Low-Noise Amplifier Isolation for Harmonic Suppression and Matching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current low-noise amplifiers face challenges in harmonic suppression, where the harmonic suppression unit compromises impedance matching, leading to increased design difficulty and reduced flexibility, especially as electronic component sizes decrease and power consumption drops.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of an isolation unit between the harmonic suppression unit and the output/input match network in a low-noise amplifier, using transistors like NMOS devices, allows for separate design of harmonic suppression and impedance matching, improving linearity and design flexibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-generated harmful factors
If a harmonic suppression unit is inlaid in an output match network/input match network, then harmonic suppression capability is improved, but impedance matching is compromised and design difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the low-noise amplifier into distinct functional modules: an amplification unit and a separate harmonic suppression unit connected via isolation units. This segmentation allows the harmonic suppression unit to be designed and optimized independently from the match networks, resolving the contradiction by enabling separate design of harmonic suppression functionality while maintaining overall system performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces isolation units (comprising transistors and resistors) as intermediary components between the amplification unit and the harmonic suppression unit, and between the harmonic suppression unit and the match networks. These isolation units act as mediators that allow the harmonic suppression unit to function effectively without directly compromising the impedance matching characteristics of the match networks, thus reducing design difficulty while maintaining harmonic suppression capability.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If a harmonic suppression unit is inlaid in an output match network/input match network, then harmonic suppression capability is improved, but design flexibility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the amplifier into independent functional blocks (amplification unit, harmonic suppression unit, match networks) connected through isolation units, the patent enables each block to be designed, modified, or optimized independently. This segmentation directly addresses the contradiction by preserving design flexibility while achieving harmonic suppression capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The isolation units serve as flexible intermediary components that can be configured in different ways (using transistors, resistors, or combinations) to accommodate various design requirements. This intermediary structure allows designers to adjust the coupling between stages without redesigning the entire system, thereby maintaining design flexibility while enabling effective harmonic suppression.
3Use of energy by moving object
If supply voltage drops to reduce power consumption, then power consumption is reduced, but linear dynamic range shrinks and harmonic suppression requirement increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmonic suppression function from the main signal path and implements it as a separate dedicated unit. This extraction allows the low-noise amplifier to operate at lower supply voltages (reducing power consumption) while the separate harmonic suppression unit actively removes harmonic distortion, thus resolving the contradiction between low power consumption and low harmonic distortion.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent acknowledges that lower supply voltages inherently produce more harmonic distortion, but converts this harmful effect into a manageable challenge by adding a dedicated harmonic suppression unit. This unit is specifically designed to suppress the harmonics generated by the low-voltage operation, thus turning the disadvantage of low-voltage operation into an opportunity for targeted harmonic suppression.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a harmonic suppression method, a corresponding low-noise amplifier (20, 30, 40), and a communication terminal. In the harmonic suppression method, an isolation unit (23, 33, 43) is arranged between a harmonic suppression unit (24, 34, 44) of the low-noise amplifier (20, 30, 40) and an output match network (25, 35, 45)/input match network (21, 31, 41). The harmonic suppression unit (24, 34, 44) is isolated from the output match network (25, 35, 45)/input match network (21, 31, 41) by means of the isolation unit (23, 33, 43), so that the two are not affected or compromised by each other, and can be designed separately. In this way, the design flexibility of a signal amplification circuit is greatly improved, and the design difficulty is reduced.