A transmitting front-end module integrated with a multi-functional power supply and a communication terminal

Abstract

The present invention discloses a transmitting front-end module integrated with a multi-functional power supply and a communication terminal. The transmitting front-end module includes a logic control and power management chip, at least one power amplifier chip, an output switch chip, and a filter bank; wherein, the input ends of the logic control and power management chip are respectively connected to at least the MIPI control port and the battery voltage port. It receives power supply from an external battery assembly through the battery voltage port, and receives a first control signal from the baseband through the MIPI control port. On the one hand, it controls the state and path of the output voltage to provide power for the internal power amplifier chip or the external linear power amplifier module; on the other hand, it controls the working states of the power amplifier chip and the output switch chip. By adopting the technical solutions of time-division multiplexing power supply chips and optimized integration, the transmitting front-end module reduces the external power supply chips while ensuring reliable power supply, reduces the hardware cost, and simultaneously reduces the occupied PCB layout area.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a transmitting front-end module integrating a multi-functional power supply, and also relates to a radio frequency front-end and a communication terminal including the transmitting front-end module, belonging to the technical field of radio frequency integrated circuits. Background Art

[0002] With the development of communication systems, communication terminals need to be configured with more complex and flexible radio frequency front-ends, covering all systems from 5G, 4G, 3G to 2G, and at the same time supporting high-end requirements such as 5G+4G dual connectivity (ENDC), 5G dual transmission (2T MIMO), and 4G dual-band uplink carrier aggregation (ULCA). Therefore, the radio frequency front-end necessarily requires high-power radio frequency devices such as multiple power amplifiers and multiple power supplies, and the high efficiency and stability of the power supply circuit are crucial for the performance of the radio frequency front-end.

[0003] In the prior art, generally, the radio frequency architecture of a communication terminal requires at least two power supplies. The power supply chip, as an independent module, is generally provided by the terminal platform manufacturer itself. This power supply chip selects two external power supply chips (DC-DC converters) and cooperates with the platform's own PMIC (power management) chip to provide a combined power supply to meet the multi-channel power supply requirements of the terminal radio frequency architecture. The disadvantages of this power supply scheme are, firstly, the high hardware cost of the external power supply chip, especially the boost (step-up) type DC-DC converter; secondly, the external power supply chip requires a large PCB layout area. Therefore, terminal design manufacturers hope to reduce the hardware cost as much as possible while optimizing the power supply design to reduce the occupied area of the PCB.

[0004] In the Chinese invention patent with the patent number ZL 202210404787.2, a multi-system wireless communication radio frequency circuit and a terminal are disclosed. The wireless communication radio frequency circuit includes a transceiver, an MMB power amplifier module, a multi-channel antenna switch, an antenna, as well as an intermediate frequency low-pass filter and a low-frequency low-pass filter. The low-frequency signal output end of the transceiver includes two paths, one of which is the 2G low-frequency signal output end; the intermediate frequency signal output end of the transceiver includes two paths, one of which is the 2G intermediate frequency signal output end; in the MMB power amplifier module, the input end of the low-frequency power amplifier is connected to the 2G low-frequency signal output end, and the output end is connected to the low-frequency output switch; the input end of the intermediate frequency power amplifier is connected to the 2G intermediate frequency signal output end, and the output end is connected to the intermediate frequency output switch; the multi-channel antenna switch is connected to the intermediate frequency output switch through the intermediate frequency low-pass filter; and is connected to the low-frequency output switch through the low-frequency low-pass filter. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The primary technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a transmitting front-end module integrating a multi-functional power supply.

[0006] Another technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a radio frequency front end and a communication terminal including the transmitting front end module.

[0007] To achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0008] According to the first aspect of the embodiments of the present invention, a transmitting front end module integrated with a multi-functional power supply is provided, including at least one power amplifier chip, a logic control and power management chip, an output switch chip, and a filter bank; wherein,

[0009] The input end of the power amplifier chip is connected to at least one radio frequency input signal port, and is used for amplifying the radio frequency input signal from the outside. The amplified radio frequency signal is filtered by the filter bank and then output to the output switch chip;

[0010] The output switch chip is connected to a plurality of radio frequency signal switching ports, and is used for switching on the conduction path and coupling the radio frequency signal input from one of the radio frequency signal switching ports to the antenna port;

[0011] The input ends of the logic control and power management chip are at least respectively connected to the MIPI control port and the battery voltage port; it receives power supply from an external battery assembly through the battery voltage port, receives a first control signal from the baseband through the MIPI control port, controls the state of the output voltage, and provides power for the internal power amplifier chip or an external linear power amplifier module.

[0012] Preferably, the power amplifier chip can be configured as at least a 2G power amplifier, including a 2G low-frequency power amplifier and a 2G intermediate-frequency power amplifier.

[0013] Preferably, the logic control and power management chip includes an LDO unit, a DC-DC unit, and a control unit; wherein,

[0014] The LDO unit is a linear regulated power supply; its input end is respectively connected to the battery voltage port and the ramp control voltage port, and its output end is connected to the power amplifier chip;

[0015] The DC-DC unit is a Buck-type DC power converter and a Boost-type DC power converter, or a Buck-Boost type DC power converter. Its input end is connected to the battery voltage port, and its output end is connected to the output power port;

[0016] The input end of the control unit is connected to the MIPI control port, and is used for receiving and decoding the first control signal from the baseband, controlling the working states of the internal LDO unit and the DC-DC unit, and controlling the working states of the external power amplifier chip and the output switch chip.

[0017] Preferably, the logic control and power management chip further includes a comprehensive unit, which is a comprehensive circuit unit with functions of temperature compensation, voltage compensation, overcurrent protection and overvoltage protection.

[0018] Preferably, in the 2G communication mode, the logic control and power management chip switches to supply power to the power amplifier chip by the LDO unit; in the non-2G communication mode, the logic control and power management chip switches to supply power to at least one external linear power amplifier module through the output power port by the DC-DC unit.

[0019] Preferably, when the LDO unit supplies power to the power amplifier chip, after the LDO unit stabilizes the input battery voltage, the output voltage supplies power to the power amplifier chip, and the magnitude of the output voltage is determined by the second control signal input through the ramp control voltage port.

[0020] Preferably, when the DC-DC unit supplies power to the external linear power amplifier module, the DC-DC unit boosts or buck-boosts the battery voltage according to the first control signal and then supplies power to at least one external linear power amplifier module; when the operating voltage of the linear power amplifier module is lower than the battery voltage, the DC-DC unit operates in the DC buck conversion mode; when the operating voltage of the linear power amplifier module is higher than the battery voltage, the DC-DC unit operates in the DC boost conversion mode.

[0021] Preferably, the linear power amplifier module includes a low-frequency power amplifier, an intermediate-frequency power amplifier, a high-frequency power amplifier chip or an ultra-high-frequency power amplifier chip, and supports 3G, 4G and / or 5G communication systems.

[0022] Preferably, in the 2G communication mode, the control unit controls the 2G low-frequency power amplifier and the 2G intermediate-frequency power amplifier of the power amplifier chip, with one path turned on and the other path disabled; at the same time, the control unit controls one corresponding path of the output switch chip to conduct and the remaining paths to be closed, and couples the amplified 2G radio frequency signal to the antenna terminal.

[0023] Preferably, in the non-2G communication mode, the control unit controls the 2G low-frequency power amplifier and the 2G intermediate-frequency power amplifier of the power amplifier chip to be all disabled; at the same time, the control unit controls one corresponding path of the output switch chip to conduct and the remaining paths to be closed, and couples the non-2G radio frequency signal amplified by the external linear power amplifier module to the antenna terminal.

[0024] Preferably, the logic control and power management chip is a CMOS chip.

[0025] According to the second aspect of the embodiments of the present invention, a radio frequency front end is provided, which includes the above-mentioned transmit front end module integrated with a multi-functional power supply, and further includes at least one linear power amplifier module, a power management chip module, and a battery assembly.

[0026] According to the third aspect of the embodiments of the present invention, a communication terminal is provided, which includes the above-mentioned transmit front end module integrated with a multi-functional power supply.

[0027] Compared with the prior art, the transmit front end module integrated with a multi-functional power supply provided by the present invention adopts a time-division multiplexing and optimized integration technical solution, which reduces external power supply chips while ensuring reliable power supply, and can achieve board-level compatible design. Therefore, the transmit front end module integrated with a multi-functional power supply provided by the present invention has the beneficial effects of ingenious and reasonable structural design, low cost, high working efficiency, and reduction of the occupied PCB layout area. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a radio frequency front end power supply solution in the prior art;

[0029] Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of the transmit front end module integrated with a multi-functional power supply provided by the present invention;

[0030] Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a radio frequency front end power supply solution provided by the present invention;

[0031] Figure 4 is a schematic structural diagram of a logic control and power management chip in the embodiments of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 5 is a schematic structural diagram of a power supply solution when the radio frequency front end works in a 2G transmit scenario in the embodiments of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 6 is a schematic structural diagram of a power supply solution when the radio frequency front end works in a 4G + 5G ENDC dual-connection transmit scenario in the embodiments of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 7 is a schematic structural diagram of a power supply solution when the radio frequency front end works in a 5G dual transmit (2T MIMO) scenario in the embodiments of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 8 is a schematic structural diagram of a power supply solution when the radio frequency front end works in a 4G ULCA dual-band uplink carrier aggregation transmit in the embodiments of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 9 is a schematic structural diagram of a power supply solution when the radio frequency front end works in a 5G SA low voltage and low cost transmit in the embodiments of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 10 This is a schematic structural diagram of the power supply scheme when the radio frequency front-end works in the working scenario of a power-combined power amplifier in the embodiments of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of a communication terminal adopting a transmitting front-end module integrated with a multi-functional power supply provided by the present invention. Specific embodiments

[0039] The technical content of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0040] For the convenience of understanding and description, the present invention application first briefly introduces the power supply scheme of the radio frequency front-end in the prior art solution, and on this basis, details the specific technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0041] As Figure 1 shown, generally in the prior art, the radio frequency front-end includes a battery assembly 100, a first power supply chip (DC-DC) 110, a second power management chip (PMIC) 120, a transmitting front-end module (TXM) 130, a first multi-mode multi-frequency power amplifier module (PA1) 140, a second multi-mode multi-frequency power amplifier module (PA2) 150, and a third ultra-high frequency power amplifier module (PA3) 160. Among them, the first multi-mode multi-frequency power amplifier module (PA1) 140, the second multi-mode multi-frequency power amplifier module (PA2) 150, and the third ultra-high frequency power amplifier module (PA3) 160 are all linear power amplifier modules; the battery assembly 100 is the total power supply, which directly or indirectly provides power for the above three linear power amplifier modules and the transmitting front-end module (TXM) 130 through the first power supply chip 110 and the second power management chip 120 respectively. The specific power supply scheme is as follows:

[0042] First, the battery assembly 100 provides power for the first power supply chip 110 and the second power management chip 120. The battery voltage Vbat is processed by the DC-DC function inside the first power supply chip 110 and the second power management chip 120 for boosting (Boost) or bucking (Buck), and then provides power for the power amplifier chips 142, 152, and 162 sub-assemblies in the first multi-mode multi-frequency power amplifier module (PA1) 140, the second multi-mode multi-frequency power amplifier module (PA2) 150, and the third ultra-high frequency power amplifier module (PA3) 160 respectively.

[0043] For the different supply voltages required by the sub - assemblies of power amplifier chips 142, 152, and 162, the first - stage power supply chip 110 and the second - stage power management chip 120 can select a boost or buck DC - DC converter to supply power. Generally, the battery voltage Vbat is about 3.8V. For voltage requirements lower than the battery voltage Vbat (such as 3.4V), a buck DC - DC converter is used for power supply; for requirements higher than the battery voltage Vbat (such as 5.0V), a boost DC - DC converter is used for power supply.

[0044] Secondly, the battery assembly 100 directly supplies power to the sub - assemblies of the logic control and power management chips 141, 151, and 161 in the first - stage multi - mode multi - frequency power amplifier module (PA1) 140, the second - stage multi - mode multi - frequency power amplifier module (PA2) 150, and the third - stage ultra - high - frequency power amplifier module (PA3) 160.

[0045] Thirdly, the battery assembly 100 directly supplies power to the transmit front - end module (TXM) 130. After the battery voltage Vbat is regulated (LDO) by the logic control and power management chip 131, it is then supplied to the sub - assembly of the power amplifier chip 132. The magnitude of its supply voltage is determined by the input ramp control voltage Vramp. The sub - assembly of the logic control and power management chip 131 is also responsible for processing the control instructions of the external MIPI (Mobile Industry Processor Interface) Bus interface and providing control signals to the internal power amplifier chip 132 and the output switch chip 133 sub - assemblies.

[0046] The disadvantages of the above - mentioned power supply scheme are as follows: one is the high hardware cost of the external power supply chip, especially the boost DC - DC converter; the other is that the external power supply chip requires a large PCB (Printed Circuit Board) area. To solve the above problems existing in the prior art, this invention application provides a transmit front - end module integrated with a multi - functional power supply based on the above - mentioned RF front - end architecture to solve the problems of high cost and large PCB area occupation.

[0047] As Figure 2 shown, a transmit front - end module 130' integrated with a multi - functional power supply provided by the present invention includes a logic control and power management chip 131', at least one power amplifier chip 132, an output switch chip 133, and a filter bank 134; it also includes an MIPI control port, a ramp control voltage port Vramp, a battery voltage port Vbat, an output power port Vout, as well as at least one antenna port ANT, at least one radio - frequency input signal (MB or LB) port, and multiple radio - frequency signal switching ports TRX.

[0048] Among them, the input ends of the logic control and power management chip 131' are respectively connected to the MIPI control port, the ramp control voltage port Vramp, and the battery voltage port Vbat; it receives power supply from an external battery assembly through the battery voltage port Vbat; it receives a first control signal from the baseband through the MIPI control port, controls the state of the output voltage of the logic control and power management chip 131', and supplies power to the internal power amplifier chip 132 sub-assembly in the 2G mode, or supplies power to at least one external linear power amplifier module through the output power port Vout in the non-2G mode (3G, 4G, 5G); when supplying power to the internal power amplifier chip 132 sub-assembly, the magnitude of its supply voltage is determined by the second control signal input through the ramp control voltage port Vramp. At the same time, after the logic control and power management chip 131' receives the first control signal from the baseband through the MIPI control port, it generates an internal control signal and provides it to the internal power amplifier chip 132 and the output switch chip 133 sub-assembly.

[0049] Among them, the input end of the power amplifier chip 132 is connected to at least one radio frequency input signal port, amplifies the external radio frequency input signal in the 2G mode, and after the amplified radio frequency signal is filtered by the filter bank 134, it is output to the antenna port ANT through the corresponding path of the output switch chip 133. The power amplifier chip 132 can be configured as at least a 2G power amplifier.

[0050] Among them, the output switch chip 133 is connected to multiple radio frequency signal switching ports TRX, and it switches different signal paths to connect to the antenna port ANT according to the internal control signal. In the 2G mode, the output switch chip 133 transmits the output radio frequency signal of the internal power amplifier chip 132 sub-assembly to the antenna port ANT, or transmits the output signal of the external linear power amplifier module to the antenna port ANT in the non-2G mode (3G, 4G, 5G).

[0051] Different from the transmission front-end module 130 in the prior art, the logic control and power management chip 131' sub-assembly built in the transmission front-end module 130' provided by the present invention has the function of different power outputs in multiple scenarios.

[0052] The power supply scheme of the radio frequency front-end adopting the transmission front-end module 130' provided by the present invention is as Figure 3As shown in the figure, the RF front-end includes a battery assembly 100, a second power management integrated circuit (PMIC) 120, a transmit front-end module (TXM) 130’, a first multi-mode and multi-band power amplifier module (PA1) 140, a second multi-mode and multi-band power amplifier module (PA2) 150, and a third ultra-high frequency power amplifier module (PA3) 160. Among them, the power amplifier chip 132 in the transmit front-end module (TXM) 130’ includes a 2G low-frequency and 2G intermediate-frequency power amplifier chip; the first multi-mode and multi-band power amplifier module (PA1) 140, the second multi-mode and multi-band power amplifier module (PA2) 150, and the third ultra-high frequency power amplifier module (PA3) 160 are all linear power amplifier modules, including low-frequency, intermediate-frequency, high-frequency, or ultra-high frequency power amplifier chips, and can support 3G, 4G, and / or 5G communication systems.

[0053] The battery assembly 100 is the main power supply, and the specific power supply scheme is as follows:

[0054] First, the battery assembly 100 supplies power to the second power management integrated circuit 120. The battery voltage Vbat is boosted (Boost) or bucked (Buck) through the DC-DC function inside the second power management integrated circuit 120, and then supplies power to the power amplifier chip 152 sub-assembly in the second multi-mode and multi-band power amplifier module (PA2) 150.

[0055] Second, the battery assembly 100 directly supplies power to the logic control and power management chips 141, the logic control and power management chip 151, and the logic control and power management chip 161 sub-assemblies in the first multi-mode and multi-band power amplifier module (PA1) 140, the second multi-mode and multi-band power amplifier module (PA2) 150, and the third ultra-high frequency power amplifier module (PA3) 160.

[0056] Third, the battery assembly 100 directly supplies power to the transmit front-end module (TXM) 130’. After the battery voltage Vbat is switched and controlled by the logic control and power management chip 131’, in the 2G mode, it supplies power to the internal power amplifier chip 132. When the RF front-end switches from the 2G state to the 3G, 4G, or 5G operating state, the logic control and power management chip 131’ sub-assembly switches to the power output mode, and supplies power to the power amplifier chip 142 and the power amplifier chip 162 sub-assemblies in the external first multi-mode and multi-band power amplifier module (PA1) 140 and the third ultra-high frequency power amplifier module (PA3) 160 respectively through the output power port Vout.

[0057] Therefore, the sub-component of the logic control and power management chip 131’ has a time-division multiplexing function, making full use of the hardware value. At any given moment, it can supply power to one or more power amplifiers in a certain communication mode. This avoids the phenomenon in the prior art where the transmit front-end module 130 is idle in non-2G modes, thus saving an external independent power chip and also saving PCB area.

[0058] In an embodiment of the present invention, as Figure 4 shown, the logic control and power management chip 131’ includes an LDO unit, a DC-DC unit, a control unit, and a comprehensive unit; it also includes a MIPI control port, a ramp control voltage port Vramp, a battery voltage port Vbat, an output power port Vout, as well as an LDO voltage output port and an internal control signal output port. Among them, the LDO unit is a linear voltage regulator power supply, whose input terminal is respectively connected to the battery voltage port Vbat and the ramp control voltage port Vramp, and the output terminal is connected to the power amplifier chip 132; the DC-DC unit is a Buck-type and Boost-type DC power converter or a Buck-Boost-type DC power converter, whose input terminal is connected to the battery voltage port Vbat, and the output terminal is connected to the output power port Vout.

[0059] The input terminal of the control unit is connected to the MIPI control port. By receiving and decoding the first control signal from the baseband, on the one hand, it controls the working states of the LDO unit and the DC-DC unit, switching to supply power to the sub-component of the power amplifier chip 132 by the LDO unit in the 2G mode, and switching to supply power to at least one external linear power amplifier module through the output power port Vout by the DC-DC unit in non-2G modes (3G, 4G, 5G). On the other hand, it generates internal control signals and provides control signals to the power amplifier chip 132 and the output switch chip 133 respectively through the internal control signal output port to control the working states of the power amplifier chip 132 and the output switch chip 133.

[0060] When the logic control and power management chip 131’ supplies power to the power amplifier chip 132 in the 2G mode, the LDO unit stabilizes the battery voltage Vbat input through the battery voltage port and supplies power to the power amplifier chip 132 through the LDO voltage output port. The magnitude of the output supply voltage is determined by the ramp control voltage Vramp input through the ramp control voltage port. At the same time, it can also provide a bias voltage for the power amplifier in the power amplifier chip 132. At this time, the logic control and power management chip 131’ does not provide external power output.

[0061] When the logic control and power management chip 131' powers the external linear power amplifier module in non-2G modes (3G, 4G, 5G), after the DC-DC unit boosts (Boost) or buckles (Buck) the battery voltage Vbat input through the battery voltage port according to the first control signal, its output voltage powers at least one external linear power amplifier module through the output power port Vout. At this time, the internal power amplifier of the logic control and power management chip 131' is disabled and does not require power supply. Moreover, the designed power supply capacity of the logic control and power management chip 131' can provide sufficient current for subsequent low-voltage power amplifiers.

[0062] When the operating voltage of the external linear power amplifier module is lower than the battery voltage Vbat, the DC-DC unit operates in the DC buck conversion mode; when the operating voltage of the linear power amplifier module is higher than the battery voltage Vbat, the DC-DC unit operates in the DC boost conversion mode.

[0063] The internal control signal output by the control unit controls the low-frequency power amplifier or the intermediate-frequency power amplifier in the power amplifier chip 132 to turn one on and the other off in the 2G communication mode. At the same time, it controls one corresponding path in the output switch chip 133 to conduct and the remaining paths to turn off, and the conducting switch path couples the amplified 2G radio frequency signal to the antenna terminal.

[0064] The internal control signal output by the control unit controls all the low-frequency power amplifiers or intermediate-frequency power amplifiers in the power amplifier chip 132 to be disabled in non-2G modes (3G, 4G, 5G). At the same time, it controls one corresponding path in the output switch chip 133 to conduct and the remaining paths to turn off, and the conducting switch path couples the non-2G radio frequency signal amplified by the external linear power amplifier module to the antenna terminal.

[0065] The synthesis unit is a comprehensive circuit unit with functions such as temperature compensation, voltage compensation, overcurrent protection, and overvoltage protection.

[0066] The logic control and power management chip 131' is a separate CMOS chip. Compared with the logic control and power management chip 131 component in the prior art, the output power port Vout can be implemented using the unoccupied pins outside this component. Therefore, it is convenient to achieve PCB board-level compatibility design with the original solution. In addition, the integration level of the power supply chip is greatly improved. While reducing the board area occupied by the external power supply chip, the size of the transmitting front-end module itself does not increase, and the package and physical dimensions of the pins of the original transmitting front-end module will not be changed.

[0067] The following uses several specific application scenarios of the radio frequency front-end to illustrate the working conditions of the transmitting front-end module 130' with integrated multifunctional power supply provided by the present invention.

[0068] Application scenario 1: The RF front end works in 2G transmission scenario.

[0069] like Figure 5 As shown, in the working scenario of 2G transmission, according to the first control signal received by the MIPI control port, the logic control and power management chip 131' sub-component in the transmission front-end module 130' operates in the linear voltage regulation output (LDO) state, that is, the LDO unit works to provide a stable power supply with a low voltage lower than the battery voltage Vbat and a current>2A to power the internal 2G power amplifier chip 132 sub-component, such as Figure 5 At this time, the logic control and power management chip 131' does not provide power to the outside, that is, the DC-DC unit does not work. At the same time, the internal control signal generated by the logic control and power management chip 131' controls the working state of the power amplifier chip 132, and controls the output switch chip 133 to couple the amplified 2G radio frequency signal to the antenna end through the conduction path.

[0070] Application scenario 2: The RF front end works in 4G+5G ENDC dual-connection transmission scenario.

[0071] like Figure 6 As shown, in the working scenario of 4G+5G ENDC dual-connection transmission, since 5G usually requires high-power linear output, in order to achieve sufficient power and linearity, the power supply voltage of the linear power amplifier module is usually designed to be 4~5V, which is higher than the battery voltage of 3.8V. Therefore, the battery voltage needs to be boosted. At this time, according to the first control signal received by the MIPI control port, the logic control and power management chip 131' sub-component in the transmitting front-end module 130' operates in the boost output (Boost) state, that is, the DC-DC unit works, and its output provides a power supply with a voltage of ≤5V and a current of <1.2A for the 5G linear power amplifier module through the output power port Vout. At the same time, the PMIC chip that comes with the platform provides a power supply with a voltage of ≤3.4V and a current of <1.2A for the 4G linear power amplifier module. Figure 6 The combination of 4G+5G supports the combination of any 4G amplifier and any 5G amplifier.

[0072] At the same time, the internal control signal generated by the logic control and power management chip 131' controls the power amplifier chip 132 to be disabled, and controls the working state of the output switch chip 133, and couples the 4G or 5G RF signal amplified by the external linear power amplifier module to the antenna end through the conduction path.

[0073] Application scenario three: The RF front end works in 5G dual-transmit (2T MIMO) working scenario.

[0074] like Figure 7 As shown, in the 5G dual-transmit working scenario, although two 5G linear power amplifier modules are required to work at the same time, the power of each channel can be reduced by 50% under the condition that the total power remains unchanged. Therefore, the power supply voltage requirement is not high. Usually, the power supply voltage of 3.4V can meet the requirement, which is lower than the battery voltage of 3.8V. Therefore, the battery voltage needs to be stepped down. At this time, according to the first control signal received by the MIPI control port, the logic control and power management chip 131' subassembly in the transmitting front-end module 130' operates in the buck output (Buck) state, that is, the DC-DC unit works, and its output provides a power supply with a voltage of ≤3.4V and a current of <1.2A to one of the 5G linear power amplifier modules through the output power port Vout. At the same time, the PMIC chip that comes with the platform provides a power supply with a voltage of ≤3.4V and a current of <1.2A to another 5G linear power amplifier module. Figure 7 In the 5G dual-transmission, taking the high-frequency scenario as an example, it is also applicable to working scenarios such as ultra-high frequency dual-transmission.

[0075] At the same time, the internal control signal generated by the logic control and power management chip 131' controls the power amplifier chip 132 to be disabled, and controls the working state of the output switch chip 133, and couples the 5G RF signal amplified by the external linear power amplifier module to the antenna end through the conduction path.

[0076] Application scenario 4: The RF front end works in 4G ULCA dual-frequency uplink carrier aggregation transmission scenario.

[0077] like Figure 8 As shown, in the working scenario of 4G ULCA dual-frequency uplink carrier aggregation transmission, the power supply voltage required by the two 4G linear power amplifier modules working at the same time is 3.4V, which is lower than the battery voltage of 3.8V. Therefore, the battery voltage needs to be stepped down. At this time, according to the first control signal received by the MIPI control port, the logic control and power management chip 131' sub-component in the transmitting front-end module 130' operates in the buck output (Buck) state, that is, the DC-DC unit works, and its output provides a power supply with a voltage of ≤3.4V and a current of <1.2A to one of the 4G linear power amplifier modules through the output power port Vout. At the same time, the PMIC chip that comes with the platform provides a power supply with a voltage of ≤3.4V and a current of <1.2A to another 4G linear power amplifier module. Figure 8 In the 4G ULCA combination, any combination of two power amplifier modules can be selected.

[0078] At the same time, the internal control signal generated by the logic control and power management chip 131 ′ controls the power amplifier chip 132 to be disabled, and controls the working state of the output switch chip 133 , and couples the 4G RF signal amplified by the external linear power amplifier module to the antenna end through the conduction path.

[0079] Application scenario five: The RF front end works in the 5G SA low-voltage and low-cost transmission scenario.

[0080] like Figure 9 As shown, in the working scenario of 5G SA low-voltage and low-cost transmission, the power supply voltage of the linear power amplifier module is designed to be 3.4V low voltage, but the required current exceeds the maximum output current of the PMIC chip of the platform, which is 1.2A. At this time, according to the first control signal received by the MIPI control port, the logic control and power management chip 131' subassembly in the transmission front-end module 130' operates in the buck output state, that is, the DC-DC unit works, and its output provides a power supply with a voltage ≤3.4V and a current <1.4A for the 5G low-voltage linear power amplifier module through the output power port Vout. Figure 9 In the 5GSA low-voltage and low-cost transmission working scenario, all linear power amplifier modules share one power supply.

[0081] At the same time, the internal control signal generated by the logic control and power management chip 131' controls the power amplifier chip 132 to be disabled, and controls the working state of the output switch chip 133, and couples the 5G RF signal amplified by the external linear power amplifier module to the antenna end through the conduction path.

[0082] Application scenario six: The RF front end works in a power synthesis amplifier working scenario.

[0083] When the RF front end needs to provide high power, power synthesis is a common technical solution. Figure 10 As shown, in the working scenario of the power synthesis amplifier, if a single low-voltage power supply is used to power the synthesis amplifier, the side supply current will exceed the upper limit of 1.2A. Therefore, it is necessary to adopt a technical solution in which two power supplies are supplied separately. At this time, the logic control and power management chip 131' subassembly in the transmitting front-end module 130' operates in a buck output (Buck) state, that is, the DC-DC unit works, and its output provides a power supply with a voltage ≤3.4V and a current <1.4A to the B path in the linear power amplifier module through the output power port Vout. At the same time, the PMIC chip that comes with the platform provides a power supply with a voltage ≤3.4V and a current <1.2A to the A path in the linear power amplifier module. Figure 10 In the present invention, the synthetic power amplifier module can be applied to various frequency bands, and its power supply method can also be universal.

[0084] Based on the above-mentioned transmitting front-end module with an integrated multi-functional power supply, an embodiment of the present invention provides a radio frequency front-end, which includes a transmitting front-end module with an integrated multi-functional power supply, at least one linear power amplifier module, a power management chip module, and a battery assembly. This radio frequency front-end is used to amplify and transmit radio frequency signals for a communication terminal in a wireless communication system. The specific structure of the transmitting front-end module with an integrated multi-functional power supply in this radio frequency front-end will not be elaborated here.

[0085] In addition, the transmitting front-end module with an integrated multi-functional power supply provided by the present invention can also be used in a communication terminal as an important part of the radio frequency component. The communication terminal mentioned here refers to a communication device that can be used in a mobile environment and supports multiple communication systems such as GSM, EDGE, CDMA, TD_SCDMA, WCDMA, TDD_LTE, FDD_LTE, NR, etc., including mobile phones, laptop computers, tablet computers, in-vehicle computers, etc. In addition, the technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present invention is also applicable to other occasions of radio frequency integrated circuit applications, such as communication base stations, intelligent networked vehicles, etc.

[0086] As Figure 11 shown, this communication terminal includes at least a communication component, a processor, and a memory, and may further include a sensor component, a power supply component, a multimedia component, an input / output interface, etc. according to actual needs. Among them, the memory, communication component, sensor component, power supply component, multimedia component, and input / output interface are all connected to the processor. The memory can be a static random access memory (SRAM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), a read-only memory (ROM), a magnetic memory, a flash memory, etc., and the processor can be a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a digital signal processing (DSP) chip, etc. Other communication components, sensor components, power supply components, multimedia components, etc. can all be implemented by general components, which will not be specifically described here.

[0087] In summary, compared with the prior art, the transmitting front-end module with an integrated multi-functional power supply provided by the present invention, by adopting the technical solutions of time-division multiplexing power supply chips and optimized integration, reduces external power supply chips while ensuring reliable power supply, and can achieve board-level compatibility design. Therefore, the transmitting front-end module with an integrated multi-functional power supply provided by the present invention has the beneficial effects of ingenious and reasonable structural design, low cost, high working efficiency, and reduction of the occupied PCB layout area.

[0088] It should be noted that the above-mentioned multiple embodiments are only examples, and the technical solutions of each embodiment can be combined, all within the protection scope of the present invention. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the quantity of the indicated technical features. Thus, the features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of such features. In the description of the present invention, "a plurality of" means two or more unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0089] The above has provided a detailed description of the transmitting front-end module and the communication terminal of the integrated multi-functional power supply provided by the present invention. For those of ordinary skill in the art, any obvious changes made without departing from the essence of the present invention will constitute an infringement of the patent right of the present invention and will bear corresponding legal responsibilities.

Claims

1. An integrated multifunctional power supply transmitting front-end module, characterized in that It includes at least one power amplifier chip, a logic control and power management chip, an output switch chip and a filter bank; wherein, The input end of the power amplifier chip is connected to at least one radio frequency input signal port, and is used for amplifying the external radio frequency input signal. The amplified radio frequency signal is output to the output switch chip after being filtered by the filter bank; The output switch chip is connected to multiple radio frequency signal switching ports, and is used for switching on the conduction path to couple the radio frequency signal input from one of the radio frequency signal switching ports to the antenna port; The input ends of the logic control and power management chip are at least respectively connected to the MIPI control port and the battery voltage port; wherein, it receives the power supply from the external battery assembly through the battery voltage port, and receives the first control signal from the baseband through the MIPI control port to control the state of the output voltage; The logic control and power management chip includes an LDO unit and a DC-DC unit, adopting a time-division multiplexing method: in the 2G communication mode, the LDO unit supplies power to the power amplifier chip; in the non-2G communication mode, it is switched to the DC-DC unit to supply power to at least one external linear power amplifier module through the output power port.

2. The transmitting front-end module with an integrated multi-functional power supply according to claim 1, wherein: The power amplifier chip can be configured as at least a 2G power amplifier, including a 2G low-frequency power amplifier and a 2G intermediate-frequency power amplifier.

3. The transmitting front-end module with an integrated multi-functional power supply according to claim 1, wherein The logic control and power management chip further includes a control unit; wherein, The LDO unit is a linear voltage regulator power supply; its input end is respectively connected to the battery voltage port and the ramp control voltage port, and the output end is connected to the power amplifier chip; The DC-DC unit is a Buck-type DC power converter and a Boost-type DC power converter, or a Buck-Boost type DC power converter. Its input end is connected to the battery voltage port, and the output end is connected to the output power port; The input end of the control unit is connected to the MIPI control port, and is used for decoding the first control signal received from the baseband, controlling the working states of the internal LDO unit and the DC-DC unit, and controlling the working states of the external power amplifier chip and the output switch chip.

4. The transmitting front-end module with an integrated multi-functional power supply according to claim 3, wherein: The logic control and power management chip further includes a comprehensive unit, and the comprehensive unit is a comprehensive circuit unit with functions of temperature compensation, voltage compensation, over-current protection and over-voltage protection.

5. The transmitting front-end module with an integrated multi-functional power supply according to claim 1, wherein: When the LDO unit supplies power to the power amplifier chip, the LDO unit stabilizes the input battery voltage and then outputs the voltage to supply power to the power amplifier chip. The magnitude of this output voltage is determined by the second control signal input from the ramp control voltage port.

6. The transmitting front-end module with an integrated multi-functional power supply according to claim 1, wherein: When the DC-DC unit powers the external linear power amplifier module, after boosting or bucking the battery voltage according to the first control signal, the DC-DC unit powers at least one external linear power amplifier module; when the operating voltage of the linear power amplifier module is lower than the battery voltage, the DC-DC unit operates in the DC buck conversion mode; when the operating voltage of the linear power amplifier module is higher than the battery voltage, the DC-DC unit operates in the DC boost conversion mode.

7. The transmitting front-end module with an integrated multifunctional power supply according to claim 1, wherein: The linear power amplifier module includes a low-frequency power amplifier, an intermediate-frequency power amplifier, a high-frequency power amplifier chip or an ultra-high-frequency power amplifier chip, and supports 3G, 4G and / or 5G communication systems.

8. The transmitting front-end module with an integrated multifunctional power supply according to claim 3, wherein: In the 2G communication mode, the control unit controls the 2G low-frequency power amplifier and the 2G intermediate-frequency power amplifier of the power amplifier chip, one of which is turned on and the other is disabled; at the same time, controls one corresponding path in the output switch chip to conduct and the remaining paths to close, and couples the amplified 2G radio frequency signal to the antenna terminal.

9. The transmitting front-end module with an integrated multifunctional power supply according to claim 3, wherein: In the non-2G communication mode, the control unit controls both the 2G low-frequency power amplifier and the 2G intermediate-frequency power amplifier of the power amplifier chip to be disabled; at the same time, controls one corresponding path in the output switch chip to conduct and the remaining paths to close, and couples the non-2G radio frequency signal amplified by the external linear power amplifier module to the antenna terminal.

10. The transmitting front-end module with an integrated multifunctional power supply according to claim 1 or 3, wherein: The logic control and power management chip is a CMOS chip.

11. A radio frequency front end, characterized in that The transmitting front-end module with an integrated multifunctional power supply according to any one of claims 1 to 10 further includes at least one linear power amplifier module, a power management chip module and a battery assembly.

12. A communication terminal, characterized in that The transmitting front-end module with an integrated multifunctional power supply according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

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