Amplifier Gain Staggering for Sensitivity and BER Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing techniques for adjusting gain levels in amplifiers often result in undesirable trade-offs between sensitivity and overload characteristics, BER floor, and frequency response, while also impacting the linearity of transimpedance and voltage gain amplifiers with high input signals.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a group of amplifier components with an automatic gain control component that employs an amplifier gain adjustment sequence to alternately and partially adjust gain levels, mitigating these issues by reducing or increasing gain levels based on input signal power, using a ping-pong gain staggering technique.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If gain levels in amplifiers are adjusted using existing techniques, then the overall gain can be changed, but sensitivity and overload characteristics deteriorate due to undesirable trade-offs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the amplifier system into multiple independent amplifier components (first amplifier, second amplifier, third amplifier), each with its own gain level. Instead of adjusting a single gain level, the system segments the gain control across multiple components, allowing individual adjustment of each amplifier's gain to achieve overall gain reduction while maintaining sensitivity and overload characteristics.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different gain levels to different amplifier components based on their specific characteristics and positions in the signal chain. Each amplifier component receives a tailored gain adjustment (first gain level, second gain level, third gain level) rather than a uniform adjustment, optimizing local performance to maintain overall system reliability while achieving desired power output.
2Power
If gain levels are adjusted in amplifiers, then the output power can be changed, but BER floor performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the gain adjustment function across multiple amplifier components, with each component contributing a portion of the total gain. This segmentation allows the system to achieve output power changes while distributing the impact on signal quality, thereby maintaining BER floor performance that would be degraded by conventional single-stage gain adjustment.
3Power
If gain levels are adjusted in amplifiers, then the output power can be changed, but frequency response flatness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by adjusting gain levels individually for each amplifier component based on its specific frequency response characteristics. This allows the system to maintain a maximally flat overall frequency response while achieving the desired output power, as each component's gain is optimized for its local frequency response rather than applying a uniform gain change that would create frequency response irregularities.
4Power
If gain levels are adjusted in amplifiers, then the output power can be changed, but linearity deteriorates with high input signals
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the gain reduction function across multiple amplifier components, with each component reducing its gain level in a controlled manner. This segmentation prevents any single amplifier from experiencing excessive gain reduction that would cause non-linearity with high input signals, thereby maintaining system linearity while achieving the desired output power level.
Data Source
AI summary
Adjustments to gain levels, associated with amplifiers, including partial adjustments to gain levels associated with certain amplifiers can be controlled and performed in accordance with an amplifier gain adjustment sequence. In response to determining that an overall gain level associated with a group of amplifiers, comprising first, second, and third amplifiers, is to be reduced, AGC component can determine whether a third gain level associated with the third amplifier is at a minimum. In response to determining that third gain level is at minimum, AGC component can determine which of a first gain level associated with the first amplifier and a second gain level associated with the second amplifier is to be partially reduced, in accordance with the amplifier gain adjustment sequence that, in part, specifies alternating between partial first gain level reductions associated with the first amplifier and partial second gain level reductions associated with the second amplifier.