Envelope Tracking Amplifier Timing Adjustment for Switcher Delay
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increased output power of RF signals in mobile communication devices for higher data rates leads to increased power consumption and thermal dissipation, compromising performance and user experience, and existing envelope tracking systems face processing delays that affect efficiency.
Innovation Solution
An envelope tracking amplifier circuit with fast switcher circuitry and timing adjustment circuitry to provide AC current and compensate for processing delays, minimizing AC current sourced from the ET tracker circuitry and maintaining efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If fast switcher circuitry is activated to provide AC current to minimize current from ET tracker circuitry, then efficiency of ET tracker circuitry is improved, but processing delay causes the fast switcher circuitry to lag behind the ET modulated target voltage
Solution Approach 1:
The timing adjustment circuitry advances the sense current signal by a predetermined time amount to compensate for the processing delay inherent in the fast switcher circuitry. This preliminary timing adjustment ensures that the fast switcher circuitry is activated at the correct moment, preventing it from lagging behind the ET modulated target voltage while still minimizing the AC current sourced from the ET tracker circuitry.
2Use of energy by moving object
If envelope tracking system constantly adjusts supply voltage to PAs to improve efficiency, then power consumption is reduced, but processing delay affects the responsiveness and efficiency of the system
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies a timing advance to the sense current signal before it is used to control the fast switcher circuitry. This preliminary timing adjustment compensates for the processing delay in the envelope tracking system, ensuring that voltage adjustments to the PAs are made at the optimal moment, thereby maintaining both low power consumption and high responsiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The envelope tracking system continuously monitors the AC current sourced from the ET tracker circuitry through the sense current and uses this feedback to control the fast switcher circuitry. The timing adjustment circuitry modifies this feedback signal in advance, creating a closed-loop control system that responds dynamically to changing conditions while compensating for processing delays.
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects disclosed in the detailed description include an envelope tracking (ET) amplifier circuit. The ET amplifier circuit includes ET tracker circuitry configured to provide an ET modulated voltage, which tracks an ET modulated target voltage, to an amplifier circuit(s) for amplifying a radio frequency (RF) signal. The ET amplifier circuit also includes fast switcher circuitry that is activated to provide an alternate current (AC) current to the amplifier circuit(s) when the RF signal includes a higher number of resource blocks (RBs). However, the fast switcher circuitry and its associated control circuitry may incur a processing delay that can cause the fast switcher circuitry to lag behind the ET modulated target voltage. As such, the ET amplifier circuit further includes timing adjustment circuitry to help compensate for the processing delay, thus helping to maintain efficiency of the ET tracker circuitry for improved performance of the ET amplifier circuit.