Modular CMOS Power Amplifier With Resonant Output Combining
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
CMOS transistors in radio transmitters face limitations such as lower trans-conductance, breakdown voltage, and passive component performance, leading to higher current consumption, limited power supply, and challenges in power tuning and isolation, which affect signal amplification and frequency conversion.
Innovation Solution
A modular amplifier structure with gain-controlled amplifier sub-units using CMOS transistors, where each sub-unit is activated or disabled by control signals to adjust amplification, and a combining circuit with capacitors and a coil provides enhanced voltage gain and isolation, minimizing power consumption and passive component usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If CMOS transistors are used in amplifiers, then integration level and manufacturing cost are improved, but trans-conductance and breakdown voltage decrease leading to higher current consumption and limited power supply
Solution Approach 1:
The amplifier is divided into multiple parallel amplifier sub-units, each contributing to the overall output. This segmentation allows the system to achieve higher trans-conductance through parallel combination while maintaining CMOS integration benefits, as each sub-unit operates independently with optimized current consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple amplifier sub-units are combined in parallel to achieve the desired output power and trans-conductance. The combining circuit merges the outputs of individual CMOS amplifier sub-units, accumulating their trans-conductance contributions while distributing the current consumption across multiple units, thereby reducing the burden on each individual transistor.
2Ease of manufacture
If CMOS transistors are used in amplifiers, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but isolation performance deteriorates making it harder to design wide and accurate power tuning range
Solution Approach 1:
A combining circuit serves as an intermediary between multiple amplifier sub-units and the final output. This combining circuit provides the necessary isolation between parallel amplifier paths while maintaining signal integrity, enabling accurate power tuning across a wide range without compromising the isolation performance that would otherwise be limited by direct CMOS implementation.
3Power
If amplifier sub-units are activated to increase output power, then signal amplification is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The amplifier employs dynamic control of individual sub-unit activation based on the required output power level. Control circuitry selectively enables or disables specific amplifier sub-units depending on the desired power output, allowing the system to match power consumption to actual demand rather than operating all sub-units at full power continuously.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters by adjusting the number of active amplifier sub-units according to the required output power. This parameter adjustment allows efficient power scaling where only the necessary number of sub-units are activated, optimizing the ratio of output power to power consumption based on real-time requirements.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution achieves improved amplification and frequency conversion with reduced power consumption and minimal passive component usage, addressing the limitations of CMOS transistors while maintaining effective signal transmission and isolation.
Implementation Method 1
a combining circuit with capacitors and a coil provides enhanced voltage gain and isolation
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a modular amplifier structure that includes a plurality of parallel amplifier sub-units. Each amplifier sub-unit is configured to amplify a received payload signal under control of at least one received control signal. Outputs of the amplifier sub-units are applied to a combining circuit. The combining circuit is configured to combine the outputs of the plurality of amplifier sub-units to provide an amplified payload signal.