Voltage converter, method and electronic device

Abstract

The application discloses a voltage converter, a method and an electronic device, relates to the technical field of circuit design, and aims at improving the power backoff efficiency of a power amplifier. The voltage converter comprises a driving unit and a full-bridge power amplification unit which are electrically connected. The driving unit is used for accessing two pairs of differential signals with time delay, amplifying and performing level shift on the differential signals twice, and obtaining two pairs of driving signals with time delay; the swing of each pair of differential signals is less than a preset swing. The full-bridge power amplification unit is used for outputting a three-level signal according to a direct current voltage under the control of the driving signal. The electronic device comprises the voltage converter provided in the technical solution. The voltage conversion method applies the voltage converter.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of circuit design technology, and more particularly to a voltage converter, method, and electronic device. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of wireless communication technology and the gradual popularization of 5G technology and the diversification of data transmission, mobile communication terminals require higher communication rates and data rates, which makes the peak to average power ratio (PAPR) of transmitted signals continuously increase.

[0003] Early mobile signals were close to constant envelope signals, exhibiting very low nonlinear distortion when using traditional analog modulation methods. However, with the reduction of spectrum resources, signal modulation methods combining AM and PM modulation are widely used in wireless communication networks. Simultaneously, signal modulation methods have become increasingly complex, necessitating high flexibility, low cost, and high efficiency in modern mobile communication facilities. In this context, the power amplifier (PA) at the transmitter base output must perform power back-off based on the peak-to-average power ratio (PA) of its modulated signal, sometimes even operating in the 8dB-9dB power back-off region. This leads to a significant reduction in the average efficiency of the power amplifier (PA) and the base station. Currently, Class AB and Doherty power amplifiers commonly used in base stations can achieve power back-off efficiencies of 50% and 78% respectively under 0dB power back-off conditions. However, with increased power back-off, the average power back-off efficiency becomes very low, only about 10%-30%. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a voltage converter, method, and electronic device for improving the power back-off efficiency of a power amplifier as the peak-to-average power ratio continues to increase.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a voltage converter, comprising: a driving unit and a full-bridge power amplifier unit electrically connected. The driving unit is used to receive two pairs of differential signals with time delays, and amplifies and levels the differential signals twice to obtain two pairs of driving signals with time delays. The swing of each pair of differential signals is less than a preset swing. The full-bridge power amplifier unit is used to output a three-level signal according to the DC voltage under the control of the driving signals.

[0006] The voltage converter provided by this invention uses a driving unit to receive two pairs of time-delayed differential signals. These differential signals are amplified twice and level-shifted to obtain two pairs of time-delayed driving signals. These driving signals control the full-bridge power amplifier unit, which outputs a three-level signal based on the DC voltage. On one hand, the three-level signal can adjust the power back-off efficiency of the linear power amplifier, allowing the dynamic tracking input signal envelope of the linear power amplifier to provide dynamic DC power as the signal data rate and peak-to-average power ratio increase, thereby improving the power back-off efficiency of the traditional linear power amplifier. On the other hand, for digital baseband, the output three-level signal has a higher output voltage, lower third-order intermodulation (THD), and lower voltage rise rate (dv / dt), while still processing constant-amplitude pulse signals, resulting in a theoretical efficiency close to 100%. Compared to existing technologies, this avoids the significant drop in power back-off efficiency that occurs with traditional linear power amplifiers. Furthermore, the voltage converter provided by this invention has a simple structure and more flexible operating modes.

[0007] In a second aspect, the present invention provides an electronic device including the voltage converter described in the first aspect above.

[0008] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the electronic device provided by the present invention are the same as those of the voltage converter described in the above technical solution, and will not be repeated here.

[0009] Thirdly, the present invention provides a voltage conversion method using a voltage converter having a driving unit and a full-bridge power amplifier unit. The voltage conversion method includes:

[0010] The two pairs of time-delayed differential signals are amplified and level-shifted twice using a drive unit to obtain two pairs of time-delayed drive signals; the swing of each pair of differential signals is less than the preset swing.

[0011] Under the control of two pairs of driving voltage signals, a three-level signal is output according to the DC voltage.

[0012] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the voltage conversion method provided by the present invention are the same as those of the voltage converter described in the above technical solutions, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0013] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and form part of this invention, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention and are used to explain the invention, but do not constitute an undue limitation of the invention. In the drawings:

[0014] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the voltage converter provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0015] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first amplifier circuit provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0016] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the level transfer circuit provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second amplifier circuit provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a full-bridge power amplifier unit provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 6 The simulation curve of the voltage converter provided in the embodiment of the present invention is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0020] To facilitate a clear description of the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the terms "first" and "second" are used to distinguish identical or similar items with essentially the same function and effect. For example, the first threshold and the second threshold are merely used to distinguish different thresholds and do not limit their order. Those skilled in the art will understand that the terms "first" and "second" do not limit the quantity or execution order, and that the terms "first" and "second" are not necessarily different.

[0021] It should be noted that in this invention, the terms "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplary" or "for example" in this invention should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Specifically, the use of terms such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a concrete manner.

[0022] In this invention, "at least one" refers to one or more, and "more than one" refers to two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, or B alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects are in an "or" relationship. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can represent: a, b, c, a combination of a and b, a combination of a and c, a combination of b and c, or a, b, and c, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0023] Currently, the Class AB and Doherty power amplifiers commonly used in base stations can achieve power back-off efficiencies of 50% and 78% respectively under 0dB power back-off conditions. However, when the power back-off increases, the average power back-off efficiency is very low, only about 10%-30%.

[0024] To address the above technical problems, this invention provides a voltage converter for improving the power back-off efficiency of a power amplifier as the peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) increases. The voltage converter includes an electrically connected drive unit and a full-bridge power amplifier unit. The drive unit receives two pairs of time-delayed differential signals and amplifies and levels the differential signals twice to obtain two pairs of time-delayed drive signals. The swing of each pair of differential signals is less than a preset swing. The full-bridge power amplifier unit outputs a three-level signal based on the DC voltage under the control of the drive signals.

[0025] The voltage converter provided by this invention uses a driving unit to receive two pairs of time-delayed differential signals. These differential signals are amplified twice and level-shifted to obtain two pairs of time-delayed driving signals. These driving signals control the full-bridge power amplifier unit, which outputs a three-level signal based on the DC voltage. On one hand, the three-level signal can adjust the power back-off efficiency of the linear power amplifier, allowing the dynamic tracking input signal envelope of the linear power amplifier to provide dynamic DC power as the signal data rate and peak-to-average power ratio increase, thereby improving the power back-off efficiency of the traditional linear power amplifier. On the other hand, for digital baseband, the output three-level signal has a higher output voltage, lower third-order intermodulation (THD), and lower voltage rise rate (dv / dt), while still processing constant-amplitude pulse signals, resulting in a theoretical efficiency close to 100%. Compared to existing technologies, this avoids the significant drop in power back-off efficiency that occurs with traditional linear power amplifiers. Furthermore, the voltage converter provided by this invention has a simple structure and more flexible operating modes.

[0026] Figure 1 A schematic diagram illustrating the principle of the voltage converter provided in an embodiment of the present invention is shown. (Refer to...) Figure 1 The aforementioned drive unit and full-bridge power amplifier unit are fully integrated. The drive unit may include two pairs of amplification branches, each pair being used to input one of the aforementioned differential signals. Through these two pairs of amplification branches, two pairs of time-delayed drive signals can be obtained to control the aforementioned full-bridge power amplifier unit. The swing of each pair of differential signals is less than a preset swing, which can be 1V.

[0027] In one possible implementation, refer to Figure 1Each of the aforementioned amplification branches includes a first amplification circuit, a level shifting circuit, and a second amplification circuit. The first amplification circuit can be a level amplification circuit, used to perform a first level amplification on the two pairs of time-delayed differential signals, resulting in four channels of two pairs of amplified differential signals. The level shifting circuit is used to perform level shifting on the differential signals after the first level amplification. The second amplification circuit can be a resistive load level amplification circuit, used to perform a second level amplification on the level-shifted differential signals, ultimately obtaining two pairs of time-delayed differential high-level pulse control signals. It should be understood that the differential high-level pulse control signals mentioned here are the drive signals used to control the full-bridge power amplifier unit. The time delay of the two pairs of differential high-level pulse control signals is the same as the time delay of the two pairs of differential signals input to the first amplification circuit. The aforementioned differential signals are CML differential pulse signals.

[0028] Reference Figure 1 In each pair of amplification branches, two first amplification circuits are used to receive the aforementioned time-delayed differential signal. The control terminal of each level-shifting circuit is electrically connected to the output terminal of the corresponding first amplification circuit, and the output terminal of each level-shifting circuit is electrically connected to the control terminal of the corresponding second amplification circuit. The output terminal of the second amplification circuit is electrically connected to the control terminal of the aforementioned full-bridge power amplification unit. The full-bridge power amplification unit may include two pairs of half-bridge circuits.

[0029] Each pair of amplification branches and the full-bridge power amplification unit can include gallium nitride (GaN) transistors. GaN transistors possess higher bandgap and electron mobility. The use of properly designed GaN transistors not only promotes the development of existing voltage converters but also provides new possibilities for improving some existing power electronics systems, especially in the high-frequency, high-power domain. GaN-based high electron mobility transistors offer significant advantages in switching frequency, rated power, thermal capacity, and efficiency. Furthermore, the high breakdown voltage, high output power, high electron saturation velocity, and high cutoff frequency of GaN materials have led to their increasing use in various types of voltage converters. More and more multilevel full-bridge voltage converters are adopting GaN-based high electron mobility transistors as power devices to improve voltage converter performance, such as conversion efficiency, power, and frequency.

[0030] It should be understood that the four first amplifier circuits and four level shifting circuits included in the above voltage converter all adopt the same structure, component size, and bias voltage. Therefore, it is sufficient to describe only one of the first amplifier circuits and level shifting circuits. The second amplifier circuit adopts an asymmetrical structure, but the two pairs of half-bridge structures that make up the full-bridge power amplifier unit have the same structure, component size, and bias voltage for the corresponding two pairs of second amplifier circuits. Therefore, it is sufficient to describe only one of the second amplifier circuits.

[0031] In one example, Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of the first amplifier circuit provided in the embodiment of the present invention is shown below, with reference to... Figure 2 The aforementioned first amplification circuit may include a first gallium nitride transistor T1 and a first resistor R1, for performing a first amplification of the differential signal. The control terminal of the first gallium nitride transistor in each pair of amplification branches can be used to connect to a pair of the aforementioned differential signals with time delay.

[0032] In practical use, the aforementioned first resistor R1 and the first gallium nitride transistor T1 are related to the bias voltage V. DD1 Voltage division is performed. At this time, the resistance of the first resistor R1 can be 450Ω to 550Ω, but typically it is 500Ω. Bias voltage V DD1 It can be 12.7V, with another bias voltage V. SS1 The voltage is 4.1V. The first gallium nitride transistor T1 can be an N-type gallium nitride transistor. When the input differential signal V... in1 When the voltage is low (1.1V), the first gallium nitride transistor T1 is off, and the output signal V of the first amplifier circuit is... out1 The voltage is 10.4V. At this time, because the first gallium nitride transistor is not completely off, the output signal V of the first amplifier circuit is... out1 It will inevitably be less than 12.7V. That is to say, when the first gallium nitride transistor T1 is in the off state, the output signal V of the first amplifier circuit... out1 It can be less than 12.7V, and is not necessarily 10.4V. When the input differential signal V... in1 When the voltage is high (1.9V), the first gallium nitride transistor T1 is in the on state, and the output voltage of the first amplifier circuit is 5.3V. Therefore, the input differential signal V... in1 The swing is 1.9V - 1.1V = 0.8V, while the output signal V after passing through the first amplifier circuit is... out1 The swing amplitude can be 10.4V - 5.3V = 5.1V.

[0033] It should be noted that the voltage converter provided in this embodiment of the invention has four first amplifier circuits, which are divided into two pairs. Each pair of first amplifier circuits receives a differential signal. The differential signal input between the two pairs of first amplifier circuits has a time delay. Assuming the time delay is T / 4, when the operating frequency is 600MHz, this time delay is 0.4ns.

[0034] In one example, Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the level transfer circuit provided in the embodiment of the present invention is shown in the figure. (Refer to...) Figure 3The aforementioned level shifting circuit may include: a second gallium nitride transistor T2, a third gallium nitride transistor T3, and a plurality of diodes D connected in series between the second and third gallium nitride transistors, for adjusting the input voltage of the second gallium nitride transistor T2 to a preset voltage. The control terminal of the second gallium nitride transistor T2 is electrically connected to the output terminal of the aforementioned first amplifier circuit, and the control terminal of the third gallium nitride transistor T3 is electrically connected to its input terminal.

[0035] In practical applications, both the second gallium nitride transistor T2 and the third gallium nitride transistor T3 can be N-type gallium nitride transistors. Simultaneously, all the aforementioned diodes D can be Schottky diodes, and the voltage drop of each Schottky diode in the on-state can be the same or different, depending on the specific requirements. Selecting the second gallium nitride transistor T2, the third gallium nitride transistor T3, and the diodes D with relatively high on-state voltages allows for a significant drop in the voltage value of the low-voltage differential signal. This, in turn, allows the input level of the level shifting circuit to be shifted to a smaller value, achieving the voltage value required by the second amplifier circuit, which is beneficial for amplifying small-amplitude level signals.

[0036] For example, the forward voltage of both the second gallium nitride transistor T2 and the third gallium nitride transistor T3 can be -3V. That is, when the voltage difference between the gate and source of the second gallium nitride transistor T2 and the third gallium nitride transistor T3 is greater than or equal to -3V, both the second gallium nitride transistor T2 and the third gallium nitride transistor T3 can be in the on-state. Otherwise, both the second gallium nitride transistor T2 and the third gallium nitride transistor T3 are in the off-state. In this embodiment of the invention, the forward voltage of diode D is 2.2V, and the number of diodes D is six. When the forward voltage of diode D is other values, the number of diodes D also changes accordingly.

[0037] The input signal V at the control terminal of the second gallium nitride transistor T2 in2 That is, the output signal V of the first amplifier circuit. out1 The output signal V of the first amplifier circuit out1 The voltage swing can be 5.1V, and the operating frequency can be 600MHz. DD2 and V SS2 All are bias voltages, and the bias voltage V DD2 The voltage value is 11.5V, and the bias voltage V SS2 The voltage value is -10V. Under the bias voltage V... DD2 and bias voltage V SS2 Under the control of the second gallium nitride transistor T2, the input signal V at the control terminal is... in2After passing through diodes D1, D2, D3, D4, D5, D6, and the third gallium nitride transistor T3 in sequence, its voltage value is modulated to obtain the input signal V corresponding to the control terminal of the second gallium nitride transistor T2. in2 In comparison, the voltage signal V with a voltage drop of -13.3V out2 The swing amplitude is -7.9V - (-3.8V) = 4.1V.

[0038] It should be understood that for the other level-shifted signal of the same half-bridge that is differential with the input signal, its output signal is different from V. out2 It forms a differential signal. Compared to the level shifting circuit of the other half-bridge with a time delay of T / 4, its output still differs by T / 4, and the swing is the same.

[0039] In one example, Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of the second amplifier circuit provided in the embodiment of the present invention is shown below, with reference to... Figure 4 The second amplifier circuit mentioned above may include two electrically connected first amplifier circuits for processing the output signal V of the level transfer circuit mentioned above. out2 A second amplification is performed to output the drive signal that drives the full-bridge power amplifier unit.

[0040] In practical applications, the second amplifier circuit may include a fourth gallium nitride transistor T4, a fifth gallium nitride transistor T5, a second resistor R2, and a third resistor R3. The fourth gallium nitride transistor T4 is electrically connected to the second resistor R2, the fifth gallium nitride transistor T5 is electrically connected to the third resistor R3, and the fourth and fifth gallium nitride transistors T4 and T5 are electrically connected to a bias voltage V. SS3 The second resistor is electrically connected to the bias voltage V. DD3 The third resistor is electrically connected to the bias voltage V. DD4 The input signal V at the control terminal of the fourth gallium nitride transistor T4 in31 The output signal V of the level transfer circuit included in the same pair of amplification branches out2 The input signal V at the control terminal of the fifth gallium nitride transistor T5 in32 The output signal V of another level transfer circuit included in the same pair of amplification branches out3 The second resistor R2 has a resistance of 500Ω, and the third resistor R3 has a resistance of 150Ω. It should be understood that V... in31 It is V in32 It is a differential signal with a swing of -7.9V - (-3.8V) = 4.1V. The bias voltage V... DD3 =27V, bias voltage V DD4 =0V, bias voltage V SS3 = -3.7V.

[0041] When the input signal V at the control terminal of the fourth gallium nitride transistor T4 in31 The voltage level is high -3.8V, while the input signal V at the control terminal of the fifth gallium nitride transistor T5 is high. in32 When the voltage is low (-7.9V), the fourth gallium nitride transistor T4 is in the on state, and the fifth gallium nitride transistor T5 is in the off state, thus causing the output signal V of the fourth gallium nitride transistor T4 to be lower. out4 The output signal V of the fifth gallium nitride transistor T5 is at a low level of -2.9V. out5 It is -0.5V.

[0042] When the input signal V at the control terminal of the fourth gallium nitride transistor T4 in31 The voltage level is low -7.9V, while the input signal V at the control terminal of the fifth gallium nitride transistor T5 is low. in32 When the voltage is high (-3.8V), the fourth gallium nitride transistor T4 is off, and the fifth gallium nitride transistor T5 is on. Therefore, the output signal V of the fourth gallium nitride transistor T4 is... out4 The output signal V of the fifth gallium nitride transistor T5 is at a high level of 27.2V. out5 The voltage is -3.5V. Therefore, the output signal V of the fourth gallium nitride transistor T4 is... out4 For example, the swing of its output signal is -2.9V – 27.2V = 30.1V. The output signal V of the fifth gallium nitride transistor T5... out5 In this case, the swing of its output signal is -0.5V – (-3.5V) = 3V.

[0043] As can be seen from the above, the high-level signals output by the two output terminals of the second amplifier circuit always appear at opposite times within a cycle. These two signals precisely meet the requirements of the alternating switching of the high-level transistor and the low-level transistor in the half-bridge structure.

[0044] In one possible implementation, refer to Figure 1 The aforementioned full-bridge power amplifier unit may include two pairs of half-bridge circuits, and the control terminal of each pair of half-bridge circuits is electrically connected to the output terminal of the corresponding amplification branch. Under the control of the aforementioned drive signal, the full-bridge power amplifier unit can output a three-level signal based on the DC voltage. This three-level signal can be used to adjust the power back-off efficiency of the switching power amplifier.

[0045] In one example, refer to Figure 5 The aforementioned full-bridge power amplifier unit may include two pairs of half-bridge transistors, and each pair of half-bridge transistors may include two electrically connected gallium nitride transistors. In other words, the aforementioned full-bridge power amplifier unit may include four gallium nitride transistors.

[0046] In practical applications, the sixth gallium nitride transistor T6 is electrically connected to the seventh gallium nitride transistor T7, and the input terminal of the sixth gallium nitride transistor T6 is connected to a DC voltage V. in The control terminal of the sixth gallium nitride transistor T6 is electrically connected to one output terminal of the second amplifier circuit described above. The input terminal of the seventh gallium nitride transistor T7 is connected to a DC voltage V. in V in =20V. The control terminal of the seventh gallium nitride transistor T7 is electrically connected to the other output terminal of the second amplifier circuit mentioned above. Therefore, the input signal V at the control terminal of the sixth gallium nitride transistor T6 is... in41 This is the output signal V of the second amplifier circuit mentioned above. out4 The input signal V at the control terminal of the seventh gallium nitride transistor T7 in42 This is the other output signal V of the second amplifier circuit mentioned above. out5 .

[0047] When the input signal V at the control terminal of the sixth gallium nitride transistor T6 in41 The input signal V at the control terminal of the seventh gallium nitride transistor T7 is at a high level of 27.2V. in42 When the voltage is an inverted low level of -3.5V, the sixth gallium nitride transistor T6 is in the on state, and the seventh gallium nitride transistor T7 is in the off state. At this time, the output signal V of the half-bridge structure composed of the sixth gallium nitride transistor T6 and the seventh gallium nitride transistor T7 is... out6 The sixth gallium nitride transistor T6 outputs a high level close to 20V. However, due to the self-on-state voltage drop of the sixth gallium nitride transistor T6, V... out6 The actual value is 19.3V. Conversely, when the input signal V at the control terminal of the sixth gallium nitride transistor T6... in41 The input signal V at the control terminal of the seventh gallium nitride transistor T7 is at a low level of -2.9V. in42 When the voltage is high (-0.5V), the sixth gallium nitride transistor T6 is off, and the seventh gallium nitride transistor T7 is on. At this time, the output signal V of the half-bridge structure composed of the sixth gallium nitride transistor T6 and the seventh gallium nitride transistor T7 is... out6 The output passes through the seventh gallium nitride transistor T7, and the output level is close to 0V. Due to the on-state voltage drop of the seventh gallium nitride transistor T7, V... out6 The actual value is 0.1V. That is, the output signal V of the half-bridge structure composed of the sixth gallium nitride transistor T6 and the seventh gallium nitride transistor T7 is... out6 The voltage swing is 0.1V-19.3V, and the operating frequency remains at 600MHz.

[0048] Similarly, for another half-bridge composed of the eighth gallium nitride transistor T8 and the ninth gallium nitride transistor T9, it has the same switching process and output signal V. out7 The swing amplitude is also 0.1V-19.3V, and is consistent with V. out6 The time delay remains T / 4. As can be seen from the above, after amplifying, level shifting, and amplifying the small-amplitude differential signal, the drive signal of the drive unit completes the switching control of the half-bridge structure.

[0049] In one possible implementation, refer to Figure 1 The voltage converter may also include a filter circuit electrically connected to the aforementioned full-bridge power amplifier unit. The filter circuit is used to filter out voltage signals with operating frequencies different from the aforementioned differential signals.

[0050] In practical applications, a bandpass filter (BPF) can filter out spurious signals beyond 600MHz, reducing the voltage V across the output resistor. o The signal is a three-level signal. The three levels are 19.3V, 0V, and -19.3V. That is, the voltage converter provided in this embodiment of the invention can amplify small-swing differential signals and output a three-level signal with a swing close to 40V. Therefore, for digital baseband, the output three-level signal has a higher output voltage, lower third-order intermodulation (THD), and lower voltage rise rate (dv / dt), and it still processes constant-amplitude pulse signals, with a theoretical efficiency close to 100%.

[0051] The embodiments of the present invention use gallium nitride transistors, whose bandwidth can cover kHz to hundreds of MHz. Therefore, only the parameters of the filter need to be adjusted to achieve stable amplification and output of high-frequency signals.

[0052] Figure 6 Simulation curves of the voltage converter provided in the embodiments of the present invention are shown. (Refer to...) Figure 6 The input signal is a single input signal V from two pairs of half-bridge structures. in1 and its differential signal V in1 It can be seen that its swing is 1.1V-1.9V=0.8V, the time delay is T / 4, and the output signal is a three-level signal with a working frequency of 600MHz.

[0053] This invention also provides an electronic device, including the voltage converter mentioned in the above embodiments.

[0054] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the electronic device provided by the present invention are the same as those of the voltage converter described in the above technical solution, and will not be repeated here.

[0055] This invention also provides a voltage conversion method using a voltage converter having a driving unit and a full-bridge power amplifier unit. The voltage conversion method includes:

[0056] The two pairs of time-delayed differential signals are amplified and level-shifted twice using a drive unit to obtain two pairs of time-delayed drive signals; the swing of each pair of differential signals is less than the preset swing.

[0057] Under the control of two pairs of driving voltage signals, a three-level signal is output according to the DC voltage.

[0058] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the voltage conversion method provided by the present invention are the same as those of the voltage converter described in the above technical solutions, and will not be repeated here.

[0059] Although the invention has been described herein in conjunction with various embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand and implement other variations of the disclosed embodiments by reviewing the accompanying drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims in carrying out the claimed invention. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other components or steps, and "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality. A single processor or other unit can implement several functions listed in the claims. While different dependent claims may recite certain measures, this does not mean that these measures cannot be combined to produce good results.

[0060] Although the invention has been described in conjunction with specific features and embodiments, it is obvious that various modifications and combinations can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, this specification and drawings are merely exemplary descriptions of the invention as defined by the appended claims, and are considered to cover any and all modifications, variations, combinations, or equivalents within the scope of the invention. Clearly, those skilled in the art can make various alterations and modifications to the invention without departing from its spirit and scope. Thus, if such modifications and modifications of the invention fall within the scope of the claims and their equivalents, the invention is also intended to include such modifications and modifications.

Claims

1. A voltage converter, characterized in that, include: Electrically connected drive unit and full-bridge power amplifier unit; The driving unit is used to receive two pairs of time-delayed differential signals, and amplify and level-shift the differential signals twice to obtain two pairs of time-delayed driving signals; The swing amplitude of each pair of differential signals is less than a preset swing amplitude; The full-bridge power amplifier unit is used to output a three-level signal according to the DC voltage under the control of the drive signal; the drive unit includes two pairs of amplification branches, and each pair of amplification branches is used to connect to a pair of differential signals. Each pair of amplification branches includes: a first amplification circuit, a level shifting circuit, and a second amplification circuit; The first amplification circuit is used to receive the differential signal. The control terminal of the level shifting circuit is electrically connected to the output terminal of the corresponding first amplification circuit. The output terminal of each level shifting circuit is electrically connected to the control terminal of the corresponding second amplification circuit. The output terminal of the second amplification circuit is electrically connected to the control terminal of the full-bridge power amplification unit. The full-bridge power amplification unit is electrically connected to the output terminals of the corresponding four amplification branches.

2. The voltage converter according to claim 1, characterized in that, The full-bridge power amplifier unit includes two pairs of half-bridge circuits; the control terminal of each pair of half-bridge circuits is electrically connected to the output terminal of the corresponding amplification branch; and / or, Each pair of the amplification branches and the full-bridge power amplification unit includes a gallium nitride transistor.

3. The voltage converter according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each of the first amplifier circuits includes a first gallium nitride transistor and a first resistor for performing a first amplification of the differential signal; The control terminal of the first gallium nitride transistor in each pair of amplification branches is used to connect to a pair of differential signals.

4. The voltage converter according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each of the level shifting circuits includes: a second gallium nitride transistor, a third gallium nitride transistor, and a plurality of diodes connected in series between the second gallium nitride transistor and the third gallium nitride transistor, for adjusting the input voltage of the second gallium nitride transistor to a preset voltage; The control terminal of the second gallium nitride transistor is electrically connected to the output terminal of the first amplifier circuit.

5. The voltage converter according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each of the second amplifier circuits includes two electrically connected first amplifier circuits for a second amplification of the output signal of the level shifting circuit to output the drive signal.

6. The voltage converter according to claim 1, characterized in that, The voltage converter also includes a filter circuit electrically connected to the full-bridge power amplifier unit; The filtering circuit is used to filter out voltage signals that have a different operating frequency than the differential signal.

7. An electronic device, characterized in that, Includes the voltage converter according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. A voltage conversion method, characterized in that, Applications include voltage converters with drive units and full-bridge power amplifier units; The voltage conversion method includes: The driving unit amplifies and levels two pairs of time-delayed differential signals twice to obtain two pairs of time-delayed driving signals; the swing of each pair of differential signals is less than a preset swing. Under the control of the two pairs of driving signals, a three-level signal is output according to the DC voltage; the driving unit includes two pairs of amplification branches, each pair of amplification branches is used to input a pair of differential signals; each amplification branch in each pair of amplification branches includes: a first amplification circuit, a level shifting circuit, and a second amplification circuit; the first amplification circuit is used to input the differential signal, the control terminal of the level shifting circuit is electrically connected to the output terminal of the corresponding first amplification circuit, the output terminal of each level shifting circuit is electrically connected to the control terminal of the corresponding second amplification circuit, and the output terminal of the second amplification circuit is electrically connected to the control terminal of the full-bridge power amplification unit; the full-bridge power amplification unit is electrically connected to the output terminals of the corresponding four amplification branches.

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