Multiport Amplifier Calibration for Amplitude and Phase Errors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Multiport amplifiers face challenges in maintaining optimal performance due to amplitude and phase errors caused by environmental changes, such as component degradation or temperature variations, which affect the isolation performance and signal distribution in hybrid networks.
Innovation Solution
A multiport amplifier system incorporating an input hybrid network, power amplifiers, an output hybrid network, an error detector, and amplitude and phase controllers, which generates RF signals, amplifies them, and uses QPSK signals to detect and calibrate amplitude and phase errors, ensuring optimal performance by controlling these parameters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a multiport amplifier uses hybrid matrix characteristics with multiple power amplifiers to provide high power allocation and redundancy, then system reliability and power distribution flexibility are improved, but amplitude and phase errors occur due to component variations and environmental changes, deteriorating isolation performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing amplitude and phase calibration before the multiport amplifier operates in its normal amplification mode. The calibration process pre-adjusts the amplitude and phase of signals from each power amplifier path using calibration circuits and control circuits, so that when the amplifier enters service, the hybrid matrix maintains proper isolation performance despite component variations. This preliminary calibration ensures that the system achieves both high reliability through multiple amplifier paths and maintains manufacturing precision for isolation performance.
2Device complexity
If the multiport amplifier operates without continuous calibration, then device complexity and power consumption are reduced, but performance drifts from optimal state due to environmental changes such as temperature variation and component degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by continuously monitoring the amplitude and phase of signals from each power amplifier path using detection circuits. The detected error signals are fed back to control circuits that automatically adjust the amplitude and phase of each path in real-time. This closed-loop feedback mechanism ensures that the multiport amplifier maintains optimal isolation performance and amplification characteristics despite environmental changes, achieving both performance stability and reasonable device complexity through automated correction rather than continuous manual calibration.
3Manufacturing precision
If amplitude and phase calibration circuits are added to maintain optimal performance, then isolation performance and signal distribution accuracy are improved, but device complexity and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the calibration function into separate, modular calibration circuits for each power amplifier path. Each calibration circuit independently adjusts the amplitude and phase of its associated power amplifier output. This segmented approach allows the system to achieve high signal distribution accuracy through individual path optimization while managing device complexity through modular design, where each calibration module can be implemented and controlled independently rather than requiring a monolithic complex calibration system.
Data Source
AI summary
A multiport amplifier modulates a reference quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) signal using an input RF signal to an input hybrid network, generates a plurality of binary phase shift keying (BPSK) signals by demodulating RF signals that are amplified by a plurality of power amplifiers, detects an amplitude error and a phase error of two corresponding amplified RF signals by comparing a QPSK signal that is generated by coupling two RF signals having a phase difference of 90° among the plurality of BPSK signals with a reference QPSK signal, and compensates the detected amplitude error and phase error.