PMIC Intra-Symbol Voltage Modulation for RF Envelope Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
In 5G-NR systems, the inter-symbol power variation of RF signals poses a challenge for power management integrated circuits (PMICs) due to the need to adapt modulated voltages within each OFDM symbol duration to avoid distortion, particularly amplitude clipping, which existing technologies like Symbol Power Tracking PMICs struggle to address effectively.
Innovation Solution
A PMIC is configured to divide voltage modulation intervals into multiple subintervals, allowing it to adapt modulated voltages multiple times based on specific targets, thereby closely tracking the time-variant power envelope of RF signals to prevent distortion during amplification.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the modulation bandwidth is increased to achieve higher data rates, then the data rate is improved, but the OFDM symbol duration becomes shorter making voltage adaptation more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides each OFDM symbol duration into multiple voltage modulation subintervals, allowing the PMIC to adapt the modulated voltage multiple times within a single symbol. This segmentation approach enables the system to maintain high data rates with short symbol durations while still providing sufficient opportunities for voltage adaptation to track the time-variant power envelope.
2Device complexity
If the PMIC adapts modulated voltage only once per OFDM symbol, then the device complexity is reduced, but amplitude clipping distortion occurs in the RF signal
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic voltage adaptation by enabling the PMIC to adjust the modulated voltage multiple times within each OFDM symbol based on the time-variant power envelope. This dynamic approach allows the system to maintain low complexity while effectively tracking power variations and preventing amplitude clipping distortion through timely voltage adjustments.
Data Source
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Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
Circuit and method for intra-symbol voltage method are disclosed. In an embodiment, a transceiver circuit is configured to divide a voltage modulation interval(s) (e.g., a symbol duration) into multiple voltage modulation subintervals each corresponding to a respective one of multiple voltage targets. Accordingly, a power management integrated circuit (PMIC) can adapt a modulated voltage multiple times within the voltage modulation interval(s) based on multiple voltage targets, respectively. By adapting the modulated voltage within the voltage modulation interval(s), the modulated voltage can be timely adapted to closely track a time-variant power envelope of a radio frequency (RF) signal to thereby avoid potential distortion (e.g., amplitude clipping) during amplification of the RF signal.