Vector Recombination Amplifier for Broadband Phase and Amplitude Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing power amplifier architectures face challenges in maintaining accurate phase shifts over a wider bandwidth, particularly in broadband applications, leading to phase and amplitude variations that affect signal quality and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A tunable vector recombination amplifier design with controllable phase shifters and DC voltage sources allows for precise phase control and amplitude adjustment across multiple amplifier paths, enabling vectorial combination of signals to achieve specified phase and amplitude at the output, eliminating the need for lossy output combining networks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional power amplifier architectures use fixed phase shifters, then phase control is simple at a single frequency, but phase accuracy deteriorates over wider bandwidth
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the phase shifters tunable rather than fixed. Each phase shifter can be independently adjusted to compensate for frequency-dependent phase variations, allowing the system to maintain accurate phase relationships across a wide bandwidth while keeping the overall architecture relatively simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the phase shift parameter dynamically across different frequencies. By adjusting the phase shift values of individual amplifiers based on their frequency-dependent characteristics, the system maintains the required phase relationships (90° for Doherty, 180° for Chireix) over a broadband range.
2Ease of operation
If lossy output combining networks are used to combine amplifier paths, then vectorial combination is achieved, but insertion loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the lossy output combining network from the system. Instead of using traditional passive combining networks that introduce insertion loss, the invention combines signals through active amplifier stages that can sum the output signals without the harmful losses associated with passive combining elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the passive mechanical/electrical combining network with an active electronic combining approach using amplifier stages. This substitution eliminates the insertion loss inherent in passive networks while achieving the same vectorial combination function through active signal summation in the amplifier output stages.
3Adaptability or versatility
If broadband operation is implemented, then frequency range is extended, but phase control accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the broadband frequency range into multiple narrower bands, each handled by independently controllable phase shifters. This segmentation allows each phase shifter to be optimized for specific frequency ranges, maintaining phase accuracy across the entire broadband spectrum by combining the performance of multiple specialized phase control elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic phase adjustment across the broadband range. Each phase shifter can be independently tuned to compensate for frequency-dependent phase variations, allowing the system to adapt phase control to maintain accuracy across different frequency segments within the broadband operation range.
Data Source
AI summary
A tunable vector recombination amplifier comprises an input, an output, first and second amplifier circuit paths each including a respective phase shifter to receive a respective input signal from the input and to apply a respective phase shift to produce a respective phase-shifted signal, a respective interstage impedance matching network, and a respective amplifier connected between the respective phase shifter and interstage impedance matching network to receive and amplify the respective phase-shifted signal to produce a respective amplified signal, first and second controllable DC voltage sources each coupled to a respective amplifier and configured to provide a respective supply voltage to the respective amplifier, values of the supply voltages being independently controllable, and an output amplifier stage to receive, amplify, and vectorially combine the amplified signals to produce a combined signal having a specified phase determined by the phase shifts and supply-voltage values and a specified amplitude at the output.