An RF switch circuit and method for switching RF signals that may be fabricated using common integrated circuit materials such as silicon, particularly using insulating substrate technologies. The RF switch includes switching and shunting transistor groupings to alternatively couple RF input signals to a common RF node, each controlled by a switching control voltage (SW) or its inverse (SW_), which are approximately symmetrical about ground. The transistor groupings each comprise one or more insulating gate FET transistors connected together in a “stacked” series channel configuration, which increases the breakdown voltage across the series connected transistors and improves RF switch compression. A fully integrated RF switch is described including control logic and a negative voltage generator with the RF switch elements. In one embodiment, the fully integrated RF switch includes an oscillator, a charge pump, CMOS logic circuitry, level-shifting and voltage divider circuits, and an RF buffer circuit.

Switch Circuit and Method of Switching Radio Frequency Signals

A method and apparatus for use in improving the linearity characteristics of MOSFET devices using an accumulated charge sink (ACS) are disclosed. The method and apparatus are adapted to remove, reduce, or otherwise control accumulated charge in SOI MOSFETs, thereby yielding improvements in FET performance characteristics. In one exemplary embodiment, a circuit having at least one SOI MOSFET is configured to operate in an accumulated charge regime. An accumulated charge sink, operatively coupled to the body of the SOI MOSFET, eliminates, removes or otherwise controls accumulated charge when the FET is operated in the accumulated charge regime, thereby reducing the nonlinearity of the parasitic off-state source-to-drain capacitance of the SOI MOSFET. In RF switch circuits implemented with the improved SOI MOSFET devices, harmonic and intermodulation distortion is reduced by removing or otherwise controlling the accumulated charge when the SOI MOSFET operates in an accumulated charge regime.

Method and apparatus for use in improving linearity of MOSFETs using an accumulated charge sink

A LED driver is connectible to several series connected RGB LEDs which connect in series with a current generator. A plurality of LED switches are respectively connectible across one RGB LED. Each LED switch, operating in response to a binary signal is either open to permit electrical current to flow through the RGB LED, or closed to shunt current around that RGB LED. By varying respective duty cycles of the binary signals the LED driver is adapted for controlling operation of the combined RGB LEDs so they emit differing colors of light. An adaptive boost converter LED driver continuously adjusts voltage applied across the series connected RGB LEDs to be only that required for operating those LEDs through which open LED switches permit current to flow.

Method and IC driver for series connected R, G, B LEDs

A dual-energy storage system is described, having two energy sources: (a) a fast- energy storage devices (FES) such as an ultracapacitor, and (b) a long duration or steady power device, such as a fuel-cell or battery. A power converter or controller executes an energy management algorithm to determine when to provide bursts of additional power/current from the fast-energy storage device, and when to recharge the fast-energy storage device. A method is further described of adaptively managing the state of charge of an ultracapacitor or other Fast Energy Storage device in the dual energy storage system of a Plug-in Hybrid propulsion system. The method provides good protection of the battery, good performance, and minimizes the required capacity of the ultracapacitor.

System and method for dual energy storage management

A monolithic integrated circuit (IC), and method of manufacturing same, that includes all RF front end or transceiver elements for a portable communication device, including a power amplifier (PA), a matching, coupling and filtering network, and an antenna switch to couple the conditioned PA signal to an antenna. An output signal sensor senses at least a voltage amplitude of the signal switched by the antenna switch, and signals a PA control circuit to limit PA output power in response to excessive values of sensed output. Stacks of multiple FETs in series to operate as a switching device may be used for implementation of the RF front end, and the method and apparatus of such stacks are claimed as subcombinations. An iClass PA architecture is described that dissipatively terminates unwanted harmonics of the PA output signal. A preferred embodiment of the RF transceiver IC includes two distinct PA circuits, two distinct receive signal amplifier circuits, and a four-way antenna switch to selectably couple a single antenna connection to any one of the four circuits.

Integrated RF front end with stacked transistor switch

A charge pump DC/DC converter with reduced noise at the input voltage source is provided. The present invention includes buck and boost DC/DC converters with added circuitry coupled between the input voltage and the switches which maintains a substantially constant input current on both phases of the charge pump clock. The added circuitry reduces input current variations to provide reduced noise at the input voltage source. Feedback loop circuitry coupled between the output node and the added circuitry varies the current through the switches to control the output current of the DC/DC converter in order to maintain the output voltage at the regulated value. The added circuitry may comprise a variable resistor, current mirror, or current mirrors.

Charge pump DC/DC converters with reduced input noise

A power manager is configured to manage power for a battery-powered application. A power source, a load and a battery are interconnected through a circuit path. Power from the power source is provided to the load and battery by a switching regulator. Various implementations are presented.

Power manager and power managing method for battery-powered application

A switching regulator circuit using a common switch network on a single IC for providing step-up and step-down DC--DC conversion is provided. The switching regulator uses switched capacitor techniques and hence avoids EMI, parasitic and stability concerns particular to inductors and transformers. The converter circuit includes control circuitry for sensing the voltage differential between the input and output to determine whether step-up or step-down mode is to be used. The control circuitry also senses the voltage differential between the input and output and enables the minimum number of switch sections needed to fully regulate the output, using the highest switch resistance possible to minimize inrush current from the input to the output.

Inductorless step-up and step-down converter with inrush current limiting

A battery balancing method and system which includes a plurality of cells connected in series, a balancer for each cell, a monitor configured to determine a state of charge (SOC) of each cell, and a microprocessor. The microprocessor iteratively calculates a SOC error for each cell, based on a theoretical balancing of the Min Q cell and the Max Q cell, until the SOC error is less than or equal to a first threshold; and iteratively re-calculates SOC error based on a net charge or discharge time for each balancer until the SOC error is less than or equal to a second threshold; and when the SOC error is less than or equal to the second threshold, instructs each balancer to physically balance each respective cell based on the respective calculated net charge or discharge time when the second threshold is met.

Optimized bi-directional balancing method and system

Current control circuitry for controlling current supplied from a source, that may be a current-constrained source, to a load and a battery. A current limit control circuit limits current supplied by the source to the load in accord with a programmed current limit. Load current is measured, and an input charger control circuit controls magnitude of current to the battery based on the difference between measured load current and battery current programmed to be supplied to the battery, such that the sum of load current and battery current is maintained within the programmed current limit.

Samuel H. Nork

Papers

Charge pump DC/DC converters with reduced input noise

Power manager and power managing method for battery-powered application

Inductorless step-up and step-down converter with inrush current limiting

Optimized bi-directional balancing method and system

Current control circuitry and methodology for controlling current from current constrained source