Class-D Transmitter Amplifier Combining for Simpler Wiring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Transmitters using class-D amplifiers for wireless communication systems face complications in wiring due to the need for multiple signal lines to independently drive multiple amplifiers, especially in multi-antenna devices, which increases the complexity of wiring and reduces power efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A transmitter design that generates a K-value digital signal from a binary digital signal, amplifies it using multiple amplifiers, and combines the amplified signals to produce a signal with an approximately proportional relationship, reducing the number of required signal lines and simplifying wiring while maintaining high signal-to-noise ratio and power efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple class-D amplifiers are independently driven to improve power efficiency and signal-to-noise ratio, then the amplification performance is improved, but the number of signal lines increases and wiring becomes complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple amplifiers (first amplifier and second amplifier) to process a single binary digital signal, merging their outputs to generate a K-value digital signal. This approach maintains the benefits of multiple amplifiers for improving signal-to-noise ratio while reducing wiring complexity by sharing the input signal path and combining outputs rather than independently driving each amplifier with separate signal lines
2Use of energy by moving object
If multiple class-D amplifiers are used to improve power efficiency, then the amplification performance is improved, but the device complexity and number of components increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the amplification function into multiple parallel class-D amplifiers that each process binary digital signals independently but are coordinated through signal processing. The binary digital signal is distributed to multiple amplifiers which operate in parallel, improving power efficiency through the inherent efficiency of class-D amplification while managing complexity through modular segmentation
3Device complexity
If a binary digital signal is directly amplified by a class-D amplifier, then the wiring is simple, but the signal-to-noise ratio and power efficiency are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary processing to the binary digital signal before amplification, generating a K-value digital signal (where K≥3) through digital signal processing. This preliminary action of converting the binary signal to a multi-level K-value signal enables better utilization of the amplifier's dynamic range and improves signal-to-noise ratio and power efficiency while maintaining relatively simple wiring architecture
Data Source
AI summary
The purpose of the present invention is to provide an amplifier having high signal-to-noise ratio of a transmitted signal and high electrical efficiency. Another purpose is to suppress complexity of amplifier's wiring connecting a signal generator that generates a binary digital signal and an amplification unit that amplifies the same. This amplifier generates a binary digital signal. The amplifier further generates a K-value digital signal (K is an integer greater than or equal to 3) from the binary digital signal and generating a plurality of binary digital signals from the K-value digital signal. The amplifier amplifies each of the plurality of binary digital signals, and combines the plurality of amplified binary digital signals and generating a combined signal having a substantially proportional relationship with the K-value digital signal.