RF front-end modules and corresponding RF front-end systems, chips and electronic devices

Abstract

The present invention discloses an RF front-end module, which includes at least one driving amplifier and at least one power amplifier, and the output end of the driving amplifier is connected to the input end of the power amplifier, the RF front-end module is powered by a power source during operation, and when a preset power source switching condition is met, the at least one driving amplifier and / or the power amplifier are jointly powered by the power source and the battery power source. The RF front-end module provided by the present invention can eliminate the overall maximum output power limitation caused by the insufficient operating current of the power management chip in a low-voltage and high-power operating state, and can meet the application requirements of electronic devices for APT mode.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention belongs to the field of RF integrated circuit technology, and relates to an RF front-end module, as well as a multi-mode multi-frequency RF front-end system, an integrated circuit chip, and an electronic device equipped with the RF front-end module. [Background technology]

[0002] With the development of communication technology and the continuous increase of data services, communication terminals and other electronic devices have increasingly higher requirements for the performance of RF front-end modules. For example, RF front-end modules require more operating modes and frequency bandwidths to meet the requirements of regional communication standards, while at the same time achieving higher operating efficiency to maintain the long-term operating capability of electronic devices.

[0003] To meet the above requirements, RF front-end modules using envelope tracking (abbreviated as ET) mode or average power tracking (abbreviated as APT) mode have become the trend of development in the industry. Here, the ET mode is an operating mode that establishes a link between the working voltage of the power amplifier and the input RF signal and tracks both in real time to improve the working efficiency of the power amplifier. The APT mode is an operating mode that automatically adjusts the working voltage of the power amplifier based on the previously output power of the power amplifier, in combination with the parameters of the power amplifier itself. In practice, when the output power is below a certain value, the working efficiency of the ET mode is lower than that of the APT mode, so APT / ET mode, that is, the ET mode is used in high power states and the APT mode is used in medium and low power states.

[0004] On the other hand, existing RF front-end modules usually use high-voltage power supply in high-power state. However, high-voltage power supply reduces the operational reliability of the RF front-end module on the one hand, and requires the adoption of a boost DC-DC module on the other hand, which increases the cost of electronic equipment. When low-voltage power is supplied, the RF front-end module does not require power supply from the boost DC-DC module, and at the same time, the operational reliability is improved. However, the operating current required when supplying low-voltage power is much larger than the operating current required when supplying high-voltage power, and existing power management chips generally cannot supply a large enough operating current, making it difficult for the RF front-end module to achieve a high-power state when supplying low-voltage power. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The main technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an RF front-end module with an improved power supply method, which can eliminate the limitation of the overall maximum output power caused by the insufficient operating current of the power management chip in low-voltage and high-power operating conditions.

[0006] Another technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an RF front-end system including the above-mentioned RF front-end module.

[0007] Another technical problem that the present invention aims to solve is to provide an integrated circuit chip including the above RF front-end module and a corresponding electronic device.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions: According to a first aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an RF front-end module comprising at least one driving amplifier and at least one power amplifier, an output end of the driving amplifier is connected to an input end of the power amplifier, the RF front-end module is powered by a power supply during operation, and when a preset power supply switching condition is met, the at least one driving amplifier and / or the power amplifier are jointly powered by the power supply VCC and a battery power supply Vbatt.

[0009] Preferably, the power switch condition is that a maximum operating current of the RF front-end module reaches or exceeds a maximum current that can be supplied by a single power management chip.

[0010] Alternatively, the power supply switching condition is that the output power of the RF front-end module reaches or exceeds the maximum linear power when powered solely by the power supply.

[0011] Preferably, when the number of said driving amplifiers is greater than one, there is a cascade connection between each of said driving amplifiers.

[0012] Preferably, when the number of the power amplifiers is greater than one, a parallel connection is made between each of the power amplifiers.

[0013] Preferably, the output end of the power amplifier is connected to an impedance matching network comprising a switch, a capacitor and an inductor, and the switch changes the output impedance of the impedance matching network by opening and closing in accordance with the operating state of the power amplifier.

[0014] Preferably, both the driver amplifier and the power amplifier have independently controlled power supply networks.

[0015] Preferably, each of the power supply networks, the overcurrent protection circuit and the overvoltage protection circuit are connected in series.

[0016] Preferably, the power supply network is composed of a first bypass capacitor, a second bypass capacitor, a sixth bypass capacitor and a first switch, the first bypass capacitor having one end grounded and the other end connected to a battery power source, the second bypass capacitor having one end grounded and the other end connected to the common end of the first switch, the sixth bypass capacitor having one end grounded and the other end connected to the power source, and the other end of the first switch being switched between two power supply options, one being the battery power source and the other being the power source.

[0017] Alternatively, the power supply network is composed of a first bypass capacitor, a second bypass capacitor and a second switch, one end of the second bypass capacitor is connected to one end of the second switch and the other end is directly grounded, the other end of the second switch is connected to a battery power source on the one hand and to one end of the first bypass capacitor on the other hand, and the other end of the first bypass capacitor is directly grounded.

[0018] Alternatively, the power supply network is composed of a third bypass capacitor, a fourth bypass capacitor, and a third switch, one end of the third bypass capacitor is connected to a power supply and the other end is grounded, and one end of the fourth bypass capacitor is connected to a power supply and the other end is connected to the third switch and then grounded.

[0019] Preferably, the power amplifier has a power divider at an input end and a power combiner at an output end; the power divider is one of a 90 degree power divider, a Wilkerson power divider, a transformer power divider, or a 180 degree power divider; The power combiner is one of a 90 degree power combiner, a Wilkerson power combiner, a transformer power combiner, or a 180 degree power combiner.

[0020] Alternatively, the power divider is replaced by a coupler.

[0021] According to a second aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a multi-mode multi-frequency RF front-end system, comprising a battery power supply Vbatt, a power management chip, and N RF front-end modules connected in parallel, where the battery power supply Vbatt supplies power to the power management chip, the power management chip supplies a corresponding power supply VCC, and the battery power supply Vbatt and the power supply VCC respectively supply power to each RF front-end module, where N is a positive integer.

[0022] According to a third aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an integrated circuit chip comprising the RF front-end module.

[0023] According to a fourth aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an electronic device comprising the RF front-end module. Effect of the Invention

[0024] Compared with the prior art, the RF front-end module provided by the present invention can eliminate the limitation of the overall maximum output power caused by the insufficient operating current of the power management chip in the low-voltage and high-power operating state, and can meet the application requirements of electronic devices for APT mode. The technical improvement solution provided by the present invention has a clear principle, a simple structure, and can be applied to various RF front-end modules. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example RF front-end module in the prior art. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a circuit of an RF front-end module in Example 1 of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a circuit of an RF front-end module in a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4]1 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a multi-mode multi-frequency RF front-end system employing an RF front-end module provided by the present invention; [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the power supply architecture of a multi-mode multi-frequency RF front-end system employing an RF front-end module provided by the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a circuit of an RF front-end module in a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing the decomposition structure of three corresponding power supply networks (PSNs) in the third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a circuit of an RF front-end module in Example 4 of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing the decomposition structure of three corresponding power supply networks (PSNs) in the fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing the circuitry of an RF front-end module in accordance with a fifth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing the decomposition structure of three corresponding power supply networks (PSNs) in the fifth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing the circuitry of an RF front-end module in Example 6 of the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing the decomposition structure of three corresponding power supply networks (PSNs) in Example 6 of the present invention. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a modification of the seventh embodiment of the present invention in which the input power is divided into two through a 90-degree power divider and the output power is combined through a 90-degree power combiner. [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a variant in which the input power is divided into two through a Wilkerson power divider and the output power is combined through a Wilkerson power combiner in Example 7 of the present invention. [Figure 16]FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a modification in which the input power is divided into two through a transformer power divider and the output power is combined through a transformer power combiner in the seventh embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a variant in which the input power is divided into two through a 180-degree power divider and the output power is combined through a 180-degree power combiner in the seventh embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 18] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing the circuitry of an RF front-end module according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 19] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing the circuit of an RF front-end module in Example 9 of the present invention. [Figure 20] A schematic diagram showing the circuit of an RF front-end module in Example 10 of the present invention. [Figure 21] This figure shows an electronic device that uses this RF front-end module. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0026] The technical contents of the present invention will be described in more detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0027] As shown in Fig. 1, an exemplary RF front-end module in the prior art includes an input matching circuit, an amplifier unit, an output matching circuit, a control unit and a switch, where the input matching circuit is connected to the input end on one side and to the amplifier unit on the other side, so as to realize impedance matching between the amplifier unit and the front-stage circuit. The amplifier unit is connected between the input matching circuit and the output matching circuit to realize power amplification of the small signal input. The output matching circuit is connected to the amplifier unit on one side and to one circuit in the selector switch on the other side to realize power matching of the amplifier unit. The control unit is connected between the selector switch and the bias power supply terminal of the amplifier unit to provide bias voltages and logic levels required for the operation of the amplifier unit and the selector switch. The selector switch controls the selection of different port outputs of the amplified RF signal based on this logic level.

[0028] In existing RF front-end modules, the amplification unit often consists of at least one driver amplifier (abbreviated as DA) and at least one power amplifier (abbreviated as PA), where the driver amplifier and the power amplifier are both powered by a battery power supply Vbatt, or the driver amplifier is powered by a battery power supply Vbatt and the power amplifier is powered by a power supply VCC. However, existing RF front-end modules must be powered by a battery power source Vbatt in either a medium or low power output state and must have a specific amplifier. However, since the battery power supply Vbatt is a fixed voltage and does not have an average power tracking function, the operating efficiency achieved is very low, and the APT mode cannot be entered, which cannot meet the requirements of modern communication technology for high-efficiency applications.

[0029] To solve the above problems, the embodiment of the present invention first provides an RF front-end module with an improved power supply method. The core idea of ​​this RF front-end module is to ensure that the RF front-end module realizes APT (i.e., average power tracking) mode by powering the amplifier unit only with the power supply VCC when it works normally. When the preset power supply switching condition is met, the amplifier unit is jointly powered by both the power supply VCC and the battery power supply Vbatt, so that the RF front-end module realizes a high-power operating state under a low-voltage power supply situation.

[0030] In the following, various embodiments of the RF front-end module will be described in detail by combining different examples shown in FIGS.

[0031] In the first embodiment of the present invention, the RF front-end module includes at least one stage of a driver amplifier circuit and at least one stage of a power amplifier circuit. Here, the driver amplifier circuit and the power amplifier circuit are cascaded to form an amplifier unit, and the driver amplifier circuit includes at least one driver amplifier (when there is more than one driver amplifier, the driver amplifier is cascaded between the multiple driver amplifiers) whose main function is to provide gain and provide driving power to the power amplifier circuit. The power amplifier circuit comprises at least one power amplifier (connected in parallel between multiple power amplifiers if there is more than one power amplifier). Impedance matching networks may be provided between adjacent stages of the driver amplifier and between the driver amplifier circuitry and the power amplifier circuitry. At the same time, corresponding impedance matching networks may also be installed between the input end and the driving amplifier circuit, and between the power amplifier circuit and the output end, as an input matching circuit and an output matching circuit, respectively.

[0032] In the embodiment 1 shown in FIG. 2, the driving amplifier circuit includes a driving amplifier DA, and the power amplifier circuit includes a power amplifier PA. Here, a first impedance matching network (abbreviated as MN) MN1 is provided between the input end of the RF front-end module and the driving amplifier DA, and a second impedance matching network MN2 is provided between the driving amplifier DA and the power amplifier PA. A third impedance matching network MN3 is provided between the power amplifier PA and the output end of the RF front-end module. A power supply VCC feeds power to the power amplifier PA through a first power supply network PSN1, and feeds power to the driving amplifier DA through a third power supply network PSN3. A battery power supply Vbatt feeds power to the power amplifier PA through a second power supply network PSN2 when a preset power supply switching condition is met. Also, the driver amplifier DA has an independently set first bias voltage Vreg1, and the power amplifier PA has an independently set second bias voltage Vreg2, where a power supply VCC is provided by a power management chip to provide working voltage and current to the corresponding driver amplifier (DA) and power amplifier (PA), the driver amplifier (DA) is responsible for providing gain and input power required for the power amplifier (PA), and the power amplifier (PA) is responsible for providing output power. Each impedance matching network (for example, MN1, MN2, and MN3 in FIG. 2) may be composed of passive elements such as switches, capacitors, inductors, couplers, and transformers, and the description thereof will be omitted here.

[0033] In the second embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the driving amplifier circuit is realized by a first driving amplifier DA1 and a second driving amplifier DA2 connected in cascade, and a first impedance matching network MN1 is provided between the first driving amplifier DA1 and the second driving amplifier DA2 as an inter-stage matching network. The input of the first driver amplifier DA1 is connected to the input of the RF front-end module. The power amplifier circuit is realized by two power amplifiers PA1 and PA2 connected in parallel. Here, the output of the second driver amplifier DA2 is connected to a second impedance matching network MN2. The second impedance matching network MN2 is connected to the input terminals of the two parallel-connected power amplifiers PA1 and PA2 as an impedance matching and power distribution network. The output terminal of the first power amplifier PA1 is connected to one terminal of the third impedance matching network MN3, the output terminal of the second power amplifier PA2 is connected to one terminal of the fourth impedance matching network MN4, and the third impedance matching network MN3 is connected in parallel with the other terminal of the fourth impedance matching network MN4, and they are jointly connected to the output terminal of the RF front-end module. Here, the third impedance matching network MN3 and the fourth impedance matching network MN4, which connect the output ends, can be composed of passive elements such as switches, capacitors, inductors, couplers, and transformers as output matching and power combining networks for matching the output impedance to the optimal load impedance of the power amplifier. Furthermore, other impedance matching networks such as the first impedance matching network MN1 and the second impedance matching network MN2 can also be configured from passive elements such as capacitors, inductors, couplers, and transformers.

[0034] In a different embodiment of the present invention, each driver amplifier circuit and power amplifier circuit both have an independently controlled power supply network. These power supply networks may be composed of bypass capacitors, inductors and switches, and are used to switch the power supply ends of each of the driver amplifier circuits and the power amplifier circuits between a power supply VCC (supplied by the power management chip), a battery power supply Vbatt and high impedance (i.e., disconnected from the power supply) under different output power requirements to achieve different power output states. For example, in the second embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the power supply VCC is connected to the first driver amplifier DA1 and the second driver amplifier DA2 via a third power supply network PSN3, respectively. The first driver amplifier DA1 and the second driver amplifier DA2 have independently set first and second bias voltages Vreg1 and Vreg2, respectively. Similarly, the first power amplifier PA1 has an independently set third bias voltage Vreg3, and the second power amplifier PA2 has an independently set fourth bias voltage Vreg4. A power supply VCC supplies the first power amplifier PA1 via a first power supply network PSN1. At the same time, the battery power supply Vbatt supplies power to the second power amplifier PA2 via the second power supply network PSN2 when a preset power supply switching condition is met. The four bias voltages Vreg1, Vreg2, Vreg3, and Vreg4 each supply a bias voltage to a corresponding driver amplifier (DA) and power amplifier (PA).

[0035] When this RF front-end module operates normally, when it enters a medium or low power output state, it can select some of the power amplifiers to operate and the remaining power amplifiers to be turned off. For example, as in Example 2 shown in FIG. 3, by adjusting the fourth bias voltage Vreg4 functioning as a bias voltage, the second power amplifier PA2 can be disconnected, and therefore only the front-stage driving amplifier circuit and the first power amplifier PA1 in the amplification unit can operate normally. At this time, it is sufficient to supply power from a single power supply, the power supply VCC, and all operating current of the entire amplifier circuit is supplied from the power supply VCC. The voltage and current values ​​output from the power supply VCC can be flexibly adjusted, so that this RF front-end module can be controlled via the power supply VCC to achieve a high-power operating state under a low-voltage power supply situation.

[0036] When the RF front-end module is operating normally, in a high power output state, the first power amplifier PA1 and the second power amplifier PA2 can be operated simultaneously, and when the power supply terminal of a particular power amplifier is connected to the power supply VCC provided by the power management chip, the maximum current of the power amplifier does not exceed the maximum operating current of the power management chip. Because the maximum operating current that a single power management chip can supply is limited, the maximum output power of this RF front-end module is limited by the maximum operating current of the power supply VCC, which is often difficult to meet actual needs. For this reason, the present invention improves the power supply method of the RF front-end module, and when a preset power supply switching condition is met, the amplification unit is not only powered by the power supply VCC as a single power supply, but is jointly powered by both the power supply VCC and the battery power supply Vbatt. The power supply switching condition here includes, but is not limited to, the following situations: 1) the maximum operating current of the RF front-end module reaches or exceeds the maximum current that can be supplied by a single power management chip, or 2) the output power of the RF front-end module reaches or exceeds the maximum linear power when the power supply VCC is supplied alone. Here, the maximum linear power refers to the maximum power that the RF front-end module can output when the adjacent channel leakage ratio (ACLR) and error vector magnitude (EVM) meet the requirements of the 3GPP specification. The specific values ​​of the ACLR and EVM mentioned above can be obtained using a spectrum meter or a mobile phone comprehensive tester. When the above power supply switching conditions are met, the battery power supply Vbatt (the battery power supply Vbatt at this time corresponds to the auxiliary power supply) is added to the power supply operation of the driving amplifier and / or the power amplifier, that is, at least one power supply end of the power amplifier and / or the driving amplifier is connected, and the problem that the maximum output power of this RF front-end module is limited by the maximum operating current of the power supply VCC can be solved.

[0037] On the other hand, the output matching networks of this RF front-end module (e.g., the third impedance matching network MN3 and the fourth impedance matching network MN4 in Figure 3) have the property that when the supply voltage of a particular power amplifier changes, it affects the operating state of this power amplifier, for example, the transition from an amplified state to an off state, or from an off state to an amplified state. At this time, by controlling the switch in the impedance matching network, the output impedance can be adjusted, such as an impedance value when the switch is closed, and another impedance value when the switch is opened. Through the flexible combination of related passive elements in the impedance matching network, the adjustment of the impedance at the output end can be realized to compensate for the impedance change caused by the change of the working state of the amplifying unit.

[0038] Figure 4 shows the structure of a multi-mode, multi-frequency RF front-end system using this RF front-end module. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the multi-mode multi-frequency RF front-end system includes a battery power supply Vbatt, a power management chip, and N RF front-end modules (RF FEM1, RF FEM2...RF FEMN) connected in parallel, where N is a positive integer. Each RF front-end module employs the basic architecture described in the first embodiment. At the application end of this RF front-end module (usually an electronic device such as a smartphone), the battery power supply Vbatt supplies power to the power management chip (abbreviated as PMIC), which in turn supplies the corresponding power supply VCC. The battery power supply Vbatt and the power supply VCC each supply power to each RF front-end module.

[0039] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing the power supply architecture of a multi-mode, multi-frequency RF front-end system employing this RF front-end module. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, a battery power supply Vbatt and a power supply VCC output Vout1 via a first power supply network PSN1 to power a first power amplifier PA1. The battery power supply Vbatt and the power supply VCC are outputted as Vout2 via a second power supply network PSN2 to power a second power amplifier PA2. The battery power supply Vbatt and the power supply VCC output Vout3 via a third power supply network PSN3 to power the first driver amplifier DA1 and the second driver amplifier DA2. The analogy is as follows when there are N RF front-end modules connected in parallel.

[0040] The RF front-end module and corresponding multi-mode multi-frequency RF front-end system provided by the present invention can have multiple power output states, thus adapting to the requirements of different communication modes. In one embodiment of the present invention, the output state of the RF front-end module and the corresponding multi-mode multi-frequency RF front-end system can be divided into three power stages: high power (abbreviated as HPM), medium power (abbreviated as MPM) and low power (abbreviated as LPM). The specific power division of the above three stages is related to the chip design, and the numerical setting is relatively flexible, for example, it can be 18-26dBm (high power), 8-18dbm (medium power) and less than 8dBm (low power), it can be 16-28dBm (high power), 6-16dbm (medium power) and less than 6dBm (low power), it can also be 18-30dBm (high power), 6-18dbm (medium power) and less than 6dBm (low power). In other embodiments of the present invention, the above output states may be subdivided into six, eight or even more power stages, which will not be described in detail herein by way of example.

[0041] On the other hand, the RF front-end module and the corresponding multi-mode multi-frequency RF front-end system provided by the present invention may operate in different frequency bands. These frequency bands include, but are not limited to, a low frequency band (abbreviated as LB) substantially in the range of 600 MHz to 900 MHz, a medium frequency band (abbreviated as MB) substantially in the range of 1800 MHz to 2200 MHz, and a high frequency band substantially in the range of 2300 MHz to 2700 MHz, and the like, which will not be described in detail in this specification by way of examples.

[0042] Some other embodiments of the present invention will be further described below with reference to FIGS.

[0043] In the third embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the basic architecture of the RF front-end module is basically the same as that of the second embodiment shown in FIG. 3, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted in this specification. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing an exploded structure of three corresponding power supply networks (PSNs) in the third embodiment shown in FIG. In the third embodiment, a first power supply network PSN1 for supplying power to a first power amplifier PA1 is composed of two bypass capacitors C3 and C4 and a switch SPST3. Here, one end of the bypass capacitor C3 is connected to a power supply VCC, and the other end is directly grounded. The bypass capacitor C4 has one end connected to the power supply VCC and the other end connected to the switch SPST3 and then grounded. Similarly, the second power supply network PSN2 for supplying power to the second power amplifier PA2 is composed of two bypass capacitors C1 and C2 and a switch SPST1, where one end of the bypass capacitor C2 is connected to the common end of the switch SPST1 and the other end is directly grounded. The other end of the switch SPST1 is connected to the battery power supply Vbatt on one side and to one end of the bypass capacitor C1 on the other side, the other end of which is directly grounded.

[0044] Optionally, a fifth impedance matching network MN5 is installed at the output end of the second power amplifier PA2 and is grounded via a switch SPST2 connected in series with the fifth impedance matching network MN5, which serves as an output impedance adjustment network for the second power amplifier PA2 and may be composed of passive elements such as a capacitor, an inductor, and a resistor.

[0045] In embodiment 3, when the amplification unit in the RF front-end module is in the multi-power supply mode, the switch SPST1 is turned on to supply power to the second power amplifier PA2, the switch SPST3 is also turned on to connect the bypass capacitor C4 to the circuit, and the switch SPST2 is disconnected, and the fifth impedance matching network MN5 is not connected to the circuit. When the amplification unit in the RF front-end module is in single power supply mode, the switch SPST1 is disconnected and the switch SPST2 is closed, thereby connecting the fifth impedance matching network MN5 into the circuit to compensate for the impedance change caused by the second power amplifier PA2 not working. When the amplification unit in the RF front-end module is not operational, the switch SPST3 is disconnected, the bypass capacitor C4 is not connected to the circuit, and the SPST1 is disconnected and in a high resistance state. This shows that the circuit design also allows the bypass capacitor C4 and the switch SPST3 to be optional.

[0046] In the fourth embodiment shown in Fig. 8, the basic architecture of the RF front-end module is basically the same as that in the second embodiment shown in Fig. 3, and the description is omitted here. Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram showing the decomposition structure of three corresponding power supply networks (PSNs) in the fourth embodiment shown in Fig. 8. In the fourth embodiment, the first power supply network PSN1 that supplies power to the first power amplifier PA1 is composed of two bypass capacitors C3 and C4 and a switch SPST4. Here, the bypass capacitor C3 has one end connected to the power supply VCC and the other end directly grounded. The bypass capacitor C4 has one end connected to the power supply VCC and the other end connected to the switch SPST4 and then grounded. Thus, the circuit design of this part is the same as the corresponding part in the third embodiment. The circuit design of the fourth embodiment differs from that of the third embodiment mainly in the second power supply network PSN2 that supplies power to the second power amplifier PA2. In the fourth embodiment, the second power supply network PSN2 is composed of three bypass capacitors C1, C2, and C6, and a single-pole double-throw switch SPDT1. Here, the bypass capacitor C1 has one end grounded and the other end connected to the battery power supply Vbatt. The bypass capacitor C2 has one end grounded and the other end connected to the common end of the single-pole double-throw switch SPDT1. The bypass capacitor C6 has one end grounded and the other end connected to the power supply VCC. The other side of the single-pole double-throw switch SPDT1 switches between two power options, one being the battery power supply Vbatt and the other being the power supply VCC.

[0047] In the fourth embodiment, the single-pole double-throw switch SPDT1 selects the conduction of the battery power supply Vbatt when the amplifying unit in the RF front-end module is in the multi-power supply mode, and selects the conduction of the power supply VCC when the amplifying unit in the RF front-end module is in the single power supply mode, so that the amplifying unit is in the APT mode. In addition, when the amplifying unit in the RF front-end module operates, the switch SPST4 is conducted, and when the amplifying unit in the RF front-end module does not operate, the switch SPST4 and the single-pole double-throw switch SPDT1 are both disconnected and in a high resistance state.

[0048] In the fifth embodiment shown in FIG. 10, the basic architecture of the RF front-end module is basically the same as that of the second embodiment shown in FIG. 3, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted here. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing an exploded structure of three corresponding power supply networks (PSNs) in the fifth embodiment shown in FIG. In the fifth embodiment, the first power supply network PSN1 that supplies power to the first power amplifier PA1 and the second power supply network PSN2 that supplies power to the second power amplifier PA2 both adopt the circuit design of the second power supply network PSN2 in the third embodiment. That is, the first power supply network PSN1 includes three bypass capacitors C3, C4, and C7 and a single-pole double-throw switch SPDT2. Here, the bypass capacitor C4 has one end grounded and the other end connected to the battery power supply Vbatt. The bypass capacitor C3 has one end grounded and the other end connected to the common end of the single-pole double-throw switch SPDT2. The bypass capacitor C7 has one end grounded and the other end connected to the power supply VCC. The other end of the single-pole double-throw switch SPDT2 switches between two power supply options, one of which is the battery power supply Vbatt and the other is the power supply VCC. The second power supply network PSN2 comprises three bypass capacitors C1, C2 and C6 and a single-pole double-throw switch SPDT1. Here, the bypass capacitor C1 has one end grounded and the other end connected to the battery power supply Vbatt. The bypass capacitor C2 has one end grounded and the other end connected to the common end of the single-pole double-throw switch SPDT1. The bypass capacitor C6 has one end grounded and the other end connected to the power supply VCC. The other side of the single-pole double-throw switch SPDT1 switches between two power supply options, one is the battery power supply Vbatt and the other is the power supply VCC.

[0049] In embodiment 5, the single-pole double-throw switches SPDT1 and SPDT2 both select the conduction of the battery power supply Vbatt when the amplification unit in the RF front-end module is in the multi-power supply mode, so that the amplification unit is in the APT mode, and both select the conduction of the power supply VCC when the amplification unit in the RF front-end module is in the single-power supply mode. When the amplification unit in the RF front-end module is in an off state, the single-pole double-throw switch SPDT1 and the switch SPDT2 are both disconnected and in a high resistance state.

[0050] In the sixth embodiment shown in Fig. 12, the basic architecture of the RF front-end module is basically the same as that in the second embodiment shown in Fig. 3, and the description is omitted here. Fig. 13 is a schematic diagram showing the decomposition structure of three corresponding power supply networks (PSNs) in the sixth embodiment shown in Fig. 12. In the sixth embodiment, the first power supply network PSN1 for supplying power to the first power amplifier PA1 is composed of two bypass capacitors C3 and C4 and a switch SPST3, where one end of the bypass capacitor C3 is connected to a power supply VCC and the other end is directly grounded. The bypass capacitor C4 has one end connected to the power supply VCC, and the other end connected to the switch SPST3 and then grounded. Similarly, the second power supply network PSN2 that supplies power to the second power amplifier PA2 is composed of two bypass capacitors C1 and C2 and an LDO circuit. Here, the bypass capacitor C2 has one end connected to the LDO circuit and the other end directly grounded, and the other end of the LDO circuit is connected to the battery power supply Vbatt on one hand and to one end of the bypass capacitor C1 on the other hand. The other end of the bypass capacitor C1 is directly grounded. In the sixth embodiment, the LDO circuit is powered by a battery power supply Vbatt, and its output Vout2 is a relatively stable voltage value. When the output voltage of the battery power supply Vbatt fluctuates greatly, the voltage value of Vout2 is a relatively stable voltage value, which provides overvoltage protection for the second power amplifier PA2. Optionally, a fifth impedance matching network MN5 is provided at the output end of the second power amplifier PA2, and the fifth impedance matching network MN5 is grounded via a switch SPST2 connected in series. The fifth impedance matching network MN5 functions as an output impedance adjustment network for the second power amplifier PA2, and may be composed of passive elements such as capacitors, inductors, and resistors.

[0051] In Example 6, when the amplifying unit in the RF front-end module is in a multi-power supply mode, the LDO circuit is turned on to power the second power amplifier PA2, and the switch SPST3 is also turned on to connect the bypass capacitor C4 to the circuit, while the switch SPST2 is disconnected and the fifth impedance matching network MN5 is not connected to the circuit. When the amplifying unit in the RF front-end module is in single power supply mode, the LDO circuit is disconnected and the switch SPST2 is closed to connect the fifth impedance matching network MN5 to the circuit to compensate for the impedance change caused by the second power amplifier PA2 not working. When the amplifying unit in the RF front-end module is not working, the switch SPST3 is disconnected, the bypass capacitor C4 is not connected to the circuit, and the SPST1 is disconnected and in a high resistance state. This shows that the bypass capacitor C4 and the switch SPST3 are also optional in the circuit design.

[0052] In the seventh embodiment of the present invention, a different power combining structure adopted in this RF front-end module is disclosed. In the seventh embodiment, the basic architecture of the RF front-end module is basically the same as that of the second embodiment shown in Fig. 3, and the description thereof will be omitted here. Figs. 14 to 17 show different modified examples of the seventh embodiment. Here, in Fig. 14, the input power is divided into two through a 90-degree power divider, and the output power is combined through a 90-degree power combiner. In FIG. 15, the input power is split into two via a Wilkerson power divider and the output power is combined via a Wilkerson power combiner. In FIG. 16, the input power is split into two via a transformer power divider, and the output power is combined via a transformer power combiner. In FIG. 17, the input power is split into two via a 180 degree power divider and the output power is combined via a 180 degree power combiner. In the above Example 7, by flexibly combining the power divider and the power combiner, the adjustment range of the output power of the RF front-end module is expanded, thereby meeting the actual needs of different frequencies and different communication modes. At the same time, each of the power supply networks (PSN) in FIG. 14 to FIG. 17 can be the power supply network methods described in the above-mentioned embodiments or different combinations thereof, and the description thereof will be omitted here.

[0053] It should be noted that the power divider employed in Example 7 can be replaced by a coupler, which can unequally split the input power into two paths separated by different ratios such as 1:2, 1:3, etc., thus realizing a wider range and more flexible output power adjustment.

[0054] Fig. 18 shows an eighth embodiment of the present invention. In the eighth embodiment, the basic architecture of the RF front-end module is basically the same as that of the second embodiment shown in Fig. 3, and therefore the description thereof will be omitted here. The difference between Example 8 and Example 2 is mainly in that an overcurrent protection (abbreviated as OCP) circuit and an overvoltage protection (abbreviated as OVP) circuit are connected in series on the first power supply network PSN1 and / or the second power supply network PSN2 in order to improve the operational reliability of the amplification unit. Here, the OCP circuit provides overcurrent protection by limiting the maximum current when the current of the amplification unit exceeds a predetermined threshold, and the OVP circuit provides overvoltage protection by limiting the maximum voltage when the power supply voltage of the amplification unit exceeds a threshold.

[0055] FIG. 19 shows a ninth embodiment of the present invention. In the ninth embodiment, the basic architecture of the RF front-end module is basically the same as that of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 2, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted here. The ninth embodiment is different from the first embodiment mainly in that the battery power supply Vbatt supplies power to the driver amplifier DA via the second power supply network PSN2, and the power supply VCC supplies power to the power amplifier PA only via the first power supply network PSN1. This adjustment of the power supply method makes it possible to realize a wider range and more flexible output power adjustment while simplifying the circuit design of the first power supply network PSN1 and / or the second power supply network PSN2.

[0056] FIG. 20 shows a tenth embodiment of the present invention. In the tenth embodiment, the basic architecture of the RF front-end module is basically the same as that of the second embodiment shown in FIG. 3, and therefore the description thereof will be omitted here. The difference between Example 10 and Example 2 is mainly that the battery power supply Vbatt supplies power to the driving amplifiers of each stage (e.g., DA1 and DA2) via the third power supply network PSN3, and the power supply VCC supplies power only to the power amplifiers (e.g., PA1 and PA2). This adjustment of the power supply method makes it possible to simplify the circuit design of each power supply network (PSN1 to PSN3) and to realize more flexible output power adjustment over a wider range.

[0057] Although the driving amplifier circuit in each of the above embodiments only shows one or two stages of driving amplifiers, the technical solution of the present invention is not limited thereto. In practice, the driving amplifier circuit can be realized using one stage of driving amplifier, or can be realized by adopting cascaded connection of three, four or multiple stages of driving amplifiers. Similarly, the power amplifier circuit in each of the above embodiments shows only one or two power amplifiers, but the technical solution of the present invention is not limited thereto. In practice, the power amplifier circuit can be realized by adopting a single power amplifier, or by adopting three, four or more power amplifiers connected in parallel.

[0058] In addition, the RF front-end module provided by the present invention may be used in an integrated circuit chip, the specific structure of which is not described here repeatedly.

[0059] The above RF front-end module can also be used in electronic devices as an important component of an RF integrated circuit. The electronic devices referred to here refer to devices that can be used in a mobile environment and support various communication standards such as GSM, EDGE, TD_SCDMA, TDD_LTE, FDD_LTE, etc., including mobile phones, laptop computers, tablet computers, in-vehicle computers, etc. In addition, the technical solution provided by the present invention can also be applied to other RF integrated circuit applications, such as communication base stations, intelligent network vehicles, etc.

[0060] As shown in Figure 21, the electronic device includes at least a processor and a memory, and may further include a communication component, a sensor component, a power component, a multimedia component and an input / output interface based on actual needs, where the memory, communication component, sensor component, power component, multimedia component and input / output interface are all connected to the processor. The memories include static random access memory (SRAM), electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM), programmable read only memory (PROM), read only memory (ROM), magnetic memory, flash memory, etc., and the processors include central processing units (CPU), graphics processors (GPU), field programmable logic gate arrays (FPGA), application specific integrated circuits (ASIC), and digital signal processing (DSP) chips, etc. Other components such as communication components, sensor components, power supply components, and multimedia components can all be realized by adopting general-purpose components, and detailed explanations thereof will be omitted here.

[0061] Compared with the prior art, the RF front-end module provided by the present invention can eliminate the limitation of the overall maximum output power caused by the insufficient operating current of the power management chip in the low-voltage and high-power operating state, and can meet the application requirements of electronic devices for APT mode. The technical solution provided by the present invention has a clear principle and simple structure, and can be applied to various RF front-end modules.

[0062] The RF front-end module and corresponding RF front-end system, chips and electronics provided by the present invention have been described in detail above. Any obvious modifications made to the present invention without departing from the essence of the present invention by those skilled in the art will be infringement of the patent right of the present invention and will bear the corresponding legal liability.

Claims

1. 1. An RF front-end module, comprising: At least one driving amplifier and at least one power amplifier, the output of the driving amplifier being connected to the input of the power amplifier; The RF front-end module is powered by a power source during operation, and when a preset power source switching condition is met, at least one driving amplifier and / or power amplifier is jointly powered by the power source and a battery power source. An RF front-end module comprising:

2. the power switch condition is that the maximum operating current of the RF front-end module reaches or exceeds the maximum current that can be supplied by a single power management chip; 2. The RF front-end module of claim 1 .

3. the power supply switching condition is that the output power of the RF front-end module reaches or exceeds a maximum linear power when powered by the power supply alone; 2. The RF front-end module of claim 1 .

4. When the number of the driving amplifiers is more than one, the driving amplifiers are cascaded.

4. The RF front-end module according to claim 1, wherein the RF front-end module is a cascade type RF front-end module.

5. When the number of the power amplifiers is more than one, the power amplifiers are connected in parallel with each other.

4. The RF front-end module according to claim 1, wherein the RF front-end module is a cascade type RF front-end module.

6. an output of the power amplifier connected to an impedance matching network; the impedance matching network comprises a switch, a capacitor and an inductor; the switch changes the output impedance of the impedance matching network by opening and closing in response to an operating state of the power amplifier.

2. The RF front-end module of claim 1 .

7. Both the drive amplifier and the power amplifier have independently controlled power supply networks.

2. The RF front-end module of claim 1 .

8. the power supply network comprises a first bypass capacitor, a second bypass capacitor, a sixth bypass capacitor and a first switch; the first bypass capacitor has one end grounded and the other end connected to the battery power source; a second bypass capacitor having one end grounded and the other end connected to the common end of the first switch; the sixth bypass capacitor has one end grounded and the other end connected to the power supply; the other end of the first switch is switched between two power options, one being battery power and the other being a power source; 8. The RF front-end module according to claim 7,

9. the power supply network comprises a first bypass capacitor, a second bypass capacitor, and a second switch; a second bypass capacitor having one end connected to one end of the second switch and the other end directly grounded; the other end of the second switch is connected to the battery power supply on one side and to one end of the first bypass capacitor on the other side; The other end of the first bypass capacitor is directly grounded. The RF front-end module according to claim 7 .

10. the power supply network comprises a third bypass capacitor, a fourth bypass capacitor, and a third switch; the third bypass capacitor has one end connected to the power supply and the other end grounded; a fourth bypass capacitor, one end of which is connected to a power supply and the other end of which is connected to the third switch and then grounded; 8. The RF front-end module according to claim 7,

11. The switch is replaced with an LDO circuit. The RF front-end module according to any one of claims 8 to 10.

12. the power supply network connects an overcurrent protection circuit and an overvoltage protection circuit in series; The RF front-end module according to any one of claims 7 to 10.

13. The power amplifier has a power divider at an input end and a power combiner at an output end; The power divider is one of a 90 degree power divider, a Wilkerson power divider, a transformer power divider, or a 180 degree power divider; The power combiner is one of a 90 degree power combiner, a Wilkerson power combiner, a transformer power combiner, and a 180 degree power combiner.

4. The RF front-end module according to claim 1, wherein the RF front-end module is a cascade type RF front-end module.

14. The power divider is replaced by a coupler.

14. The RF front-end module of claim 13,

15. 1. A multi-mode multi-frequency RF front-end system, comprising: A battery power supply, a power management chip and N RF front-end modules according to any one of claims 1 to 14, each of said RF front-end modules being connected in parallel; the battery power supply provides power to the power management chip, the power management chip provides a corresponding power supply, the battery power supply and the power supply each provide power to each RF front-end module, and N is a positive integer; A multi-mode, multi-frequency RF front-end system comprising:

16. A RF front-end module according to any one of claims 1 to 14, 1. An integrated circuit chip comprising:

17. A RF front-end module according to any one of claims 1 to 14, 1. An electronic device comprising:

Images