Tracking power supply with increased boost capability

摘要

A tracking power supply for one or more amplifiers includes one or more cascaded sets of power boost circuits to temporarily boost the positive and/or negative power supply rail, respectively. Each power boost circuit may include a gain element and an energy source such as a capacitor or battery, and the power boost circuits are linked to provide a greater degree of voltage boost when needed. An optional control circuit monitors amplifier output signal levels, or separately amplified input signal levels, and provides power boost control signals to the power boost circuits, which temporarily raise or lower the positive and/or negative supply voltages above or below the nominal voltage rails in tandem with the highest and lowest output signals, respectively, from the amplifier(s).

主权项

1. A tracking power supply for an amplification system, comprising:
a first power boost circuit receiving, as an input, a first signal indicative of an output voltage of an amplifier, said amplifier receiving a first power supply input voltage signal either from a power supply rail when the amplifier output voltage is below a first threshold or from the first power boost circuit when the amplifier output voltage is above the first threshold; and a second power boost circuit receiving, as an input, a second signal indicative of the output voltage of said amplifier, wherein said first power boost circuit receives a second power supply input voltage signal from either the power supply rail, or from the second power boost circuit when the amplifier output voltage is above a second threshold, said second threshold being greater in absolute value than said first threshold, said first power boost circuit provides an output voltage that is greater than an input voltage of said first power boost circuit.