Distributed Voltage Modulation Circuit for Fast Low-Ripple Switching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current power management circuits in 5G-NR wireless communication devices face challenges in rapidly switching voltages across wide modulation bandwidths while minimizing in-rush current and voltage ripple, which affects battery life and performance.
Innovation Solution
A distributed power management circuit that includes a distributed voltage modulation circuit with a voltage amplifier, voltage offset circuit, and control circuit, allowing for fast voltage switching within a short window by activating the voltage amplifier before the start of a time interval and using a smaller inductive trace impedance to reduce output impedance and in-rush current.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If voltage switching speed is increased to support wide modulation bandwidth, then productivity is improved, but in-rush current increases causing harmful effects
Solution Approach 1:
The voltage amplifier is activated before the start of the upcoming time interval (during the cyclic prefix period) to prepare the voltage level in advance. This preliminary action allows the voltage to be ready at the required level without causing in-rush current during the active transmission period, thus resolving the contradiction between fast switching and current control.
Solution Approach 2:
The voltage amplifier acts as an intermediary component between the power management circuit and the power amplifier. It buffers the voltage switching operation, enabling fast voltage changes while isolating the in-rush current effects from the main power delivery path, thus allowing fast switching without proportionally increasing harmful in-rush current.
2Productivity
If voltage switching speed is increased to support wide modulation bandwidth, then productivity is improved, but voltage ripple increases causing harmful effects
Solution Approach 1:
By activating the voltage amplifier during the cyclic prefix period before the actual transmission starts, the voltage level is adjusted in advance. This preliminary voltage adjustment prevents sudden voltage transitions during the active OFDM symbol, thereby reducing voltage ripple while maintaining fast switching capability for the next symbol period.
Solution Approach 2:
The voltage amplifier is activated beforehand during the cyclic prefix to cushion or smooth out voltage transitions. This preparatory voltage adjustment acts as a buffer that prevents sharp voltage changes and associated ripple during the critical transmission period, thus reducing harmful voltage ripple while enabling fast switching.
3Loss of energy
If in-rush current is reduced to minimize harmful effects, then loss of energy is improved, but voltage switching speed decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The voltage amplifier is activated in advance during the cyclic prefix period when no data transmission occurs. This timing allows the voltage to switch levels without causing in-rush current during active transmission, thus reducing energy loss while maintaining fast voltage switching capability for subsequent symbols.
Solution Approach 2:
The voltage amplifier serves as an intermediary that decouples the voltage switching operation from the main power delivery path. It enables fast voltage changes with controlled current draw by buffering the switching transient, thus achieving fast voltage switching speed while minimizing in-rush current and associated energy losses.
Data Source
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AI summary
A distributed power management circuit is provided. In embodiments disclosed herein, the distributed power management circuit can achieve multiple performance enhancing objectives simultaneously. More specifically, the distributed power management circuit can be configured to switch a modulated voltage from one voltage level to another within a very short switching window, reduce in-rush current required for switching the modulated voltage, and minimize a ripple in the modulated voltage, all at same time. As a result, the distributed power management circuit can be provided in a wireless device (e.g., smartphone) to enable very fast voltage switching across a wide modulation bandwidth (e.g., 400 MHz) with reduced power consumption and voltage distortion.