shown. In the transmit mode, the control circuit 390 opens the seventh switch S7 and the eighth switch S8, and closes the ninth switch S9 and the tenth switch S10. In this mode, the RF signal from the PA 370 is inductively coupled from the third inductor 1310 to the first inductor 350. The RF signal can be output from the first inductor 350 to the antenna 310 for transmission. Since the seventh switch S7 and the eighth switch S8 are opened in this mode, the second inductor 360 has a high impedance, which helps to minimize the coupling of the RF signal from the PA 370 to the second inductor 360 in the transmit mode.

[0088] It should be understood that transformer 345 is not limited to Fig.14 and Fig.15 The seventh switch S7 and the eighth switch S8 are shown. Generally, the transformer 345 may include one or more first inductor switches (e.g., S7 and S8) coupled in series with the second inductor 360, wherein the control circuit 390 closes the one or more first inductor switches in the receiving mode and opens the one or more first inductor switches in the transmitting mode. In addition, it should be understood that the transformer 345 is not limited to Fig.14 and Fig.15 The ninth switch S9 and the tenth switch S10 are shown. In general, the transformer 345 may include one or more second inductor switches (e.g., S9 and S10) coupled in series with the third inductor 1310, wherein the control circuit 390 opens the one or more second inductor switches in the receive mode and closes the one or more second inductor switches in the transmit mode.

[0089] In some aspects, PA 370 can be shared by two or more antennas. For example, PA 370 can switch between two or more antennas. In this regard, Fig.16 An example is shown in which the PA 370 can switch between the first antenna 310-1 and the second antenna 310-2. In this example, the wireless device 305 includes a first circuit 1610 coupled to the first antenna 310-1 and a second circuit 1620 coupled to the second antenna 310-2. Each of the circuits 1610 and 1620 includes Fig.14 and Fig.15 1610 and 1620. Fig.16 , the elements of the first circuit 1610 include a suffix of 1, and the elements of the second circuit 1620 include a suffix of 2, so as to distinguish the elements of the first circuit 1610 from the elements of the second circuit 1620.

[0090] exist Fig.16, the third inductor 1310-1 in the first circuit 1610 is coupled between the first output terminal 374 and the second output terminal 376 of the PA 370. The third inductor 1310-2 in the second circuit 1620 is also coupled between the first output terminal 374 and the second output terminal 376 of the PA 370. As discussed further below, this allows the PA 370 to transmit via the first antenna 310-1 and / or the second antenna 310-2.

[0091] Fig.16 An example is shown in which PA 370 transmits via first antenna 310-1 (eg, in a first mode). In this example, control circuit 390 ( Fig.16 The control circuit 390 may further disconnect the seventh switch S7-1 and the eighth switch S8-1 in the first circuit 1610 (not shown in the figure), close the ninth switch S9-1 and the tenth switch S10-1 in the first circuit 1610, and disconnect the ninth switch S9-2 and the tenth switch S10-2 in the second circuit 1620. In this example, the transformer 345-1 in the first circuit 1610 couples the RF signal from the PA 370 to the first antenna 310-1 for transmission. The control circuit 390 may also disconnect the seventh switch S7-1 and the eighth switch S8-1 in the first circuit 1610. In some specific implementations, the wireless device 305 may receive an RF signal via the second antenna 310-2 while transmitting an RF signal via the first antenna 310-1. In this case, the control circuit 390 may close the seventh switch S7-2 and the eighth switch S8-2 in the second circuit 1620 to receive the RF signal via the second antenna 310-2 using the second circuit 1620. However, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to this example.

[0092] Fig.17 An example is shown in which PA 370 transmits via second antenna 310-2 (eg, in a second mode). In this example, control circuit 390 ( Fig.17 The control circuit 390 may further disconnect the seventh switch S7-2 and the eighth switch S8-2 in the second circuit 1620 (not shown in the figure), close the ninth switch S9-2 and the tenth switch S10-2 in the second circuit 1620, and disconnect the ninth switch S9-1 and the tenth switch S10-1 in the first circuit 1610. In this example, the transformer 345-2 in the second circuit 1620 couples the RF signal from the PA 370 to the second antenna 310-2 for transmission. The control circuit 390 may also disconnect the seventh switch S7-2 and the eighth switch S8-2 in the second circuit 1620. In some specific implementations, the wireless device 305 may receive an RF signal via the first antenna 310-1 while transmitting an RF signal via the second antenna 310-2. In this case, the control circuit 390 may close the seventh switch S7-1 and the eighth switch S8-1 in the first circuit 1610 to receive the RF signal via the first antenna 310-1 using the first circuit 1610. However, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to this example.

[0093] Fig.18 An example is shown in which the wireless device 305 includes a switching circuit 1805 coupled to the transformer 345-1 in the first circuit 1610, the transformer 345-2 in the second circuit 1620, and the output of the PA 370. The switching circuit 1805 is configured to switch the output of the PA 370 between the transformer 345-1 in the first circuit 1610 and the transformer 345-2 in the second circuit 1620, as discussed further below. The switching of the switching circuit 1805 can be controlled by the control circuit 390 ( Fig.18 Note that for ease of illustration, Fig.18 Only a portion of each of the first circuit 1610 and the second circuit 1620 is shown.

[0094] To transmit via the first antenna 310-1, the control circuit 390 causes the switch circuit 1805 to couple the output of the PA 370 to the transformer 345-1 in the first circuit 1610 and to decouple the output of the PA 370 from the transformer 345-2 in the second circuit 1620. To transmit via the second antenna 310-2, the control circuit 390 causes the switch circuit 1805 to couple the output of the PA 370 to the transformer 345-2 in the second circuit 1620 and to decouple the output of the PA 370 from the transformer 345-1 in the first circuit 1610.

[0095] exist Fig.18 In the example shown, the switch circuit 1805 includes a first switch 1810 coupled between the first output terminal 374 of the PA 370 and the first terminal of the third inductor 1310-1, and a second switch 1820 coupled between the second output terminal 376 of the PA 370 and the second terminal of the third inductor 1310-1. The switch circuit 1805 also includes a third switch 1830 coupled between the first output terminal 374 of the PA 370 and the first terminal of the third inductor 1310-2, and a fourth switch 1840 coupled between the second output terminal 376 of the PA 370 and the second terminal of the third inductor 1310-2. Each of the switches 1810, 1820, 1830, and 1840 may be implemented by a corresponding transistor or another type of switch.

[0096] In this example, to transmit on the first antenna 310-1 (e.g., in the first mode), the control circuit 390 closes the first switch 1810 and the second switch 1820 to couple the PA 370 to the transformer 345-1 in the first circuit 1610, and opens the third switch 1830 and the fourth switch 1840 to decouple the PA 370 from the transformer 345-2 in the second circuit 1620. To transmit on the second antenna 310-2 (e.g., in the second mode), the control circuit 390 opens the first switch 1810 and the second switch 1820 to decouple the PA 370 from the transformer 345-1 in the first circuit 1610, and closes the third switch 1830 and the fourth switch 1840 to couple the PA 370 to the transformer 345-2 in the second circuit 1620.

[0097] Fig.19 19 is a diagram of an environment 1900 including an electronic device 1902, a base station 1904, and a wireless device 1924. The electronic device 1902 may correspond to the wireless device 305. The electronic device 1902 includes a wireless transceiver 1996, which may include an LNA 320, a transformer 345, a PA 370, switches 330, 335, and 340, a transconductor 410, a mixer 385, a switching circuit 380, a first circuit 1610, and / or a second circuit 1620.

[0098] In environment 1900, electronic device 1902 communicates with base station 1904 via wireless link 1906 and / or communicates with wireless device 1924 via wireless link 1926. As shown, electronic device 1902 is depicted as a smart phone. However, electronic device 1902 can be implemented as any suitable computing device or other electronic device, such as a cellular base station, a broadband router, an access point, a cellular or mobile phone, a gaming device, a navigation device, a media device, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a tablet computer, a server computer, a network attached storage (NAS) device, a smart appliance, a vehicle-based communication system, an Internet of Things (IoT) device, a sensor or security device, an asset tracker, etc.

[0099] Base station 1904 may communicate with electronic device 1902 via wireless link 1906, which may be implemented as any suitable type of wireless link. Although depicted as a base station tower of a cellular radio network, base station 1904 may represent or be implemented as another device, such as a satellite, a terrestrial broadcast tower, an access point, a peer device, a mesh network node, a fiber optic line, another electronic device substantially as described above, etc. Thus, electronic device 1902 may communicate with base station 1904 or another device via a wired connection, a wireless connection, or a combination thereof. Wireless link 1906 may include a downlink of data or control information communicated from base station 1904 to electronic device 1902, and an uplink of other data or control information communicated from electronic device 1902 to base station 1904. Wireless link 1906 may use any suitable communication protocol or standard (such as, Third Generation Partnership Project Long Term Evolution (3GPP LTE, 3GPP NR 5G), IEEE 1902.19, IEEE 1902.19, Bluetooth 5G, etc.). TM etc.) to achieve this.

[0100] The wireless device 1924 can communicate with the electronic device 1902 via a wireless link 1926, which can be any suitable type of wireless link. The wireless device 1924 can be implemented as a cellular or mobile phone, a gaming device, a navigation device, a media device, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a tablet computer, a server computer, a wireless key, a network attached storage (NAS) device, a smart appliance, a vehicle-based communication system, an Internet of Things (IoT) device, a sensor or security device, an asset tracker, etc. In some aspects, the electronic device 1902 can communicate with the wireless device 1924 using one or more short-range wireless communication technologies. For example, the electronic device 1902 can communicate with the wireless device 1924 using ultra-wideband (UWB) technology. UWB connectivity is a short-range wireless communication protocol that operates at a very high frequency compared to other short-range wireless communication technologies (e.g., Bluetooth, WLAN, Zigbee, etc.) and uses a relatively wide frequency band (e.g., 500 MHz or more) compared to other short-range wireless communication technologies, which makes UWB useful for high-resolution positioning and location (10calization) purposes. However, it should be understood that the electronic device 1902 is not limited to UWB and may communicate with the wireless device 1924 using other wireless communication technologies.

[0101] The electronic device 1902 includes a processor 1980 and a memory 1982. The memory 1982 may be part of or form part of a computer-readable storage medium. The processor 1980 may include any type of processor configured to execute processor-executable instructions (e.g., code) stored in the memory 1982, such as an application processor or a multi-core processor. The memory 1982 may include any suitable type of data storage medium, such as a volatile memory (e.g., random access memory (RAM)), a non-volatile memory (e.g., flash memory), an optical medium, a magnetic medium (e.g., a disk or tape), etc. In the context of the present disclosure, the memory 1982 is implemented to store instructions 1984, data 1986, and other information of the electronic device 1902.

[0102] The electronic device 1902 may also include an input / output (I / O) port 1990. The I / O port 1990 enables data exchange or interaction with other devices, networks, or users or elements of the device.

[0103] The electronic device 1902 may also include a signal processor (SP) 1992 , such as, for example, a digital signal processor (DSP). The signal processor 1992 may function similarly to the processor 1980 and may be capable of executing instructions and / or processing information in conjunction with the memory 1982 .

[0104] For communication purposes, the electronic device 1902 also includes a modem 1994, a wireless transceiver 1996, and one or more antennas (e.g., antenna 310, first antenna 310-1, and / or second antenna 310-2). The modem 1994 may be coupled to a mixer 385 to process the down-converted signal from the mixer 385. The wireless transceiver 1996 uses RF wireless signals to provide connectivity to a corresponding network and other electronic devices connected thereto. The wireless transceiver 1996 may facilitate communication on any suitable type of wireless network, such as a wireless local area network (LAN) (WLAN), a peer-to-peer (P2P) network, a mesh network, a cellular network, a wireless wide area network (WWAN), a navigation network (e.g., a global positioning system (GPS) or another global navigation satellite system (GNSS) in North America), and / or a wireless personal area network (WPAN). The wireless transceiver 1996 may also facilitate communication with the wireless device 1924 using UWB and / or other short-range wireless communication technologies.

[0105] Fig. 20An exemplary method 2000 for operating a wireless device according to certain aspects is illustrated. A wireless device (e.g., wireless device 305) includes a low noise amplifier (e.g., low noise amplifier 320) having an input (e.g., input 322) and an output (e.g., output 324), a switch (e.g., switch 330) coupled between the input of the low noise amplifier and the output of the low noise amplifier, and a power amplifier (e.g., power amplifier 370).

[0106] At block 2010, in the receive mode, the switch is opened. For example, the switch may be opened by the control circuit 390.

[0107] At block 2020, a first radio frequency (RF) signal is received from an antenna at an input of a low noise amplifier. The antenna may correspond to antenna 310, for example.

[0108] At block 2030, amplify the first RF signal into an amplified RF signal using a low noise amplifier; and

[0109] At block 2040, in the transmit mode, the switch is closed. For example, the switch may be closed by the control circuit 390.

[0110] At block 2050, the second RF signal is routed from the power amplifier to the antenna through the switch. For example, the second RF signal may be routed by the switch circuit 380 and the transformer 345.

[0111] In certain aspects, method 2000 may also include inductively coupling the amplified RF signal to the mixer using a transformer in the receive mode. For example, the transformer may correspond to transformer 345 and the mixer may correspond to mixer 385.

[0112] In some aspects, routing the second RF signal to the antenna through the switch may include inductively coupling the second RF signal from the power amplifier to the switch using a transformer. The transformer may correspond to transformer 345.

[0113] In some aspects, the transformer (e.g., transformer 345) includes an inductor (e.g., first inductor 350), and the output of the low noise amplifier is coupled to a first terminal of the inductor. In this example, the method 2000 may also include: in a receive mode, coupling a second terminal of the inductor to a power rail; and in a transmit mode, grounding the second terminal of the inductor. For example, the second terminal of the inductor can be coupled to the power rail by closing the third switch 340, and the second terminal of the inductor can be grounded by closing the second switch 335.

[0114] The method 2000 may also include: in the transmit mode, coupling a resistor between the first terminal and the second terminal of the inductor; and in the receive mode, decoupling the resistor from at least one of the first terminal and the second terminal of the inductor. For example, the resistor may correspond to the resistor 610, and the resistor 610 may be coupled between the first terminal and the second terminal of the inductor by closing the fourth switch 620, and decoupled from at least one of the first terminal and the second terminal of the inductor by opening the fourth switch 620.

[0115] The method 2000 may also include: in the receiving mode, coupling the capacitor between the first terminal and the second terminal of the inductor; and in the transmitting mode, decoupling the capacitor from at least one of the first terminal and the second terminal of the inductor. For example, the capacitor may correspond to capacitor 630, and the capacitor 630 may be coupled between the first terminal and the second terminal of the inductor by closing the fifth switch 640, and decoupled from at least one of the first terminal and the second terminal of the inductor by opening the fifth switch 640.

[0116] The control circuit 390 may be implemented with a general purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete hardware elements (e.g., logic gates), or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. The processor may perform the functions described herein by executing software including code for performing the functions described herein. The software may be stored on a computer readable storage medium such as RAM, ROM, EEPROM, optical disk, and / or magnetic disk.

[0117] Specific implementation examples are described in the following numbered clauses:

[0118] 1. A device, comprising:

[0119] A low noise amplifier having an input terminal and an output terminal;

[0120] a first switch coupled between the input terminal of the low noise amplifier and the output terminal of the low noise amplifier;

[0121] a transformer comprising a first inductor and a second inductor, wherein the first inductor is coupled to the output terminal of the low noise amplifier;

[0122] a power amplifier having an input and an output; and

[0123] A switching circuit is coupled between the output terminal of the power amplifier and the second inductor.

[0124] 2. The apparatus of clause 1, further comprising a control circuit configured to:

[0125] In a receive mode, opening the first switch and causing the switch circuit to decouple the output of the power amplifier from the second inductor; and

[0126] In a transmit mode, the first switch is closed and causes the switch circuit to couple the output of the power amplifier to the second inductor.

[0127] 3. The device according to clause 2, wherein:

[0128] The output end of the power amplifier includes a first output end and a second output end;

[0129] The switch circuit includes: a second switch coupled between the first output terminal and a first terminal of the second inductor, and a third switch coupled between the second output terminal and a second terminal of the second inductor;

[0130] and

[0131] The control circuit is configured to:

[0132] In the receiving mode, turning off the second switch and turning off the third switch; and

[0133] In the transmission mode, the second switch is closed and the third switch is closed.

[0134] 4. The apparatus according to clause 1 or 2, further comprising:

[0135] a second switch coupled between the first inductor and ground; and

[0136] A third switch is coupled between the first inductor and a supply rail.

[0137] 5. The apparatus according to clause 4, wherein:

[0138] The output of the low noise amplifier is coupled to a first terminal of the first inductor;

[0139] The second switch is coupled between a second terminal of the first inductor and the ground; and

[0140] The third switch is coupled between the second terminal of the first inductor and the supply rail.

[0141] 6. An apparatus according to clause 4 or 5, further comprising a control circuit configured to:

[0142] In a receiving mode, the first switch is opened, the second switch is opened, and the third switch is closed;

[0143] as well as

[0144] In the transmission mode, the first switch is closed, the second switch is closed, and the third switch is opened.

[0145] 7. The apparatus of clause 6, wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

[0146] In the receive mode, causing the switch circuit to decouple the output terminal of the power amplifier from the second inductor; and

[0147] In a transmit mode, the switch circuit is caused to couple the output terminal of the power amplifier to the second inductor.

[0148] 8. The apparatus of any one of clauses 1 to 7, wherein the low noise amplifier comprises:

[0149] a first transistor, wherein a gate of the first transistor is coupled to the input terminal of the low noise amplifier;

[0150] a source inductor coupled to a source of the first transistor; and

[0151] a second transistor, wherein a drain of the second transistor is coupled to the output terminal of the low noise amplifier, and a source of the second transistor is coupled to the drain of the first transistor.

[0152] 9. The apparatus of clause 8, further comprising a second switch, wherein the source inductor and the second switch are coupled in series between the source of the first transistor and ground.

[0153] 10. The apparatus of clause 9, further comprising a control circuit configured to:

[0154] In a receiving mode, opening the first switch, closing the second switch, and causing the switch circuit to decouple the output terminal of the power amplifier from the second inductor; and

[0155] In a transmission mode, the first switch is closed, the second switch is opened, and the switching circuit is caused to couple the output terminal of the power amplifier to the second inductor.

[0156] 11. An apparatus according to any of clauses 8 to 10, further comprising a bias circuit coupled to the gate of the first transistor and the gate of the second transistor, wherein the bias circuit is configured to:

[0157] In a receive mode, biasing the gate of the first transistor at a first voltage and biasing the gate of the second transistor at a second voltage; and

[0158] In a transmit mode, the gate of the first transistor is coupled to ground via a first resistor, and the gate of the second transistor is coupled to the ground via a second resistor.

[0159] 12. The apparatus of any of clauses 1 to 11, further comprising a mixer coupled to the second inductor.

[0160] 13. The apparatus according to any one of clauses 1 to 12, further comprising:

[0161] Resistors; and

[0162] A second switch, wherein the second switch and the resistor are coupled in series between a first terminal of the first inductor and a second terminal of the first inductor.

[0163] 14. The apparatus of clause 13, further comprising a control circuit configured to:

[0164] In a receiving mode, turning off the first switch, turning off the second switch, and causing the switch circuit to decouple the output terminal of the power amplifier from the second inductor; and

[0165] In a transmission mode, the first switch is closed, the second switch is closed, and the switching circuit is caused to couple the output terminal of the power amplifier to the second inductor.

[0166] 15. The apparatus according to any one of clauses 1 to 12, further comprising:

[0167] Capacitors; and

[0168] A second switch, wherein the second switch and the capacitor are coupled in series between a first terminal of the first inductor and a second terminal of the first inductor.

[0169] 16. The apparatus of clause 15, further comprising a control circuit configured to:

[0170] In a receiving mode, opening the first switch, closing the second switch, and causing the switch circuit to decouple the output terminal of the power amplifier from the second inductor; and

[0171] In a transmission mode, the first switch is closed, the second switch is opened, and the switching circuit is caused to couple the output terminal of the power amplifier to the second inductor.

[0172] 17. The apparatus according to clause 15 or 16, further comprising:

[0173] Resistors; and

[0174] A third switch, wherein the third switch and the resistor are coupled in series between the first terminal of the first inductor and the second terminal of the first inductor.

[0175] 18. The apparatus according to any one of clauses 1 to 17, further comprising:

[0176] a second low noise amplifier, the second low noise amplifier having an input terminal and an output terminal;

[0177] a second switch coupled between the input terminal of the second low noise amplifier and the output terminal of the second low noise amplifier; and

[0178] a second transformer comprising a third inductor and a fourth inductor, wherein the third inductor is coupled to the output terminal of the second low noise amplifier;

[0179] The switch circuit is coupled between the output terminal of the power amplifier and the fourth inductor.

[0180] 19. The apparatus of clause 18, further comprising a control circuit configured to:

[0181] In a first mode, causing the switch circuit to couple the output of the power amplifier to the second inductor and to decouple the output of the power amplifier from the fourth inductor; and

[0182] In a second mode, the switch circuit is caused to decouple the output of the power amplifier from the second inductor and to couple the output of the power amplifier to the fourth inductor.

[0183] 20. The apparatus of clause 19, wherein the control circuit is configured to:

[0184] In the first mode, the first switch is closed and the second switch is opened; and

[0185] In the second mode, the first switch is opened and the second switch is closed.

[0186] 21. A device, comprising:

[0187] A low noise amplifier having an input terminal and an output terminal;

[0188] a first switch coupled between the input terminal of the low noise amplifier and the output terminal of the low noise amplifier;

[0189] a transformer comprising a first inductor, a second inductor, a third inductor, one or more first inductor switches coupled in series with the second inductor, and one or more second inductor switches coupled in series with the third inductor, wherein the first inductor is coupled to the output terminal of the low noise amplifier; and

[0190] A power amplifier having an input and an output, wherein the output of the power amplifier is coupled to the third inductor.

[0191] 22. The apparatus of clause 21, further comprising a control circuit configured to:

[0192] In a receive mode, opening the first switch, closing the one or more first inductor switches, and opening the one or more second inductor switches; and

[0193] In the transmit mode, the first switch is closed, the one or more first inductor switches are opened, and the one or more second inductor switches are closed.

[0194] 23. Apparatus according to clause 21 or 22, wherein:

[0195] The output terminal of the power amplifier includes a first output terminal and a second output terminal; and

[0196] The third inductor and the one or more second inductor switches are coupled in series between the first output terminal and the second output terminal of the power amplifier.

[0197] 24. The apparatus according to any one of clauses 21 to 23, further comprising:

[0198] a second switch coupled between the first inductor and ground; and

[0199] A third switch is coupled between the first inductor and a supply rail.

[0200] 25. The apparatus according to clause 24, wherein:

[0201] The output of the low noise amplifier is coupled to a first terminal of the first inductor;

[0202] The second switch is coupled between a second terminal of the first inductor and the ground; and

[0203] The third switch is coupled between the second terminal of the first inductor and the supply rail.

[0204] 26. An apparatus according to clause 24 or 25, the apparatus further comprising a control circuit configured to:

[0205] In a receive mode, opening the first switch, opening the second switch, closing the third switch, closing the one or more first inductor switches, and opening the one or more second inductor switches; and

[0206] In the transmission mode, the first switch is closed, the second switch is closed, the third switch is opened, the one or more first inductor switches are opened, and the one or more second inductor switches are closed.

[0207] 27. An apparatus according to any of clauses 21 to 26, wherein the low noise amplifier comprises:

[0208] a first transistor, wherein a gate of the first transistor is coupled to the input terminal of the low noise amplifier;

[0209] a source inductor coupled to a source of the first transistor; and

[0210] a second transistor, wherein a drain of the second transistor is coupled to the output terminal of the low noise amplifier, and a source of the second transistor is coupled to the drain of the first transistor.

[0211] 28. The apparatus of clause 27, further comprising a second switch, wherein the source inductor and the second switch are coupled in series between the source of the first transistor and ground.

[0212] 29. The apparatus of clause 28, further comprising a control circuit configured to:

[0213] In a receive mode, opening the first switch, closing the second switch, closing the one or more first inductor switches, and opening the one or more second inductor switches; and

[0214] In the transmit mode, the first switch is closed, the second switch is opened, the one or more first inductor switches are opened, and the one or more second inductor switches are closed.

[0215] 30. The apparatus of any of clauses 21 to 29, further comprising a mixer coupled to the second inductor.

[0216] 31. A method for operating a wireless device, wherein the wireless device comprises a low noise amplifier having an input and an output, a switch coupled between the input of the low noise amplifier and the output of the low noise amplifier, and a power amplifier, the method comprising:

[0217] In receive mode,

[0218] disconnecting the switch;

[0219] receiving a first radio frequency (RF) signal from an antenna at the input of the low noise amplifier; and

[0220] amplifying the first RF signal into an amplified RF signal using the low noise amplifier; and in a transmit mode,

[0221] closing the switch; and

[0222] A second RF signal is routed from the power amplifier to the antenna through the switch.

[0223] 32. The method of clause 31, further comprising, in the receive mode, inductively coupling the amplified RF signal to a mixer using a transformer.

[0224] 33. The method of clause 31 or 32, wherein routing the second RF signal to the antenna through the switch comprises inductively coupling the second RF signal from the power amplifier to the switch using a transformer.

[0225] 34. The method of clause 33, wherein the transformer comprises an inductor and the output of the low noise amplifier is coupled to a first terminal of the inductor, the method comprising:

[0226] In the receive mode, coupling the second terminal of the inductor to a supply rail; and

[0227] In the transmit mode, the second terminal of the inductor is coupled to ground.

[0228] 35. The method according to clause 33 or 34, further comprising:

[0229] In the transmit mode, coupling a resistor between the first terminal and the second terminal of the inductor; and

[0230] In the receive mode, the resistor is decoupled from at least one of the first terminal and the second terminal of the inductor.

[0231] 36. The method according to any one of clauses 33 to 35, further comprising:

[0232] In the receive mode, coupling a capacitor between the first terminal and the second terminal of the inductor; and

[0233] In the transmit mode, the capacitor is decoupled from at least one of the first terminal and the second terminal of the inductor.

[0234] 37. An apparatus, comprising:

[0235] A low noise amplifier having an input terminal and an output terminal;

[0236] a switch coupled between the input terminal of the low noise amplifier and the output terminal of the low noise amplifier;

[0237] Power amplifier;

[0238] means for opening said switch in a receive mode;

[0239] means for inputting a first radio frequency (RF) signal from an antenna to the input of the low noise amplifier in the receive mode;

[0240] means for closing said switch in a transmit mode; and

[0241] means for routing a second RF signal from the power amplifier to the antenna through the switch in the transmit mode.

[0242] It should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the exemplary terms used above to describe aspects of the present disclosure. For example, the inductor of a transformer may also be referred to as a winding or other terms. In addition, it should be understood that even if the inductor is not physically implemented with a coil, the inductor may also be referred to as a coil.

[0243] Within this disclosure, the word "exemplary" is used to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration." Any specific implementation or aspect described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects of the disclosure. Likewise, the term "aspect" does not require that all aspects of the disclosure include the discussed feature, advantage, or mode of operation. The term "coupled" is used herein to refer to a direct or indirect electrical coupling between two structures. It should also be understood that the term "ground" can refer to either a DC ground or an AC ground, and thus the term "ground" covers both possibilities. AC ground can be provided by a DC voltage.

[0244] Any reference to an element herein using designations such as "first," "second," etc. does not generally limit the number or order of those elements. Rather, these designations are used herein as a convenient method of distinguishing between two or more elements or instances of an element. Thus, reference to a first element and a second element does not mean that only two elements can be employed, or that the first element must precede the second element.

[0245] The previous description of the disclosure is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the disclosure. Various modifications to the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other variations without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosure. Thus, the disclosure is not intended to be limited to the examples described herein, but should be granted the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A device, comprising: A low noise amplifier having an input terminal and an output terminal; a first switch coupled between the input terminal of the low noise amplifier and the output terminal of the low noise amplifier; a transformer comprising a first inductor and a second inductor, wherein the first inductor is coupled to the output terminal of the low noise amplifier; A power amplifier having an input and an output; and A switch circuit is coupled between the output terminal of the power amplifier and the second inductor.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a control circuit, wherein the control circuit is configured to: In a receive mode, opening the first switch and causing the switch circuit to decouple the output of the power amplifier from the second inductor; and In a transmit mode, the first switch is closed and causes the switch circuit to couple the output of the power amplifier to the second inductor.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein: The output end of the power amplifier includes a first output end and a second output end; The switch circuit includes: a second switch coupled between the first output terminal and a first terminal of the second inductor, and a third switch coupled between the second output terminal and a second terminal of the second inductor; and The control circuit is configured to: In the receiving mode, turning off the second switch and turning off the third switch; and In the transmission mode, the second switch is closed and the third switch is closed.

4. The device according to claim 1, further comprising: a second switch coupled between the first inductor and ground; and A third switch is coupled between the first inductor and a supply rail.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein: The output of the low noise amplifier is coupled to a first terminal of the first inductor; The second switch is coupled between a second terminal of the first inductor and the ground; and The third switch is coupled between the second terminal of the first inductor and the supply rail.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a control circuit, wherein the control circuit is configured to: In a receiving mode, opening the first switch, opening the second switch, and closing the third switch; and In the transmission mode, the first switch is closed, the second switch is closed, and the third switch is opened.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the control circuit is further configured to: In the receive mode, causing the switch circuit to decouple the output terminal of the power amplifier from the second inductor; and In a transmit mode, the switch circuit is caused to couple the output terminal of the power amplifier to the second inductor.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the low noise amplifier comprises: a first transistor, wherein a gate of the first transistor is coupled to the input terminal of the low noise amplifier; a source inductor coupled to a source of the first transistor; and a second transistor, wherein a drain of the second transistor is coupled to the output terminal of the low noise amplifier, and a source of the second transistor is coupled to the drain of the first transistor.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a second switch, wherein the source inductor and the second switch are coupled in series between the source of the first transistor and ground.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a control circuit, wherein the control circuit is configured to: In a receiving mode, opening the first switch, closing the second switch, and causing the switch circuit to decouple the output terminal of the power amplifier from the second inductor; and In a transmission mode, the first switch is closed, the second switch is opened, and the switching circuit is caused to couple the output terminal of the power amplifier to the second inductor.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a bias circuit coupled to the gate of the first transistor and the gate of the second transistor, wherein the bias circuit is configured to: In a receive mode, biasing the gate of the first transistor at a first voltage and biasing the gate of the second transistor at a second voltage; and In a transmit mode, the gate of the first transistor is coupled to ground via a first resistor, and the gate of the second transistor is coupled to the ground via a second resistor.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a mixer coupled to the second inductor.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: Resistors; and A second switch, wherein the second switch and the resistor are coupled in series between a first terminal of the first inductor and a second terminal of the first inductor.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising a control circuit, wherein the control circuit is configured to: In a receiving mode, turning off the first switch, turning off the second switch, and causing the switch circuit to decouple the output terminal of the power amplifier from the second inductor; and In a transmission mode, the first switch is closed, the second switch is closed, and the switching circuit is caused to couple the output terminal of the power amplifier to the second inductor.

15. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: Capacitors; and A second switch, wherein the second switch and the capacitor are coupled in series between a first terminal of the first inductor and a second terminal of the first inductor.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising a control circuit, wherein the control circuit is configured to: In a receiving mode, opening the first switch, closing the second switch, and causing the switch circuit to decouple the output terminal of the power amplifier from the second inductor; and In a transmission mode, the first switch is closed, the second switch is opened, and the switching circuit is caused to couple the output terminal of the power amplifier to the second inductor.

17. The apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising: Resistors; and A third switch, wherein the third switch and the resistor are coupled in series between the first terminal of the first inductor and the second terminal of the first inductor.

18. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a second low noise amplifier, the second low noise amplifier having an input terminal and an output terminal; a second switch coupled between the input terminal of the second low noise amplifier and the output terminal of the second low noise amplifier; and a second transformer, the second transformer comprising a third inductor and a fourth inductor, wherein the third inductor is coupled to the output terminal of the second low noise amplifier; The switch circuit is coupled between the output terminal of the power amplifier and the fourth inductor.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising a control circuit, wherein the control circuit is configured to: In a first mode, causing the switch circuit to couple the output of the power amplifier to the second inductor and to decouple the output of the power amplifier from the fourth inductor; and In a second mode, the switch circuit is caused to decouple the output of the power amplifier from the second inductor and to couple the output of the power amplifier to the fourth inductor.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the control circuit is configured to: In the first mode, the first switch is closed and the second switch is opened; and In the second mode, the first switch is opened and the second switch is closed.

21. A device, comprising: A low noise amplifier having an input terminal and an output terminal; a first switch coupled between the input terminal of the low noise amplifier and the output terminal of the low noise amplifier; a transformer comprising a first inductor, a second inductor, a third inductor, one or more first inductor switches coupled in series with the second inductor, and one or more second inductor switches coupled in series with the third inductor, wherein the first inductor is coupled to the output terminal of the low noise amplifier; and A power amplifier having an input and an output, wherein the output of the power amplifier is coupled to the third inductor.

22. The apparatus according to claim 21, further comprising a control circuit, wherein the control circuit is configured to: In a receive mode, opening the first switch, closing the one or more first inductor switches, and opening the one or more second inductor switches; and In the transmit mode, the first switch is closed, the one or more first inductor switches are opened, and the one or more second inductor switches are closed.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein: The output terminal of the power amplifier includes a first output terminal and a second output terminal; and The third inductor and the one or more second inductor switches are coupled in series between the first output terminal and the second output terminal of the power amplifier.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the output of the low noise amplifier is coupled to a first terminal of the first inductor, and the apparatus further comprises: a second switch coupled between a second terminal of the first inductor and ground; and A third switch is coupled between the second terminal of the first inductor and a supply rail.

25. The apparatus according to claim 24, further comprising a control circuit, wherein the control circuit is configured to: In a receive mode, opening the first switch, opening the second switch, closing the third switch, closing the one or more first inductor switches, and opening the one or more second inductor switches; and In the transmission mode, the first switch is closed, the second switch is closed, the third switch is opened, the one or more first inductor switches are opened, and the one or more second inductor switches are closed.

26. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the low noise amplifier comprises: a first transistor, wherein a gate of the first transistor is coupled to the input terminal of the low noise amplifier; a second transistor, wherein a drain of the second transistor is coupled to the output of the low noise amplifier and a source of the second transistor is coupled to the drain of the first transistor; Source inductor; and a second switch, wherein the source inductor and the second switch are coupled in series between a source of the first transistor and ground.

27. The apparatus according to claim 26, further comprising a control circuit, wherein the control circuit is configured to: In a receive mode, opening the first switch, closing the second switch, closing the one or more first inductor switches, and opening the one or more second inductor switches; and In the transmit mode, the first switch is closed, the second switch is opened, the one or more first inductor switches are opened, and the one or more second inductor switches are closed.

28. A method for operating a wireless device, wherein the wireless device comprises a low noise amplifier having an input and an output, a switch coupled between the input of the low noise amplifier and the output of the low noise amplifier, and a power amplifier, the method comprising: In receive mode, disconnecting the switch; receiving a first radio frequency (RF) signal from an antenna at the input of the low noise amplifier; as well as amplifying the first RF signal into an amplified RF signal using the low noise amplifier; as well as In send mode, closing the switch; as well as A second RF signal is routed from the power amplifier to the antenna through the switch.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein routing the second RF signal to the antenna through the switch comprises inductively coupling the second RF signal from the power amplifier to the switch using a transformer.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the transformer comprises an inductor and the output of the low noise amplifier is coupled to a first terminal of the inductor, the method comprising: in the receive mode, coupling the second terminal of the inductor to a supply rail; as well as In the transmit mode, the second terminal of the inductor is coupled to ground.

Images