Patent ID: 8536949

Claim:
A controlled power amplifier system, comprising: a fixed-gain power amplifier receiving a preamplifier output signal and producing a power output signal, the preamplifier output signal being amplified by the fixed-gain power amplifier to produce the power output signal, the amount of gain the preamplifier input signal is amplified by being fixed; a variable-gain preamplifier receiving an input signal, a preamplifier control signal, and producing the preamplifier output signal, the input signal being amplified by a preamplifier amount of gain by the variable-gain preamplifier to produce the preamplifier output signal, the preamplifier amount of gain being based on the preamplifier control signal; a variable attenuator receiving the power output signal, an attenuator control signal, and producing an output signal for transmission via an antenna coupled to the controlled power amplifier system, the power output signal being attenuated by an attenuator amount of attenuation by the variable attenuator to produce the output signal, the attenuator amount of attenuation being based on the attenuator control signal; and a gain control, the gain control producing the preamplifier control signal and the attenuator control signal to adjust the amount of gain for the output signal, the preamplifier control signal controlling the preamplifier amount of gain to be greater than a minimum preamplifier amount of gain, wherein the minimum preamplifier amount of gain comprises an amount of gain that results in at least a selected power amplifier output signal to noise ratio.