PRAM-a power ramping controller for TDMA systems in digital mobile telecom applications

Modern digital cellular or cordless telephone standards like GSM or DECT share frequency bands among several users by time division multiple access (TDMA). This approach necessitates the power amplifier being rapidly ramped up and down for transmit bursts. To balance the trade-off between quick turn-on and turnoff and spurious spectral emissions, the recommendations define strict templates into which the output power must fit. This integrated circuit is fabricated in a standard CMOS technology with self-aligned contacts for all control functions for RF power amplifiers in bipolar or GaAs technology for the GSM, DCS1800 or PCN1900 standards. The device may be used as a stand alone component but can also be included on a VLSI as a library block.