A 20MS/s buck/boost supply modulator for envelope tracking applications with direct digital interface

Abstract

A buck/boost supply modulator (BBSM) is proposed for 4G LTE RF power amplifier (RF-PA) envelope tracking applications. The H-bridges used in non-inverting buck/boost converters are metamorphosed into the current sources and switches of a 4-bit current-steering DAC-like supply modulator. Fast tracking speed is achieved through its inherent open-loop topology, while the direct digital interface provides easy control and integration with digital LTE baseband SoCs. The proposed BBSM is capable of delivering peak power of 2.8W at 20MS/s, with a peak efficiency of 75 %.