Power amplifier device, remote radio unit and communication device

Abstract

Provided in the embodiments of the present application are a power amplifier device, a remote radio unit and a communication device. The power amplifier device comprises: a power dividing circuit, a main power amplifier circuit and an auxiliary power amplifier circuit, wherein an input end of the power dividing circuit is used for receiving a transmit signal, a first output end of the power dividing circuit is connected to an input end of the main power amplifier circuit, and a second output end of the power dividing circuit is connected to an input end of the auxiliary power amplifier circuit; an output end of the main power amplifier circuit and an output end of the auxiliary power amplifier circuit are both connected to an output end of the power amplifier device; a first operating voltage of the main power amplifier circuit is adjustable; the first operating voltage is used for adjusting output back-off power of the power amplifier device; a second operating voltage of the auxiliary power amplifier circuit is fixed; and the auxiliary power amplifier circuit comprises a stacked structure formed by connecting a plurality of three-end active devices in series. Therefore, a first operating voltage can be adjusted on the basis of an actual application scenario, thereby achieving adjustable output power back-off of the power amplifier device.

Description

A power amplifier, a radio frequency remote unit, and a communication device.

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 2025100544511, filed on January 13, 2025, entitled "A Power Amplifier Device, Radio Frequency Remote Unit and Communication Device", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of radio frequency signal amplification technology, and in particular to a power amplifier device, a radio frequency remote unit, and a communication device. Background Technology

[0003] With the rapid development of wireless communication technology, the main 5G NR (5G New Radio) frequency bands used are included below 6GHz, requiring communication equipment to be able to operate on these new frequency bands in mobile wireless communication. To meet standardized throughput requirements, efficient modulation techniques are typically employed to increase the spectrum utilization of communication equipment. However, due to the use of high-order modulation modes containing amplitude modulation, these transmitted signals have a high peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR). PAPR increases the power consumption of communication equipment, reducing its efficiency. The power consumption of communication equipment primarily originates from the power amplifier devices in the radio frequency remote unit.

[0004] When a power amplifier amplifies a transmitted signal with a peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR), it typically operates in the power back-off region to ensure that the transmitted signal is not distorted during transmission. At this time, the efficiency of the power amplifier decreases, which also reduces the overall efficiency of the communication equipment. Therefore, improving the back-off efficiency of the power amplifier is of great significance for improving the overall performance of the communication equipment.

[0005] To improve the back-off efficiency of power amplifiers, Doherty power amplifiers (DPAs) are currently used in power amplifier devices. A DPA consists of two power amplifier circuits: one for the main circuit and the other for the auxiliary circuit. However, the output power back-off (OPBO) of a DPA is currently fixed, resulting in poor scalability and making it unsuitable for various scenarios. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application provides a power amplifier device, a radio frequency remote unit, and a communication device, which can improve the back-off efficiency of the power amplifier device, thereby improving the overall efficiency of the communication device, and is applicable to various scenarios.

[0007] The technical solution provided in this application includes the following aspects.

[0008] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a power amplifier device, including: a power divider circuit, a main power amplifier circuit, and an auxiliary power amplifier circuit; the input terminal of the power divider circuit is used to receive transmitted signals, the first output terminal of the power divider circuit is connected to the input terminal of the main power amplifier circuit, and the second output terminal of the power divider circuit is connected to the input terminal of the auxiliary power amplifier circuit; the output terminals of the main power amplifier circuit and the auxiliary power amplifier circuit are both connected to the output terminal of the power amplifier device; the first operating voltage of the main power amplifier circuit is adjustable; the first operating voltage is used to adjust the output back-off power of the power amplifier device; the second operating voltage of the auxiliary power amplifier circuit is fixed; the auxiliary power amplifier circuit includes a stacked structure formed by multiple three-terminal active devices (such as transistors) connected in series.

[0009] The power amplifier device provided in this embodiment is an asymmetric power amplifier (DPA). Because the operating voltages of the main power amplifier circuit and the auxiliary power amplifier circuit are different, the output power back-off of the DPA can be adjusted according to actual needs, either increasing or decreasing it. This expands the application scenarios of the DPA, essentially allowing one DPA to perform the functions of multiple DPAs, saving hardware costs. In traditional DPAs, the operating voltages of the main power amplifier circuit and the auxiliary power amplifier circuit are the same and fixed, making it impossible to adjust the output power back-off and limiting its application scenarios. Because the multiple transistors in the auxiliary power amplifier circuit provided in this embodiment form a stacked structure, the breakdown voltage can be increased, and the operating voltage of the auxiliary power amplifier circuit can also be increased. Each transistor shares the operating voltage equally, enhancing the voltage swing of the auxiliary power amplifier circuit and making it suitable for different application scenarios.

[0010] One possible implementation is that the power distribution circuit has a power allocation ratio of 1:1.

[0011] The power divider circuit evenly distributes the power between the main power amplifier circuit and the auxiliary power amplifier circuit. Traditional power divider circuits use non-uniform power divider circuits. Compared with non-uniform power divider circuits, the embodiments of this application use power divider circuits that evenly distribute power, which can improve the efficiency of the power amplifier equipment, and can also simplify the hardware architecture of the power divider circuit and reduce design costs.

[0012] One possible implementation is that the first operating voltage is less than or equal to half of the second operating voltage.

[0013] The maximum value of the first working voltage is 1 / 2 of the second working voltage. The first working voltage is initially set to the maximum value and can be adjusted from the maximum value to the minimum.

[0014] One possible implementation is that when the first operating voltage of the main power amplifier circuit is adjusted to its maximum value, the equivalent transconductance of the main power amplifier circuit is equal to the equivalent transconductance of the auxiliary power amplifier circuit.

[0015] The first operating voltage of the main power amplifier can be adjusted down from half of the second operating voltage. When the first operating voltage is at its maximum value, in order to achieve the same gain for both power amplifiers, the equivalent transconductance of the main power amplifier circuit must be equal to that of the auxiliary power amplifier circuit. For example, if gmm represents the equivalent transconductance of the main power amplifier circuit and gma represents the equivalent transconductance of the auxiliary power amplifier circuit, then gmm = gma. This equality of equivalent transconductance can be achieved by adjusting the gate voltage of the main transistor in the main power amplifier circuit and the gate voltage of the transistor in the auxiliary power amplifier circuit.

[0016] In one possible implementation, the main power amplifier circuit includes a main transistor operating in Class B; a first operating voltage is applied to the drain of the main transistor; the gate of the main transistor is connected to the first output terminal of the power divider circuit; the source of the main transistor is grounded; and the drain of the main transistor is connected to the output terminal of the power amplifier device.

[0017] The main transistor operates in Class B, that is, in the amplification region.

[0018] One possible implementation is that the auxiliary power amplifier circuit includes n transistors connected in series, where n is an integer greater than or equal to 2; the n transistors operate in class C; the second operating voltage is applied to the drain of the transistor connected to the output terminal of the power amplifier device; and the breakdown voltage of each transistor is n times the breakdown voltage of the main transistor in the main power amplifier circuit.

[0019] The transistors in the auxiliary power amplifier circuit operate in Class C, which is the saturation region. This means that the breakdown voltage of the transistors in the auxiliary power amplifier circuit can be higher than that of the main transistors. As a result, the transistors in the auxiliary power amplifier circuit can be subjected to higher operating voltages, thus expanding the range of operating voltages and enabling adjustable output power back-off.

[0020] In one possible implementation, the main power amplifier circuit further includes: a first input matching impedance; the gate of the main transistor is connected to the first output terminal of the power divider circuit through the first input matching impedance.

[0021] The first input matching impedance is used to achieve impedance matching between the first output terminal of the power divider circuit and the gate of the main transistor.

[0022] In one possible implementation, the auxiliary power amplifier circuit further includes: a phase conversion line and a second input matching impedance; the first end of the phase conversion line is connected to the second output terminal of the power divider circuit, the second end of the phase conversion line is connected to the first end of the second input matching impedance, the second end of the second input matching impedance is connected to the gate of the first transistor among the n transistors; the source of the first transistor is grounded, the drain of the first transistor is connected to the source of the second transistor, and the gate of the second transistor is grounded.

[0023] Since the main power amplifier circuit has an impedance transformation circuit, in order to ensure that the transmitted signal travels the same distance in both power amplifiers, a phase transformation line needs to be set at the input of the auxiliary power amplifier circuit for phase compensation. The impedance of the phase transformation line can also be set to λ / 4 to match the impedance of the main power amplifier circuit.

[0024] In one possible implementation, the power amplifier device further includes: an output matching impedance; the output terminal of the main power amplifier circuit is connected to a first terminal of the output matching impedance, and a second terminal of the output matching impedance is connected to the output terminal of the power amplifier device; the drain of the nth transistor among the n transistors is connected to the first terminal of the output matching impedance; the source of the nth transistor is connected to the drain of the (n-1)th transistor, and the gate of the nth transistor is grounded.

[0025] One possible implementation is that the auxiliary power amplifier circuit includes two transistors or three transistors connected in series.

[0026] Compared to the auxiliary power amplifier circuit which includes two transistors connected in series, the breakdown voltage of the triple-stacked transistors is three times that of the main power amplifier circuit, giving the auxiliary power amplifier greater freedom in operating voltage.

[0027] Secondly, embodiments of this application also provide a radio frequency remote unit, including the power amplifier device described above, and further including: a selection switch and a low noise amplifier; the output terminal of the power amplifier device is connected to the first moving contact of the selection switch, the second moving contact of the selection switch is used to connect to the low noise amplifier; the stationary contact of the selection switch is used to connect to an antenna.

[0028] Since the power amplifier device provided in this application embodiment can improve efficiency and extend output power back-off, it is suitable for a variety of application scenarios. Therefore, the radio frequency remote unit including the power amplifier device can also be applied to a variety of scenarios to improve signal transmission efficiency.

[0029] Thirdly, embodiments of this application also provide a communication device, including the radio frequency remote unit described above, and further including: an antenna; the static contact of the selection switch in the radio frequency remote unit is connected to the antenna; the radio frequency remote unit is used to process the transmit and receive signals of the antenna.

[0030] Since the power amplifier device provided in this application embodiment can improve efficiency and expand output power back-off, it is suitable for a variety of application scenarios. Therefore, communication devices including this power amplifier device can also be applied to a variety of scenarios to improve signal transmission efficiency.

[0031] It should be understood that the technical effects achieved by the technical solutions provided by the second to third aspects of this application and their corresponding possible implementations can be found in the above description of the technical effects achieved by the technical solutions provided by the first aspect and their corresponding possible implementations, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0032] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an RRU;

[0033] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a power amplifier device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0034] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of another power amplifier device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0035] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a specific implementation corresponding to Figure 3;

[0036] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the auxiliary power amplifier circuit in the power amplifier device provided in the embodiment of this application, which includes two transistors;

[0037] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the auxiliary power amplifier circuit in the power amplifier device provided in the embodiment of this application, which includes three transistors;

[0038] Figure 7 is a simulation diagram of a power amplifier device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0039] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a radio frequency remote unit provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0040] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0041] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the term "connection" should be interpreted broadly. For example, "connection" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, the term "coupled" can refer to a method of electrical connection for signal transmission. "Coupled" can be a direct electrical connection or an indirect electrical connection through an intermediate medium.

[0042] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand and implement the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application, technical terms will be introduced below.

[0043] DPA (Dynamic Power Amplifier): It consists of two power amplifier circuits. One is the main power amplifier circuit (also known as the carrier main power amplifier circuit), which typically operates in Class AB or Class B. The other is the auxiliary power amplifier circuit (also known as the peak power amplifier circuit), which typically operates in Class C. The advantage of DPA is that it maintains high efficiency even in power back-off mode.

[0044] Power back-off refers to reducing the input power of a power amplifier by 6-10 dB from the 1 dB compression point (equivalent to the critical point between the linear and nonlinear regions of the amplifier), operating at a level much lower than the 1 dB compression point. This moves the power amplifier away from the saturation region and into the linear operating region, thereby improving the linearity of the power amplifier.

[0045] To improve the back-off efficiency of power amplifier devices, this application provides a power amplifier device employing a DPA (Dynamic Power Amplifier). The DPA includes two power amplifier circuits: one is a main power amplifier circuit (also known as a carrier main power amplifier circuit), which typically operates in Class AB or Class B; the other is an auxiliary power amplifier circuit (also known as a peak power amplifier circuit), which typically operates in Class C. The advantage of the DPA is that it maintains high efficiency even during power back-off.

[0046] The DPA includes a power divider circuit, a main power amplifier circuit, and an auxiliary power amplifier circuit. The second operating voltage of the auxiliary power amplifier circuit is fixed, while the first operating voltage of the main power amplifier circuit is adjustable. The first operating voltage can be adjusted according to the actual application scenario, thereby enabling the power amplifier device to have adjustable OPBO. This application does not specifically limit the adjustable range of the first operating voltage, but can adjust it according to actual needs. For example, it can be varied between 6dB and 12dB, thus making the power amplifier device suitable for more application scenarios.

[0047] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application, the application scenarios of the technical solutions will be described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0048] The power amplifier device provided in this application embodiment is not specifically limited to any particular application scenario and can be used in any wireless communication scenario, such as terminal devices like mobile phones, in-vehicle devices like automobiles, and airborne devices like airplanes. Generally, the power amplifier device is located between the radio frequency channel and the antenna of the communication device.

[0049] The power amplifier device provided in this application embodiment is described using a radio remote unit (RRU) applied in a base station as an example.

[0050] An RRU typically includes many radio frequency (RF) modules, with power amplifiers being a crucial component. Wireless signals are amplified by the power amplifier before being transmitted via the antenna. Since this power amplifier processes RF signals, it is a radio frequency (RF) power amplifier. This application specifically relates to a power amplifier device within an RRU. The power amplifier device includes a power amplifier, which will be referred to as a power amplifier for ease of description.

[0051] See Figure 1, which is a schematic diagram of an RRU.

[0052] The RRU1000 provided in this application embodiment can be applied to a wireless communication base station. In addition to the RRU1000, the base station may also include other components, such as an antenna Ant.

[0053] The RRU1000 includes a power amplifier 200, a low-noise amplifier (LNA), and a selection switch 100. The power amplifier 200 includes a power amplifier (PA). The selection switch 100 is used for channel selection, connecting the Ant (amplifier) ​​to the power amplifier 200 and also connecting the Ant to the LNA. The input of the power amplifier 200 is used to connect to the transmit channel (TX). The output of the LNA is used to connect to the receive channel (RX).

[0054] The amplified radio frequency signal from the PA is sent to the antenna Ant via the selection switch 100.

[0055] The radio frequency signal received by the antenna Ant is sent to the LNA via the selection switch 100.

[0056] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, the embodiments of this application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific implementation methods.

[0057] Referring to Figure 2, this figure is a schematic diagram of a power amplifier device provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0058] The power amplifier device provided in this application embodiment includes: a power divider circuit 30, a main power amplifier circuit 10, and an auxiliary power amplifier circuit 20.

[0059] The input terminal of the power divider circuit 30 is used to receive the transmitted signal RFin. The first output terminal of the power divider circuit 30 is connected to the input terminal of the main power amplifier circuit 10, and the second output terminal of the power divider circuit 30 is connected to the input terminal of the auxiliary power amplifier circuit 20. The output terminals of both the main power amplifier circuit 10 and the auxiliary power amplifier circuit 20 are connected to the output terminal of the power amplifier device. The output terminal of the power amplifier device is used to output the amplified radio frequency signal RFout.

[0060] The first operating voltage Vdc1 of the main power amplifier circuit 10 is adjustable; the first operating voltage Vdc1 is used to adjust the output back-off power of the power amplifier device; the second operating voltage Vdc2 of the auxiliary power amplifier circuit 20 is fixed. Since the operating voltages of the main power amplifier circuit 10 and the auxiliary power amplifier circuit 20 are different, the DPA of the power amplifier device provided in this embodiment is an asymmetric DPA. Because the operating voltages of the main power amplifier circuit 10 and the auxiliary power amplifier circuit 20 are different, the output power back-off of the DPA can be adjusted according to actual needs, both increasing and decreasing it, expanding the application scenarios of the DPA. It is equivalent to one DPA achieving the functions of multiple DPAs, saving hardware costs. In traditional DPAs, the operating voltages of the main power amplifier circuit and the auxiliary power amplifier circuit are the same and fixed, making it impossible to adjust the output power back-off, thus limiting the application scenarios.

[0061] The auxiliary power amplifier circuit 20 includes multiple transistors connected in series to form a stacked transistor structure.

[0062] The main power amplifier circuit 10 may consist of only one main transistor Q1. It should be understood that the first operating voltage Vdc1 is the operating voltage of the main transistor Q1. The main transistor Q1 operates in Class B; the first operating voltage Vdc1 is applied to the drain of the main transistor Q1; the gate of the main transistor Q1 is connected to the first output terminal of the power divider circuit 30, and the source of the main transistor Q1 is grounded, meaning the main transistor Q1 is a common-source amplifier structure. The drain of the main transistor Q1 is connected to the output terminal of the power amplifier device.

[0063] The auxiliary power amplifier circuit 20 includes multiple transistors connected in series, for example, n transistors connected in series, namely the second transistor Q2 to the (n+1)th transistor Qn+1. n is an integer greater than or equal to 2. This application does not specifically limit the value of n; for example, it can be 2, 3, or a larger integer, and those skilled in the art can set it according to actual needs. The n transistors operate in class C.

[0064] The second operating voltage Vdc2 provides the operating voltage for each transistor in the auxiliary power amplifier circuit 20. The second operating voltage Vdc2 is applied to the drain of the transistor connected to the output terminal of the power amplifier device. That is, the second operating voltage Vdc2 applied to the output stage in the auxiliary power amplifier circuit 20 can also be understood as the drain of the last stage transistor.

[0065] Since the auxiliary power amplifier circuit 20 includes multiple transistors connected in series, the voltage after the multiple transistors in series share the second operating voltage Vdc2 is used as the operating voltage of a single transistor.

[0066] Since the multiple transistors in the auxiliary power amplifier circuit 20 provided in this application embodiment form a stacked structure, the breakdown voltage can be increased, and the operating voltage of the auxiliary power amplifier circuit 20 can be increased at the same time. Each transistor will share the operating voltage equally, and the voltage swing of the auxiliary power amplifier circuit 20 is enhanced, which can be applied to different application scenarios.

[0067] The following section details the relationship between output power back-off and the main power amplifier circuit and the auxiliary power amplifier circuit in DPA.

[0068] The power of the main power amplifier circuit is represented by P. m The power of the auxiliary power amplifier circuit is represented by P. p The output power back-off is represented by α (dB). The output power back-off of the DPA is related to P. m and P p The relationship is represented as follows:

[0069] The auxiliary power amplifier circuit of the power amplifier device provided in this application embodiment has a fixed operating voltage, corresponding to the power P of the auxiliary power amplifier circuit. p The output power reduction also remains unchanged; therefore, the output power reduction depends on the power P of the main power amplifier circuit. m Since the operating voltage of the main power amplifier circuit is adjustable, the corresponding power P of the main power amplifier circuit... m The power P of the main power amplifier circuit changes with the voltage. m It has a positive correlation with voltage. For example, when the operating voltage of the main power amplifier circuit is reduced from a large value to a small value, such as from the maximum value, the power P of the main power amplifier circuit will decrease. m As the voltage decreases, the output power reduction α will increase. For example, when the operating voltage of the main power amplifier circuit is at its maximum value, the corresponding output power reduction α is 12dB. When the operating voltage of the main power amplifier circuit is adjusted to a lower value, the output power reduction α can be adjusted to 10dB, 9dB, 8dB, 6dB, etc., as needed.

[0070] To improve the efficiency of the power amplifier, the power distribution circuit in the power amplifier provided in this embodiment adopts a 1:1 power allocation ratio, that is, the power distribution circuit equally distributes the power of the main power amplifier circuit 10 and the auxiliary power amplifier circuit 20. Traditional power distribution circuits use non-uniform power distribution circuits. Compared with non-uniform power distribution circuits, the power distribution circuit in this embodiment uses an evenly distributed power distribution circuit, which can improve the efficiency of the power amplifier and simplify the hardware architecture of the power distribution circuit, reducing design costs.

[0071] The first operating voltage of the main power amplifier can be adjusted down from half of the second operating voltage. When the first operating voltage is at its maximum value, in order to achieve the same gain for both power amplifiers, the equivalent transconductance of the main power amplifier circuit and the equivalent transconductance of the auxiliary power amplifier circuit must be equal. For example, if gmm represents the equivalent transconductance of the main power amplifier circuit and gma represents the equivalent transconductance of the auxiliary power amplifier circuit, then gmm = gma. The equality of equivalent transconductance can be achieved by adjusting the gate voltage of the main transistor in the main power amplifier circuit and the gate voltage of the transistor in the auxiliary power amplifier circuit. To achieve equal transconductance for both power amplifiers, the power amplifier device provided in this embodiment also needs to include a matching impedance, which will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0072] This application does not specifically limit the types of Q1-Qn+1. The auxiliary power amplifier circuit includes Q2-Qn+1, which are composed of a stacked structure of three-terminal active devices (such as transistors). The types of Q1-Qn+1 include, but are not limited to, the following: bipolar junction transistor (BJT), heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT), field-effect transistor (FET), or high electron mobility transistor (HEMT). Optionally, Q1-Qn+1 may all be FETs, or all be HEMTs, or all be HBTs, or all be BJTs.

[0073] Referring to Figure 3, this figure is a schematic diagram of another power amplifier device provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0074] The power amplifier device provided in this application embodiment further includes: an output matching impedance 60; the output terminal of the main power amplifier circuit is connected to the first terminal of the output matching impedance 60, and the second terminal of the output matching impedance 60 is connected to the output terminal of the power amplifier device.

[0075] The drain of the nth transistor Qn+1 is connected to the first terminal of the output matching impedance 60Ω; the source of the nth transistor Qn+1 is connected to the drain of the (n-1)th transistor, and the gate of the nth transistor Qn+1 is grounded. It should be understood that, except for the first transistor, the remaining (n-1) transistors in the auxiliary power amplifier circuit have similar connection relationships: their gates are grounded, their sources are connected to the drain of the previous stage transistor, and their drains are connected to the source of the next stage transistor. Only the source of the first transistor Q2 is grounded.

[0076] The main power amplifier circuit also includes: a first input matching impedance 40; the gate of the main transistor Q1 is connected to the first output terminal of the power divider circuit 30 through the first input matching impedance 40. The first input matching impedance 40 is used to achieve impedance matching between the first output terminal of the power divider circuit and the gate of the main transistor Q1.

[0077] The main power amplifier circuit also includes an impedance transformation circuit 70, through which the drain of the main transistor Q1 is connected to the first terminal of the output matching impedance 60. For example, the impedance of the impedance transformation circuit 70 can be set to λ / 4, where λ represents the wavelength of the transmitted signal. This is based on the impedance transformation principle of a quarter-wavelength line in a radio frequency signal.

[0078] The auxiliary power amplifier circuit also includes: a phase conversion line 80 and a second input matching impedance 50.

[0079] The first end of the phase conversion line 80 is connected to the second output end of the power divider circuit 30, the second end of the phase conversion line 80 is connected to the first end of the second input matching impedance 50, the second end of the second input matching impedance 50 is connected to the gate of the first transistor Q2 among the n transistors; the source of the first transistor Q2 is grounded, the drain of the first transistor Q2 is connected to the source of the second transistor, and the gate of the second transistor is grounded.

[0080] Since the main power amplifier circuit has an impedance transformation circuit 70, in order to ensure that the transmitted signal travels the same distance in both power amplifiers, a phase transformation line 80 needs to be set at the input of the auxiliary power amplifier circuit for phase compensation. The impedance of the phase transformation line 80 can also be set to λ / 4 to match the impedance of the main power amplifier circuit.

[0081] Both the impedance transformation circuit 70 and the phase transformation line 80 are set to λ / 4, as shown in Figure 4.

[0082] The breakdown voltage of each transistor is n times the breakdown voltage of the main transistor in the main power amplifier circuit; for example, if the breakdown voltage of Q1 is denoted by Vbr, then the breakdown voltage of each single transistor in Q2 to Qn is n*Vbr. That is, the breakdown voltage of the transistors in the auxiliary power amplifier circuit can be higher than the breakdown voltage of the main transistor Q1, so that the transistors in the auxiliary power amplifier circuit can be subjected to a higher operating voltage, and the range of operating voltages is expanded, thereby enabling adjustable output power back-off.

[0083] The power amplifier device provided in this application embodiment has an auxiliary power amplifier circuit operating voltage Vdc2 that can be the breakdown voltage Vbr of the main transistor, i.e., Vdc2 = Vbr. The main power amplifier circuit operating voltage Vdc1 can be less than or equal to Vdc2 / 2, i.e., the maximum value of Vdc1 is Vbr / 2. In other words, when the power amplifier device is actually working, the operating voltage of the main power amplifier circuit can be adjusted within Vbr / 2.

[0084] The size of each transistor (Q2-Qn+1) in the auxiliary power amplifier circuit is 1 / n of the size of the main transistor Q1 in the main power amplifier circuit. For example, if the size of the main transistor Q1 is represented by W, where W typically represents the gate width area of ​​the transistor, then the size of each transistor (Q2-Qn+1) in the auxiliary power amplifier circuit is W / n.

[0085] It should be understood that the dimensions of the main transistor in the main power amplifier circuit and each transistor in the auxiliary power amplifier circuit described above are to ensure that the equivalent transconductance of the two power amplifiers is equal.

[0086] The power amplifier device provided in this application adopts a DPA architecture, which fixes the operating voltage of the auxiliary power amplifier circuit. By configuring different operating voltages for the main power amplifier circuit, the output power back-off of the power amplifier device can be extended. For example, the range of output power back-off can be extended from 6dB to 12dB. Traditional DPA can only achieve a fixed output power back-off of 6dB, and the output power back-off is relatively low.

[0087] The following diagrams illustrate the implementation methods of the auxiliary power amplifier circuit, including two transistors and three transistors.

[0088] Referring to Figure 5, this figure is a schematic diagram of the auxiliary power amplifier circuit in the power amplifier device provided in the embodiment of this application, which includes two transistors.

[0089] The auxiliary power amplifier circuit in the power amplifier device provided in this application embodiment includes two transistors, namely a first transistor Q2 and a second transistor Q3, which are stacked. Specifically, the gate of the first transistor Q2 is connected to the second terminal of the second input matching impedance 50, the source of the first transistor Q2 is grounded, and the drain of the first transistor Q2 is connected to the source of the second transistor Q3. The gate of the second transistor Q3 is grounded through a capacitor, and the drain of the second transistor Q3 is connected to the first terminal of the output matching impedance 60. Simultaneously, a second operating voltage Vdc2 is applied to the drain of the second transistor Q3. The first transistor Q2 and the second transistor Q3 share the second operating voltage Vdc2 equally.

[0090] The auxiliary power amplifier circuit operates at Class C, and its equivalent transconductance is equal to that of the main power amplifier circuit. Therefore, the gains of both amplifiers are the same. The breakdown voltage of the auxiliary power amplifier circuit is twice that of the main power amplifier circuit.

[0091] The power amplifier device provided in this application embodiment allows for expandable output power back-off by fixing the operating voltage of the auxiliary power amplifier circuit to Vdc2 = Vbr, the initial operating voltage of the main power amplifier circuit to Vdc1 = Vbr / 2, and defining the output power back-off by the back-off amount X. The operating voltages of the main power amplifier circuit and the auxiliary power amplifier circuit conform to the following relationship: Vdc1 = 10. X / 20 *Vdc2. Configure different operating voltages for the main power amplifier circuit, thereby expanding the output power back-off of the power amplifier equipment, for example, the range is: 6dB-12dB.

[0092] Referring to Figure 6, this figure is a schematic diagram of the auxiliary power amplifier circuit in the power amplifier device provided in the embodiment of this application, which includes three transistors.

[0093] The auxiliary power amplifier circuit in the power amplifier device provided in this application embodiment includes three transistors: a first transistor Q2, a second transistor Q3, and a third transistor Q4, which are stacked. Specifically, the gate of the first transistor Q2 is connected to the second terminal of the second input matching impedance 50, the source of the first transistor Q2 is grounded, and the drain of the first transistor Q2 is connected to the source of the second transistor Q3. The gate of the second transistor Q3 is grounded through a capacitor, and the drain of the second transistor Q3 is connected to the source of the third transistor Q4. The drain of the third transistor Q4 is connected to the first terminal of the output matching impedance 60, and a second operating voltage Vdc2 is applied to the drain of the second transistor Q3. The first transistor Q2, the second transistor Q3, and the third transistor Q4 share the second operating voltage Vdc2 equally.

[0094] The auxiliary power amplifier circuit operates at Class C, and its equivalent transconductance is equal to that of the main power amplifier circuit. Therefore, the gains of both amplifiers are the same. The breakdown voltage of the auxiliary power amplifier circuit is twice that of the main power amplifier circuit.

[0095] The breakdown voltage of the triple-stacked transistors is 3*Vbr, and the operating voltage of the auxiliary power amplifier has a higher degree of freedom. Similar to Embodiment 1, the asymmetric bias DPA architecture can be achieved by adjusting the operating voltage of the main power amplifier, and OPBO can achieve an expansion from 6dB to 12dB.

[0096] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the advantages of the power amplifier device provided in the embodiments of this application, a detailed description is provided below in conjunction with simulation diagrams.

[0097] Referring to Figure 7, this figure is a simulation effect diagram of a power amplifier device provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0098] In Figure 7, the horizontal axis represents the operating voltage of the main power amplifier circuit of the power amplifier device, normalized to its maximum value, and the vertical axis represents the efficiency of the power amplifier device.

[0099] It should be understood that the maximum operating voltage of the main power amplifier circuit is half the operating voltage of the auxiliary power amplifier circuit.

[0100] When the operating voltage of the main power amplifier circuit is different, Figure 7 takes four different operating voltages as examples, which correspond to four efficiency curves, and the corresponding X values ​​are 6dB, 8dB, 10dB and 12dB respectively.

[0101] Based on the power amplifier device provided in the above embodiments, this application also provides a radio frequency remote unit, which will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0102] Referring to Figure 8, this figure is a schematic diagram of a radio frequency remote unit provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0103] The radio frequency remote unit provided in this application includes the power amplifier device 200 described in the above embodiments, and also includes: a selection switch 300 and a low noise amplifier 400.

[0104] The output terminal of the power amplifier device 200 is connected to the first moving contact of the selection switch 300, and the second moving contact of the selection switch 300 is used to connect to the low noise amplifier 400.

[0105] The stationary contact of selector switch 300 is used to connect the antenna Ant. The input of power amplifier device 200 is used to connect the transmit channel TX. The output of LNA is used to connect the receive channel RX.

[0106] Since the power amplifier device provided in this application embodiment can improve efficiency and extend output power back-off, it is suitable for a variety of application scenarios. Therefore, the radio frequency remote unit including the power amplifier device can also be applied to a variety of scenarios to improve signal transmission efficiency.

[0107] Based on the power amplifier device and radio frequency remote unit provided in the above embodiments, this application also provides a communication device, which will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0108] See Figure 9, which is a schematic diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0109] The communication device provided in this application embodiment includes the radio frequency remote unit 1000 provided in the above embodiment, and further includes: antenna Ant;

[0110] The stationary contact 300 of the selection switch in the radio frequency remote unit 1000 is connected to the antenna Ant;

[0111] The radio frequency remote unit 1000 is used to process the transmit and receive signals of the antenna Ant.

[0112] Since the power amplifier device provided in this application embodiment can improve efficiency and expand output power back-off, it is suitable for a variety of application scenarios. Therefore, communication devices including this power amplifier device can also be applied to a variety of scenarios to improve signal transmission efficiency.

[0113] The embodiments of this application do not specifically limit the type of communication equipment, such as a base station.

[0114] In this application, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used to distinguish identical or similar items that have essentially the same function. It should be understood that there is no logical or temporal dependency between "first," "second," and "nth," nor does it limit the quantity or order of execution. It should also be understood that although the following description uses the terms "first," "second," etc., to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by the terms. These terms are merely used to distinguish one element from another.

[0115] It should also be understood that, in the various embodiments of this application, the sequence number of each process does not imply the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application.

[0116] In this application, the term "at least one" means one or more, and the term "multiple" means two or more; for example, multiple devices means two or more devices. The terms "system" and "network" are often used interchangeably herein.

[0117] It should be understood that the terminology used in the description of the various examples herein is for the purpose of describing the particular examples only and is not intended to be limiting. As used in the description of the various examples and in the appended claims, the singular forms “a” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0118] It should also be understood that the term "and / or" as used herein refers to and covers any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. The term "and / or" describes an association between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist; for example, A and / or B can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, or B alone. Additionally, the character " / " in this application generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0119] It should also be understood that the terms “if” and “if” can be interpreted as meaning “when” or “upon”, or “in response to determination” or “in response to detection”. Similarly, depending on the context, the phrases “if determination…” or “if detection [the stated condition or event]” can be interpreted as meaning “when determination…”, or “in response to determination…”, or “when detection [the stated condition or event]” or “in response to detection [the stated condition or event]”.

[0120] The above description is merely an embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A power amplifier device, characterized in that, include: Power divider circuit, main power amplifier circuit and auxiliary power amplifier circuit; The input terminal of the power divider circuit is used to receive the transmitted signal. The first output terminal of the power divider circuit is connected to the input terminal of the main power amplifier circuit, and the second output terminal of the power divider circuit is connected to the input terminal of the auxiliary power amplifier circuit. The output terminals of the main power amplifier circuit and the auxiliary power amplifier circuit are both connected to the output terminal of the power amplifier device. The first operating voltage of the main power amplifier circuit is adjustable; the first operating voltage is used to adjust the output back-off power of the power amplifier device; the second operating voltage of the auxiliary power amplifier circuit is fixed. The auxiliary power amplifier circuit includes multiple three-terminal active devices connected in series to form a stacked structure.

2. The power amplifier device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The power distribution ratio of the power divider circuit is 1:

1.

3. The power amplifier device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first operating voltage is less than or equal to 1 / 2 of the second operating voltage.

4. The power amplifier device according to claim 3, characterized in that, When the first operating voltage of the main power amplifier circuit is adjusted to its maximum value, the equivalent transconductance of the main power amplifier circuit is equal to the equivalent transconductance of the auxiliary power amplifier circuit.

5. The power amplifier device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The three-terminal active device is a transistor, and the main power amplifier circuit includes a main transistor, which operates in class B. The first operating voltage is applied to the drain of the main transistor; The gate of the main transistor is connected to the first output terminal of the power divider circuit, the source of the main transistor is grounded, and the drain of the main transistor is connected to the output terminal of the power amplifier device.

6. The power amplifier device according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The three-terminal active device is a transistor, and the auxiliary power amplifier circuit includes n transistors connected in series, where n is an integer greater than or equal to 2; the n transistors operate in class C; the second operating voltage is applied to the drain of the transistor connected to the output terminal of the power amplifier device; The breakdown voltage of each transistor is n times the breakdown voltage of the main transistor in the main power amplifier circuit.

7. The power amplifier device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The main power amplifier circuit also includes: a first input matching impedance; The gate of the main transistor is connected to the first output terminal of the power divider circuit through the first input matching impedance.

8. The power amplifier device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The auxiliary power amplifier circuit also includes: a phase conversion line and a second input matching impedance; The first end of the phase conversion circuit is connected to the second output end of the power divider circuit, the second end of the phase conversion circuit is connected to the first end of the second input matching impedance, and the second end of the second input matching impedance is connected to the gate of the first transistor among the n transistors; the source of the first transistor is grounded, the drain of the first transistor is connected to the source of the second transistor, and the gate of the second transistor is grounded.

9. The power amplifier device according to claim 8, characterized in that, The power amplifier device further includes: an output matching impedance; The output terminal of the main power amplifier circuit is connected to the first terminal of the output matching impedance, and the second terminal of the output matching impedance is connected to the output terminal of the power amplifier device. The drain of the nth transistor is connected to the first terminal of the output matching impedance; the source of the nth transistor is connected to the drain of the (n-1)th transistor; and the gate of the nth transistor is grounded.

10. The power amplifier device according to claim 8, characterized in that, The auxiliary power amplifier circuit includes two transistors or three transistors connected in series.

11. A radio frequency remote unit, characterized in that, The power amplifier device according to any one of claims 1-10 further includes: a selection switch and a low-noise amplifier; The output terminal of the power amplifier is connected to the first moving contact of the selection switch, and the second moving contact of the selection switch is used to connect to the low-noise amplifier; The stationary contact of the selector switch is used to connect the antenna.

12. A communication device, characterized in that, The radio frequency remote unit of claim 11 further includes: an antenna; The stationary contact of the selection switch in the radio frequency remote unit is connected to the antenna; The radio frequency remote unit is used to process the transmit and receive signals of the antenna.

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