阅读说明：本技术 输出功率控制装置 (Output power control device ) 是由 西原淳 森本卓男 野野村博之 汤之上则弘 于 2018-07-04 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明的输出功率控制装置具备：使振荡器输出的高频信号的功率衰减并进行输出的衰减器；使振荡器输出的高频信号的功率放大并进行输出的高频功率放大器；对高频功率放大器所输出的高频信号的功率进行监控并输出监控信号的监控电路；以及基于监控电路所输出的监控信号或基于来自数据部的衰减量设定数据来控制衰减器的衰减量的控制部，振荡器生成与触发信号同步的高频信号，控制部与触发信号同步地利用基于衰减量设定数据生成的衰减量控制信号来开始衰减器的衰减量控制，在输入监控信号之后，利用基于监控信号生成的衰减量控制信号来控制衰减器的衰减量。由此，能获得从高频功率放大器的输出功率上升时起就输出稳定的输出功率的输出功率控制装置。(An output power control device according to the present invention includes: an attenuator for attenuating and outputting the power of the high frequency signal output from the oscillator; a high-frequency power amplifier for amplifying and outputting the power of the high-frequency signal output from the oscillator; a monitoring circuit for monitoring the power of the high-frequency signal output by the high-frequency power amplifier and outputting a monitoring signal; and a control unit for controlling the attenuation amount of the attenuator based on the monitor signal output from the monitor circuit or based on the attenuation amount setting data from the data unit, wherein the oscillator generates a high-frequency signal synchronized with the trigger signal, the control unit starts the control of the attenuation amount of the attenuator by using the attenuation amount control signal generated based on the attenuation amount setting data in synchronization with the trigger signal, and controls the attenuation amount of the attenuator by using the attenuation amount control signal generated based on the monitor signal after the monitor signal is input. Thus, an output power control device which outputs a stable output power from the rise of the output power of the high-frequency power amplifier can be obtained.)

1. An output power control apparatus, comprising:

an attenuator for attenuating and outputting the power of the high frequency signal of the pulse waveform output from the oscillator;

a high-frequency power amplifier for amplifying and outputting the power of the high-frequency signal output from the attenuator;

a monitoring circuit for monitoring the power of the high-frequency signal output by the high-frequency power amplifier and outputting a monitoring signal corresponding to the power of the high-frequency signal; and

a control section for controlling the attenuation amount of the attenuator based on the monitor signal output from the monitor circuit or based on attenuation amount setting data from a data section,

the oscillator generates a high-frequency signal of a pulse waveform synchronized with the trigger signal,

the control unit starts control of the attenuation amount of the attenuator by using an attenuation amount control signal generated based on the attenuation amount setting data in synchronization with the trigger signal,

after the monitor signal is input, the attenuation amount of the attenuator is controlled by the attenuation amount control signal generated based on the monitor signal.

2. The output power control apparatus according to claim 1,

the control unit generates the trigger signal, transmits the trigger signal to the oscillator, and generates a high-frequency signal synchronized with the trigger signal.

3. The output power control apparatus according to claim 1,

the oscillator generates a high-frequency signal synchronized with the trigger signal inputted from the outside, and the control unit starts the control of the attenuation amount of the attenuator by using an attenuation amount control signal generated based on the attenuation amount setting data in synchronization with the trigger signal inputted from the outside.

4. The output power control apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,

the data unit is a storage device in which the attenuation setting data determined based on the characteristics of the high-frequency power amplifier is stored in advance.

5. The output power control apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,

the data unit is an arithmetic device that calculates and generates the attenuation setting data based on the input operating condition of the high-frequency power amplifier.

6. The output power control apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5,

the attenuation setting data causes the control unit to generate the attenuation control signal of a constant value.

7. The output power control apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5,

the attenuation setting data causes the control unit to generate the attenuation control signal that changes digitally.

8. The output power control apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5,

the attenuation setting data causes the control unit to generate the attenuation amount control signal that continuously changes.

9. The output power control apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,

a calculation unit to which the monitor signal is input, the calculation unit being disposed between the control unit and the data unit,

the arithmetic unit inputs the attenuation amount setting data stored in the data unit to the control unit as the attenuation amount setting data for a pulse waveform section,

based on the monitor signal controlled by the attenuation setting data in the pulse waveform section, the attenuation setting data in the pulse waveform section is newly acquired, updated to the attenuation setting data in the next pulse waveform section, and stored in the data unit.

10. The output power control apparatus according to claim 9,

the control unit controls the attenuation amount of the attenuator by using an attenuation amount control signal generated based on the attenuation amount setting data within a predetermined time from the start of a pulse within the pulse waveform section,

after the predetermined time has elapsed, the attenuation amount of the attenuator is controlled by the attenuation amount control signal generated based on the monitor signal input via the arithmetic unit.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an output power control device that keeps constant the output power of a high-frequency signal output from a high-frequency power amplifier.

Background

In a transmission device used for communication, radar, or the like, it is desirable that the output power of a transmitted high-frequency signal is constant in order to avoid a decrease in communication quality when high-speed communication is performed or to accurately perform detection. However, a high-frequency power amplifier used in a transmission device varies in gain due to a voltage change applied to the high-frequency power amplifier during operation or a heat change caused by heat generation of the high-frequency power amplifier, and as a result, output power varies. The output variation is particularly noticeable when the output of the high-frequency signal rises during a pulse operation. Since the amplitude fluctuation at the time of the output power rise and the interval (time) during which the amplitude fluctuation in the pulse of the output power is large in the case of the pulse operation affect the communication quality and the detection accuracy, the interval (time) is often handled as a "dead time" during which no high-frequency signal is transmitted. The "dead time" is also referred to as "dead time".

However, if the dead time is set to a large value in order to improve the communication quality and the detection accuracy, power consumption and heat generation increase, and the cost, size, or operation cost of the transmission device itself increases.

In the case where the current supply from the power supply is insufficient for the inrush current flowing to the high-frequency power amplifier or the peak current at the time of the pulse operation of the high-frequency power amplifier, voltage fluctuation occurs, and the following measures are taken: increase the current supply capacity of the power supply, or provide a capacitor bank.

On the other hand, regarding the fluctuation due to heat, more specifically, when a semiconductor transistor of Si, GaN, GaAs, or the like is used to amplify the power of a high-frequency signal, the semiconductor transistor generates heat, and this heat generally causes a decrease in the gain of the semiconductor transistor. When the output power rises until the temperature of the high-frequency power amplifier including the semiconductor transistor becomes stable, the output power of the high-frequency power amplifier gradually decreases as the gain of the high-frequency power amplifier decreases. This fluctuation appears remarkably in a period of several microseconds to several tens of microseconds at the beginning of the rise of the high-frequency signal output power including the pulse operation, and it is extremely difficult to compensate the fluctuation by directly changing the temperature from the outside in this period.

Therefore, as a technique for keeping constant the output power of the power amplifier, an Automatic Level Control (ALC) circuit is disclosed, which is characterized by comprising: a detection unit detecting the output power to generate a direct current voltage corresponding to an output level thereof; and a means for controlling an attenuation means provided in the system based on the output voltage of the detection means, wherein the negative feedback loop is configured by the means, and the output level is kept constant (see reference 1).

Disclosure of Invention

Technical problem to be solved by the invention

In the invention described in patent document 1, since the output power changes greatly from several microseconds to several tens of microseconds in the initial stage of rising after the high-frequency signal is input to the power amplifier, particularly fine control is required, and a time difference occurs due to a delay in devices such as a converter or operation until the negative feedback loop becomes effective, and therefore the following problems occur: when the output power of the power amplifier increases, the output power cannot be controlled for a certain period of time, and the output power cannot be set to a desired value. The delay time can also be reduced by selecting a converter or an arithmetic circuit capable of high-speed processing, but this causes an increase in device cost.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an output power control device that outputs stable output power from the time when the output power of a high-frequency power amplifier increases.

Technical scheme for solving technical problem

An output power control device according to the present invention includes: an attenuator for attenuating and outputting the power of the high frequency signal of the pulse waveform outputted from the oscillator; a high-frequency power amplifier for amplifying and outputting the power of the high-frequency signal outputted from the attenuator; a monitoring circuit for monitoring the power of the high-frequency signal output from the high-frequency power amplifier and outputting a monitoring signal corresponding to the power of the high-frequency signal; and a control unit for controlling the attenuation amount of the attenuator based on the monitor signal output from the monitor circuit or based on the attenuation amount setting data from the data unit, wherein the oscillator generates a high-frequency signal having a pulse waveform synchronized with the trigger signal, and the control unit starts control of the attenuation amount of the attenuator by using the attenuation amount control signal generated based on the attenuation amount setting data in synchronization with the trigger signal, and controls the attenuation amount of the attenuator by using the attenuation amount control signal generated based on the monitor signal after the monitor signal is input.

Effects of the invention

According to the present invention, an output power control device is obtained which outputs a stable output power from the time when the output power of the high frequency power amplifier rises.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a transmission device including an output power control device according to embodiment 1 of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a timing chart from the oscillator to the attenuator in the transmission device according to embodiment 1 of the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a timing chart of the high-frequency power amplifier of the transmission device according to embodiment 1 of the present invention up to the input of the output terminal of the monitor circuit.

Fig. 4 is another example of a timing chart until the input of the high-frequency power amplifier to the output terminal of the monitoring circuit in the transmission device according to embodiment 1 of the present invention.

Fig. 5 is another example of a timing chart until the input of the high-frequency power amplifier to the output terminal of the monitoring circuit in the transmission device according to embodiment 1 of the present invention.

Fig. 6 is a block diagram of a modification of the transmission device including the output power control device according to embodiment 1 of the present invention.

Fig. 7 is a block diagram of a transmission device including the output power control device according to embodiment 2 of the present invention.

Fig. 8 is a block diagram of a transmission device including an output power control device according to embodiment 3 of the present invention.

Fig. 9 is a timing chart of the oscillator to attenuator in the transmission device according to embodiment 3 of the present invention.

Fig. 10 is a timing chart showing the attenuation setting value of the attenuator and the output power of the high frequency power amplifier in the transmission device according to embodiment 3 of the present invention.

Fig. 11 is a flowchart of output power stabilization of the output power control device according to embodiment 3 of the present invention.

Fig. 12 is another example of a flowchart of the output power stabilization of the output power control device according to embodiment 3 of the present invention.

Fig. 13 is another example of a flowchart of the output power stabilization of the output power control device according to embodiment 3 of the present invention.

Fig. 14 is another example of a flowchart of output power stabilization of the output power control device according to embodiment 3 of the present invention.

Fig. 15 is another example of a timing chart showing the attenuation setting value of the attenuator and the output power of the high frequency power amplifier in the transmission device according to embodiment 3 of the present invention.

Fig. 16 is a flowchart of the output power stabilization of the output power control device in fig. 15.

Fig. 17 is a block diagram of a modification of a transmission device including an output power control device according to embodiment 3 of the present invention.

Fig. 18 is a diagram showing input/output characteristics of a general high-frequency power amplifier.

Detailed Description