U.S. patent application number 09/751896 was filed with the patent office on 2002-01-03 for temperature-compensated diode rectifier circuit for an hf level controller.
This patent application is currently assigned to Nokia Mobile Phones Ltd.. Invention is credited to Fritzmann, Martin, Weiss, Manfred.
Application Number | 20020000866 09/751896 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 7935155 |
Filed Date | 2002-01-03 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020000866 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Weiss, Manfred ; et
al. |
January 3, 2002 |
Temperature-compensated diode rectifier circuit for an HF level
controller
Abstract
A temperature-compensated diode rectifier circuit is coupled to
the outside of an HF amplifier (PA) to derive a rectified voltage
(U.sub.D) from an HF output signal (RF.sub.OUT) with a rectifier
input (I.sub.R) via a directional coupler (D-CO) with secondary
connections (1, 2), and has a rectifier output (O.sub.R) for the
rectified voltage (U.sub.D), a rectifier diode (D1), a charging
capacitor (C1) and a ballast resistor (R2). To stabilize the
rectified voltage against temperature influences, the rectifier
input (I.sub.R) is connected to a d.c. input voltage (U.sub.IN),
and a compensating diode (D2) is in series with the ballast
resistor (R2), and a dropping resistor (R1) is in series with the
rectifier diode (D1). According to the invention the rectifier
diode (D1), the compensating diode (D2), the dropping resistor
(R1), the ballast resistor (R2) and the directional coupler (D-CO)
are connected to the d.c. input voltage (U.sub.IN) so that the
voltage amplitude of the decoupled HF output signal (RF.sub.OUT) is
added to the d.c. input voltage (U.sub.IN). Furthermore the
dropping resistor (R1) of the rectifier diode (D1) is located
between the charging capacitor (C1) and the rectifier output
(O.sub.R) and the d.c. input voltage (U.sub.IN) is stabilized and
is only slightly higher than twice the threshold voltage (U.sub.T)
of a diode (D1, D2).
Inventors: |
Weiss, Manfred;
(Rot-Haslach, DE) ; Fritzmann, Martin; (Neu-Ulm,
DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
PERMAN & GREEN
425 POST ROAD
FAIRFIELD
CT
06430
US
|
Assignee: |
Nokia Mobile Phones Ltd.
|
Family ID: |
7935155 |
Appl. No.: |
09/751896 |
Filed: |
December 28, 2000 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
327/494 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H03G 3/3047 20130101;
H03G 3/3042 20130101; H03G 1/04 20130101; H03F 2200/78
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
327/494 |
International
Class: |
H03K 017/74 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 30, 1999 |
DE |
19964024.6 |
Claims
1. A temperature-compensated diode rectifier circuit which is
coupled to the outside of an HF amplifier (PA) to derive a
rectified voltage (U.sub.D) from an HF output signal (RF.sub.OUT)
with a rectifier input (I.sub.R) via a directional coupler (D-CO)
with secondary connections (1, 2), it comprises a rectifier output
(O.sub.R) for the rectified voltage (U.sub.D), a rectifier diode
(D1), a charging capacitor (C1) and a ballast resistor (R2), and is
connected to a d.c. input voltage (U.sub.IN) via the rectifier
input (I.sub.R), to stabilize the rectified voltage against
temperature influences in an allowable usage range, and contains a
compensating diode (D2) in series with the ballast resistor (R2),
and a dropping resistor (R1) in series with the rectifier diode
(D1), characterized in that the rectifier diode (D1), the
compensating diode (D2), the dropping resistor (R1), the ballast
resistor (R2) and the directional coupler (D-CO) are connected to
the d.c. input voltage (U.sub.IN) so that the voltage amplitude of
the decoupled HF output signal (RF.sub.OUT) is added to the d.c.
input voltage (U.sub.IN), that the dropping resistor (R1) of the
rectifier diode (D1) is located between the charging capacitor (C1)
and the rectifier output (O.sub.R), and that the d.c. input voltage
(U.sub.IN) is stabilized and is only slightly higher than twice the
threshold voltage (U.sub.T) of a diode (D1, D2).
2. A diode rectifier circuit as claimed in claim 1, characterized
in that a secondary connection (1) of the directional coupler
(D-CO) is directly connected to the d.c. input voltage (U.sub.IN) ,
and the other connection directly to the rectifier input (IN.sub.R)
, so that the HF alternating voltage which is inductively decoupled
by the directional coupler (D-CO) is in series with the d.c. input
voltage (U.sub.IN).
3. A diode rectifier circuit as claimed in claim 1, characterized
in that the d.c. input voltage (U.sub.IN) is a few hundredths of a
volt above twice the threshold voltage (U.sub.T), which the diodes
(D1, D2) exhibit at the minimum operating temperature in the
allowed range.
4. A diode rectifier circuit as claimed in claim 3, characterized
in that the d.c. input voltage (U.sub.IN) is between two and three
times the value of the threshold voltage (U.sub.T) of a diode (D1,
D2).
5. A diode rectifier circuit as claimed in claim 1, characterized
in that the circuit with the double diode rectifier (D11, D21, C11,
C21, R11, R21), but with a common compensating diode (D2) is used
in a mobile telephone which is designed to operate in different
frequency bands.
Description
[0001] The invention concerns a temperature-compensated diode
rectifier for an HF level controller, which is located in the gain
control loop of an HF amplifier to control the output level of an
HF transmitter. The controlled HF amplifier is preferably arranged
at the output of a radio telephone modulator. In particular, this
is a cellular telephone designed to operate in different
transmission bands. The object of the control circuit is to keep
the transmitting power of the radio telephone's antenna constant at
a set value within a large power range and over a large operating
temperature range.
[0002] During the telephone operation, radio telephones like
cellular telephones adjust their HF transmitting power as a
function of the base station density in a radio network and the
momentary transmission conditions. After the radio telephone
accesses the radio network, the latter assigns a transmission
channel to the telephone and continuously monitors the transmission
quality. In addition to other HF parameters such as channel
frequency and time slot position, the level of the HF transmitting
power must be maintained relatively precisely. Rural areas with a
low number of simultaneous telephone connections generally have a
low base station density despite the advanced development of the
radio networks, so that a radio path of up to 40 km to the next
base station and poor propagation conditions require the maximum
available transmitting power of about 33 dBm (=2 Watt). In contrast
thereto, dense population and a high base station density leads to
short radio paths which are often only 100 meters long. The
transmitting power in such short radio paths can often be reduced
to a few dBm/mW to reduce battery load and ensure the transmission
quality.
[0003] In addition, with high transmitting power and low cell size
common channel disturbances can occur in other cells if in
accordance with the applicable conventions both cells occupy the
same channel. On the other hand, transmitting power which is too
low leads to insufficient transmission quality.
[0004] It can therefore be seen that on the one hand the control
circuit must adjust the HF transmitting power of a cellular
telephone as precisely as possible and in a reproducible manner in
accordance with the transmission conditions in a large dynamic
range, and on the other hand it must maintain the set value in a
wide range of operating temperatures. These requirements are
difficult to fulfill with low HF transmitting power.
[0005] According to the present state of development, the
transmitting power including power losses in the cellular
telephone, for example in the transmitting/receiving switch, must
be adjustable for a 900 MHz frequency band in a range of levels
between 5 dBm and 39 dBm, and for the frequency bands of 1800 MHz
and 1900 MHz in a range between 0 dBm and 36 dBm. These settings
should have an accuracy of .+-.0.5 dBm in the temperature range of
-20.degree. C. to +60.degree. C.
[0006] The present invention starts with a temperature-compensated
diode rectifier circuit according to application EP 0 834 987 A2.
To better understand the problem, differences between the known
solution and the present invention are explained by means of FIG.
1.
[0007] An HF amplifier PA is located between the modulator output
of a not illustrated telephone module and an antenna circuit A, to
amplify a transmission signal RF.sub.IN which in this case is
digitally modulated to 900 MHz on a carrier. To obtain an HF output
signal RF.sub.OUT for the antenna circuit A at a defined power
level in the above cited level range, a control loop with a
comparator COM which compares the known desired value to the actual
value, adjusts the amplification of the HF amplifier PA. The
comparator COM compares a d.c. control voltage U.sub.CTR, which
corresponds to the desired power level, with a rectified voltage
U.sub.D whose level depends on the power level of the HF output
signal RF.sub.OUT. A rectifier circuit with a rectifier diode D1, a
charging capacitor C1 and a ballast resistor R2 obtains the
rectified voltage U.sub.D from the output signal RF.sub.OUT of the
antenna circuit. A directional coupler D-CO connects the rectifier
circuit to the antenna circuit.
[0008] The voltage of the HF output signal RF.sub.OUT in the cited
level range varies by more than the ratio n=1:30. This requires a
linear conducting characteristic of the rectifier diode and a steep
transition from the off mode to the conducting mode, in order to
obtain a small setting deviation even at low levels. This is made
more difficult because in extreme cases only a minimum 3 V
operating voltage is available for a cellular telephone. Since the
comparator COM can only compare voltages which are below its own
operating voltage, the directional coupler D-CO and the rectifier
circuit must be designed so that even at a maximum power level the
rectified voltage U.sub.D is still at least slightly under this
value. The result is that even with an ideal characteristic diode
curve, the part of the rectified output signal .sub.RF at the
lowest power level in the rectified voltage U.sub.D would be under
100 mV.
[0009] The transition from the off mode to the conducting mode in
rectifier diodes lies outside of the axial zero point. Without
special measures only one rectified voltage U.sub.D reaches the
output when the amplitude of the decoupled output signal is above a
threshold voltage U.sub.T. For that reason the diode D1 operates
advantageously with a bias voltage, or like the solution of
application EP 0 834 987 A2 with a bias current. The threshold
voltage U.sub.T depends on the operating temperature and in
Schottky diodes for example it is in the desired temperature range
under U.sub.T=300 mV.
[0010] The power level at the output of the HF amplifier PA must be
independent of operating temperature changes. However this is not
so in conventional rectifier circuits. Conventional diodes with
small forward currents have a temperature dependence of about 2.0
mV/.degree. C. Thus a permissible 80.degree. C. temperature change
requires a change of 160 mV in the rectified voltage U.sub.D. This
is larger than the part of rectified the output signal .sub.RF in
the voltage.
[0011] To compensate the temperature run of the rectified voltage
U.sub.R, it is known from application EP 0 834 987 A2 to place a
compensating diode D2 in series with the ballast resistor R2, and
to connect one side of the rectifier diode D1 to the battery
voltage U.sub.BAT via a ballast resistor R1. This creates a voltage
divider for the battery voltage U.sub.BAT with a series circuit of
a diode D1 or D2 and a resistor R1 or R2 in each dividing branch,
and the rectifier output O.sub.R has the rectified voltage
U.sub.D=U.sub.DO=.sub.RF which contains a bias component
U.sub.DO=U.sub.T+.sub.R2. With a bias current I.sub.BIAS between 20
.mu.A and 200 .mu.A, the battery voltage +E,cir, U.sub.BAT places
both diodes D1, D2 in the conductive condition. Due to the
temperature dependence of diodes D1 and D2, the bias current
I.sub.BIAS is also temperature dependent. However since equal diode
types and thermally coupled diodes D1, D2 have the same temperature
dependence in each dividing branch, the division ratio of the
voltage divider remains stable insofar as the dropping resistor R1
and the ballast resistor R2 have the same value and the comparator
COM has a high input resistance. In this case the bias component
U.sub.DO=1/2U.sub.BAT and only depends on the battery voltage
U.sub.BAT level. The rectified voltage U.sub.M can therefore only
vary between full and half the operating voltage value. In practice
this reduces the variation range of the rectified output signal
.sub.RF in the rectified voltage U.sub.D to 1.5 Volts. However if
the resistors R1 and R2 are different, for example to expand the
variation range of the rectified voltage U.sub.D, the rectifier
circuit has a defined temperature run. The ratio of the resistors
to each other can be used to establish a positive or a negative
temperature run. The decoupled output signal goes from the
directional coupler D-CO via a coupling capacitor C2 to a summation
point S in the rectifier circuit where it is superimposed on the
bias current I.sub.BIAS. The resistor RE is used to adapt the
directional coupler D-CO and terminate the wave impedance.
[0012] The bias component U.sub.DO is always at a fixed ratio with
the battery voltage U.sub.BAT, which can fluctuate broadly in a
radio telephone. For that reason the level of the d.c. control
voltage U.sub.CTR must also be coupled to the changing battery
voltage U.sub.BAT.
[0013] In addition to the cited disadvantages, it was also shown in
practice that at small power levels up to about 10 dBm the known
rectifier circuit only produces a rectified output signal .sub.RF
of a few millivolts at the rectifier output, so that the control
circuit operation at the lower level of the HF output signal
RF.sub.OUT is insufficient. The cause of this deficiency is
apparently the linkage of the bias current I.sub.BIAS with the
decoupled part of the output signal RF.sub.OUT at the summation
point S. By comparison with the resistors R1 and R2, the diodes D1
and D2 only have a small impedance. This means that the resistors
R1 and R2 act as a current source with respect to the diodes and
provide a relatively stable bias current I.sub.BIAS above the
transition from the off mode to the conducting mode, so that the
amplitude of the decoupled HF output signal RF.sub.OUT has to
exceed a minimum power value to compensate this current and with
the diode D1 achieve a rectified voltage that depends on the HF
output signal RF.sub.OUT. Until the bias current I.sub.BIAS is
compensated, the diodes D1, D2 have a small impedance and the
capacitors C1 and C2 form an a.c. voltage divider which divides the
decoupled HF output signal RF.sub.OUT accordingly. This means that
instead of the rectified output signal .sub.RF, at a low level only
a component of the a.c. voltage takes place in the rectified
voltage U.sub.D. Thus the bias current in the known circuit first
realizes the above described temperature compensation, but provides
insufficient bias to the diodes D1, D2 with the threshold voltage
U.sub.T.
[0014] Starting with the cited deficiencies of the known solution,
it is the object of the invention to create a rectifier circuit in
a control circuit for regulating the level of an HF output signal
in an antenna circuit, which by comparison with the known solutions
also has sufficient sensitivity at a low HF output level in
addition to good temperature compensation. Beyond that the
rectifier circuit must also work with devices designed to operate
in different frequency bands, in so-called dual band mobile
phones.
[0015] To achieve this object the invention starts with a rectifier
circuit containing a rectifier input for the HF output signal which
is decoupled from the antenna circuit, and a rectifier output for a
rectified voltage. To measure the level of the HF output signal,
the circuit is coupled to the rectifier input via a directional
coupler in the antenna circuit. The rectifier circuit contains a
rectifier diode, a charging capacitor and a ballast resistor which
leads from the rectifier output to a ground connection of the
circuit. The rectifier input is connected to a d.c. input voltage
to stabilize the rectified voltage against temperature influences.
Furthermore a compensating diode is placed in series with the
ballast resistor, and a dropping resistor in series with the
rectifier diode. A voltage divider, in which each dividing branch
contains a resistor and a diode that is polarized in the flow
direction, leads from the d.c. input voltage to the rectifier
output, so that the rectified voltage is independent of the
temperature and preferably contains a bias component at half the
level of the d.c. input voltage.
[0016] In contrast to the known solution however, the components of
the rectifier circuit and the directional coupler of the invention
are connected to the d.c. input voltage so that the voltage
amplitude of the decoupled HF output signal is added to the d.c.
input voltage, and the dropping resistor of the rectifier diode is
located between the charging capacitor and the rectifier
output.
[0017] Another measure for achieving the object of the invention is
that the d.c. input voltage is stabilized and is only slightly
higher than twice the threshold voltage of a diode.
[0018] The addition of the HF output signal is achieved in that on
one side the connections of the directional coupler are directly
connected to the d.c. input voltage, and on the other side directly
to the rectifier input, so that the inductively decoupled HF a.c.
voltage is in series with the d.c. input voltage.
[0019] This has the advantage that on the one hand the decoupled HF
a.c. voltage at the rectifier input is directly superimposed on the
d.c. input voltage, and works against it when the amplitude of the
HF output signal is negative, while no signal current flows. On the
other hand the rectified part of the output signal in the rectified
voltage at the charging capacitor is nearly twice as large as the
rectifier output. With a small HF output level, the cited measures
allow better use of the current-voltage dependence of the rectifier
diode during the transition from the off mode to the conducting
mode. The small d.c. input voltage enables to almost double the
variation range of the rectified voltage and thereby also a
corresponding increase in the HF a.c. voltage at the rectifier
input, without the maximum rectified voltage exceeding an
unallowable high value at the rectifier output. The position of the
dropping resistor also enables a further doubling of the HF a.c.
voltage at the rectifier input, without the rectified voltage
exceeding the unallowable high value or changing the temperature
run. Furthermore, since no fixed bias current is fed to the
rectifier diode, no output power is needed to compensate when
signal amplitudes are negative.
[0020] As a result and compared to the known solution, the diode
rectifier circuit of the invention provides sufficient sensitivity
with equally good temperature compensation in an HF output level
range which is expanded downward by about 10 dBm. This diode
rectifier circuit also allows a control circuit of the HF
transmitter to control output levels in the 0 dBm to 10 dBm range
with sufficient accuracy.
[0021] The invention is explained in the following by means of an
embodiment. The corresponding figures show:
[0022] FIG. 1 a control circuit for an HF level control with a
known temperature-compensated diode rectifier circuit
[0023] FIG. 2 a control circuit for an HF level control with a
temperature-compensated diode rectifier circuit of the
invention;
[0024] FIG. 3 another embodiment of the.invention for use in a
device which operates in several frequency bands.
[0025] The control circuit shown in FIG. 1 contains the
temperature-compensated diode rectifier circuit from document EP 0
834 987 A1 which comes closest to the solution of the invention and
is described in the introduction of that document.
[0026] FIG. 2 shows the known control circuit with a diode
rectifier circuit according to the invention for deriving a
rectified voltage U.sub.D from an HF output signal RD.sub.OUT for
an antenna circuit A. It is also coupled to an antenna circuit
through a rectifier input IN.sub.R via a directional coupler D-CO.
An HF amplifier PA whose amplification can be controlled by a
comparator COM supplies the antenna circuit A with an HF output
signal RD.sub.OUT which must have a controllable but constant HF
level. The antenna circuit A essentially contains a
transmitting-receiving antenna and the respective antenna
change-over switch for the two-way operation of the antenna with a
transmitting and a receiving module. The rectifier circuit contains
a rectifier diode D1, a charging capacitor C1 and a ballast
resistor R2, and supplies the rectified voltage U.sub.D at a
rectifier output O.sub.R. To stabilize the rectified voltage
against temperature influences within an allowable temperature
range, the rectifier input IN.sub.R is connected to a d.c. input
voltage U.sub.IN, via the directional coupler D-CO. In contrast to
the known solution however, the voltage is stabilized and is only
slightly higher than twice the threshold voltage U.sub.T of a diode
D1, D2. Also for temperature compensation there is a compensating
diode D2 in series with the ballast resistor R2, and a rectifier
diode D1 in series with a dropping resistor R1. However the
dropping resistor R1 on the one hand is connected to the rectifier
diode D1 and the charging capacitor C1, and on the other to the
rectifier output O.sub.R. This divides the rectified voltage of the
charging capacitor C1 by a division factor k, which is slightly
greater than 0.5 due to the threshold voltage U.sub.T of diode D2.
Here the directional coupler D-CO can be designed so that the
amplitude of the decoupled HF output signal RF.sub.OUT at the
rectifier input IN.sub.R is accordingly larger than with the known
solution. This already allows the rectifier diode D1 to go from the
off mode into the conducting mode at smaller HF levels, without
exceeding the maximum allowable rectified voltage
U.sub.DMAX=U.sub.BAT for the comparator COM at the maximum HF
level. If the dropping resistor R1 and the ballast resistor R2 have
the same value, the division factor of the voltage divider D1, D2,
R1, R2 remains independent of the operating temperature, in the
same way as with the known solution. Since the d.c. input voltage
U.sub.IN is stabilized, the rectified voltage U.sub.D remains free
of changes which depend on the load condition of the instrument
battery.
[0027] The directional coupler has a secondary connection 1 which
is directly connected to the d.c. input voltage, and a secondary
connection 2 which is connected to the rectifier input IN.sub.R, so
that the inductively decoupled HF alternating voltage and the d.c.
input voltage U.sub.IN are in series.
[0028] The rectifier circuit is particularly sensitive when the
d.c. input voltage U.sub.IN is a few hundredths of a volt higher
than twice the threshold voltage U.sub.T, which the diodes D1, D2
exhibit at the lowest operating temperature of the allowable range.
At this operating temperature the threshold voltage U.sub.T of
diodes D1, D2 is the highest and the bias current I.sub.BMIN
through the voltage divider D1, D2, R1, R2 is the lowest. On the
one hand the dropping resistor R1 and the ballast resistor R2 must
be designed with reference to the d.c. input voltage U.sub.IN and
the d.c. input current of comparator COM, so that the bias current
I.sub.BMIN, which flows into the voltage divider D1, D2, R1, R2, is
still higher than the d.c. input current of comparator COM, and on
the other hand that the voltage decrease caused by the bias current
I.sub.BMIN at the dropping resistor R1 is lower than the threshold
voltage U.sub.T of diodes D1, D2. In this way even at the lowest
operating temperature in the allowed usage range, and with very low
bias current I.sub.BMIN at the rectifier input IN.sub.R, the bias
component in the rectified voltage U.sub.D is still nearly half as
large as the d.c. input voltage U.sub.IN. At higher operating
temperatures the threshold voltage U.sub.T of diodes D1, D2 drops,
the bias current through the voltage divider D1, D2, R1, R2
increases and causes correspondingly higher voltage drops in the
resistors.
[0029] FIG. 3 shows a special configuration of the invention for
use in a device that operates in different frequency bands, for
example for a transmission signal RF.sub.IN1 in a 900 MHz frequency
band, and a transmission signal RF.sub.IN2 in an 1800 MHz frequency
band. The circuit has a controllable power amplifier PA1 and PA2
for each frequency band, which are switched to the corresponding
modulator outputs of a telephone module by not illustrated
switches. In addition each frequency band has its own diode
rectifier with a diode D11 or D12 (sic), a charging capacitor C11
or C21 and a ballast resistor R11 or R21. However the comparator
COM and the ballast resistor R2 with a compensating diode D2 are
used together. The transfer ratio of each directional coupler D-CO1
and D-CO2 is designed so that for each frequency band the variable
range of the rectified output signal .sub.RF in the rectified
voltage U.sub.D is fully utilized. Since a bias current I.sub.BIAS
flows via each rectifier diode D11, D21 to the ballast resistor R2
and to the compensating diode D2, the value of the ballast resistor
should be R2=1/2R11=1/2R21 in order to achieve an optimum
temperature compensation. Due to the double bias current I.sub.BIAS
flowing through the compensating diode D2, the voltage drop in the
diode increases by a few hundredths of a volt, but the temperature
behavior remains unchanged by comparison with the rectifier diodes
D11, D21. Each directional coupler D-CO1 and D-CO2 is closed off
from the HF signal by a terminal resistor RE1, RE2. This achieves
the optimum directional effect for each coupler. The bases of the
terminal resistors are held to the stabilized d.c. voltage
potential with the help of capacitor CE.
* * * * *