Highly efficient class-F power amplifier with digital predistortion for WCDMA applications

A digital predistorted class-F power amplifier （PA） using Cree GaN HEMT CGH40010 operating at 2. 12 GHz is presented to obtain high efficiency and excellent linearity for wideband code-division multiple access （ WCDMA ） applications. Measurement results with the continuous wave （CW） signals indicate that the designed class-F PA achieves a peak power-added efficiency （PAE） of 75. 2% with an output power of 39.4 dBm. The adjacent channel power ratio （ACPR） of the designed PA after digital predistortion （DPD） decreases from -28. 3 and -27. 5 dBc to -51.9 and -54. 0 dBc, respectively, for a 4-carrier 20 MHz WCDMA signal with 7. 1 dB peak to average power ratio （PAPR）. The drain efficiency （DE） of the PA is 37. 8% at an average output power of 33. 3 dBm. The designed power amplifier can be aoolied in the WCDMA system.

Adaptive Digital Predistortion Schemes to Linearize RF Power Amplifiers with Memory Effects

To compensate for nonlinear distortion introduced by RF power amplifiers （PAs） with memory effects, two correlated models, namely an extended memory polynomial （EMP） model and a memory lookup table （LUT） model, are proposed for predistorter design. Two adaptive digital predistortion （ADPD） schemes with indirect learning architecture are presented. One adopts the EMP model and the recursive least square （RLS） algorithm, and the other utilizes the memory LUT model and the least mean square （LMS） algorithm. Simulation results demonstrate that the EMP-based ADPD yields the best linearization performance in terms of suppressing spectral regrowth. It is also shown that the ADPD based on memory LUT makes optimum tradeoff between performance and computational complexity.

Wavelet network based predistortion method for wideband RF power amplifiers exhibiting memory effects

RF power amplifiers (PAs) are usually considered as memoryless devices in most existing predistortion techniques. Nevertheless, in wideband communication systems, PA memory effects can no longer be ignored and memoryless predistortion cannot linearize PAs effectively. After analyzing PA memory effects, a novel predistortion method based on wavelet networks (WNs) is proposed to linearize wideband RF power amplifiers. A complex wavelet network with tapped delay lines is applied to construct the predistorter and then a complex backpropagation algorithm is developed to train the predistorter parameters. The simulation results show that compared with the previously published feed-forward neural network predistortion method, the proposed method provides faster convergence rate and better performance in reducing out-of-band spectral regrowth.

Robust Digital Predistortion for LTE/5G Power Amplifiers Utilizing Negative Feedback Iteration

A robust digital predistortion(DPD)technique utilizing negative feedback iteration is introduced for linearizing power amplifiers(PAs)in long term evolution(LTE)/5G systems.Different from the conventional direct learning and indirect learning structure,the proposed DPD suggests a two-step method to identify the predistortion.Firstly,a negative feedback based iteration is used to estimate the optimal DPD signal.Then the corresponding DPD parameters are extracted by forward modeling with the input signal and optimal DPD signal.The iteration can be applied to both single-band and dual-band PAs,which will achieve superior linear performance than the conventional direct learning DPD while having a relatively low computational complexity.The measurement is carried out on a broadband Doherty PA(DPA)with a 200 MHz bandwidth LTE signal at 2.1 GHz,and on a 5G DPA with two 10 MHz LTE signals at 3.4/3.6 GHz for validation in dual-band scenarios.

Volterra series based predistortion for broadband RF power amplifiers with memory effects

RF power amplifiers （PAs） are usually considered as memoryless devices in most existing predistortion techniques. However, in broadband communication systems, such as WCDMA, the PA memory effects are significant, and memoryless predistortion cannot linearize the PAs effectively. After analyzing the PA memory effects, a novel predistortion method based on the simplified Volterra series is proposed to linearize broadband RF PAs with memory effects. The indirect learning architecture is adopted to design the predistortion scheme and the reeursive least squares algorithm with forgetting factor is applied to identify the parameters of the predistorter. Simulation results show that the proposed predistortion method can compensate the nonlinear distortion and memory effects of broadband RF PAs effectively.

A 28GHz Power Amplifier with Analog Predistortion Linearizer in 65nm CMOS

This paper proposes that a radio frequency power amplifier is suitable for a 5G millimeter wave.It adopts a three-stage single-ended structure at 28GHz.An analog predistortion lmearization method is used to improve the linearity of the power amplifier(PA).As a result,there is a significant improvement in power-added efficiency(PAE)and linearity is achieved.The Ka-band PA is implemented in TSMC 65nm CMOS process.At 1.2V supply voltage,the PA proposed in this paper achieves a saturated output power of 15.9dBm and a PAE of 16%.After linearization,the output power at the ldB compression point is increased by 2dBm,with efficient gain compensation performance.

Broadband Dual-Input Doherty Power Amplifier Design Based on a Simple Adaptive Power Dividing Ratio Function

In this paper,a simple adaptive power dividing function for the design of a dual-input Doherty power amplifier(DPA)is presented.In the presented approaches,the signal separation function(SSF)at different frequency points can be characterized by a polynomial.And in the practical test,the coefficients of SSF can be determined by measuring a small number of data points of input power.Same as other dualinput DPAs,the proposed approach can also achieve high output power and back-off efficiency in a broadband operation band by adjusting the power distribution ratio flexibly.Finally,a 1.5-2.5 GHz highefficiency dual-input Doherty power amplifier is implemented according to this approach.The test results show that the peak power is 48.6-49.7d Bm,and the 6-d B back-off efficiency is 51.0-67.0%,and the saturation efficiency is 52.4-74.6%.The digital predistortion correction is carried out at the frequency points of 1.8/2.1GHz,and the adjacent channel power ratio is lower than-54.5d Bc.Simulation and experiment results can verify the effectiveness and correctness of the proposed method.

A Hybrid Integrated and Low-Cost Multi-Chip Broadband Doherty Power Amplifier Module for 5G Massive MIMO Application

In this paper,a hybrid integrated broadband Doherty power amplifier(DPA)based on a multi-chip module(MCM),whose active devices are fabricated using the gallium nitride(GaN)process and whose passive circuits are fabricated using the gallium arsenide(GaAs)integrated passive device(IPD)process,is proposed for 5G massive multiple-input multiple-output(MIMO)application.An inverted DPA structure with a low-Q output network is proposed to achieve better bandwidth performance,and a single-driver architecture is adopted for a chip with high gain and small area.The proposed DPA has a bandwidth of 4.4-5.0 GHz that can achieve a saturation of more than 45.0 dBm.The gain compression from 37 dBm to saturation power is less than 4 dB,and the average power-added efficiency(PAE)is 36.3%with an 8.5 dB peak-to-average power ratio(PAPR)in 4.5-5.0 GHz.The measured adjacent channel power ratio(ACPR)is better than50 dBc after digital predistortion(DPD),exhibiting satisfactory linearity.

Channel estimation in integrated radar and communication systems with power amplifier distortion

To reduce the negative impact of the power amplifier(PA)nonlinear distortion caused by the orthogonal frequency division multiplexing(OFDM)waveform with high peak-to-average power ratio(PAPR)in integrated radar and communication(RadCom)systems is studied,the channel estimation in passive sensing scenarios.Adaptive channel estimation methods are proposed based on different pilot patterns,considering nonlinear distortion and channel sparsity.The proposed methods achieve sparse channel results by manipulating the least squares(LS)frequency-domain channel estimation results to preserve the most significant taps.The decision-aided method is used to optimize the sparse channel results to reduce the effect of nonlinear distortion.Numerical results show that the channel estimation performance of the proposed methods is better than that of the conventional methods under different pilot patterns.In addition,the bit error rate performance in communication and passive radar detection performance show that the proposed methods have good comprehensive performance.

5G Wideband Bandpass Filtering Power Amplifiers Based on a Bandwidth-Extended Bandpass Matching Network

In this paper,a 5G wideband power amplifier(PA)with bandpass filtering response is synthesized using a bandwidth-extended bandpass filter as the matching network(MN).In this structure,the bandwidth(θ_(C))is defined as a variable in the closedform equations provided by the microstrip bandpass filter.It can be extended over a wide range only by changing the characteristic impedances of the structure.Different from the other wideband MNs,the extension of bandwidth does not increase the complexity of the structure(order n is fixed).In addition,based on the bandwidth-extended structure,the wideband design of bandpass filtering PA is not limited to the fixed bandwidth of the specific filter structure.The theoretical analysis of the MN and the design flow of the PA are provided in this design.The fabricated bandpass filtering PA can support almost one-octave bandwidth(2-3.8 GHz),covering the two 5G bands(n41 and n78).The drain efficiency of 47%-60%and output power higher than 40 dBm are measured.Good frequency selectivity in S-parameter measurements can be observed.

Research Towards Terahertz Power Amplifiers in Silicon-Based Process

In view of the existing design challenges for Terahertz(THz)power amplifiers(PAs),the common design methods and the efforts of the State Key Laboratory of Millimeter Wave,Southeast University,China in the development of silicon-based THz PAs,mainly including silicon-based PAs with operating frequencies covering 100–300 GHz,are summarized in this paper.Particularly,we design an LC-balun-based two-stage differential cascode PA with a center frequency of 150 GHz and an output power of 14 dBm.Based on a Marchand balun,we report a 220 GHz three-stage differential cascode PA with a saturated output power of 9.5 dBm.To further increase the output power of THz PA,based on a four-way differential power combining technique,we report a 211–263 GHz dual-LC-tank-based broadband PA with a recorded 14.7 dBm Psat and 16.4 dB peak gain.All the above circuits are designed in a standard 130 nm silicon germanium(SiGe)BiCMOS process.

Design Technologies for Silicon-Based High-Efficiency RF Power Amplifiers:A Brief Overview

This paper presents a brief overview of several promising design technologies for high efficiency silicon-based radio frequency （RF） power amplifiers （PAs） as well as the use of these technologies in mobile broadband wireless communications. Four important aspects of PA design are addressed in this paper. First, we look at class-E PA design equations and provide an example of a class-E PA that achieves efficiency of 65-70% at 2.4 GHz. Then, we discuss state-of-the-art envelope tracking （ET） design for monolithic wideband RF mobile transmitter applications. A brief overview of Doherty PA design for the next-generation wireless handset applications is then given. Towards the end of the paper, we discuss an inherently broadband and highly efficient class-J PA design targeting future multi-band multi-standard wireless communication protocols.

Step memory polynomial predistorter for power amplifiers with memory

To reduce the number of digital predistortion coefficients, a step memory polynomial （SMP）predistorter is presented. The number of predistortion coefficients is decreased by adjusting the maximum nonlinear order for different memory orders in the traditional memory polynomial （MP）predistorter. The proposed SNIP predistorter is identified by an offline learning structure on which the coefficients can be extracted directly from the sampled input and output of a PA. Simulation results show that the SMP predistorter is not tied to a particular PA model and is, therefore, robust. The effectiveness of the SMP predistorter is demonstrated by simulations and experiments on an MP model, a parallel Wiener model, a Wiener-Hammerstein model, a sparsedelay memory polynomial model and a real PA which is fabricated based on the Freescale LDMOSFET MRF21030. Compared with the traditional MP predistorter, the SMP predistorter can reduce the number of coefficients by 60%.

AlGaN/GaN HEMTs Power Amplifier MIC with Power Combining at C-Band

A power amplifier MIC with power combining based on AlGaN/GaN HEMTs was fabricated and measured. The amplifier consists of four 10 × 120μm transistors. A Wilkinson splitters and combining were used to divide and combine the power. By biasing the amplifier at VDS = 40V, IDS = 0.9A, a maximum CW output power of 41.4dBm with a maximum power added efficiency （PAE） of 32.54% and a power combine efficiency of 69% was achieved at 5.4GHz.

A4~12GHz Wideband Balanced MIC Power Amplifier

A 4-12GHz wideband power amplifier,using a balanced configuration with a strip line Lange coupler, is designed and fabricated. This power amplifier shows a maximum continuous wave output power of 29.5dBm at 8GHz center frequency with an associated gain of 8.5dB and a gain flatness of ＋ /- 0.6dB in the 4-12GHz frequency range.

SiGe HBT Class AB Power Amplifier for Wireless Communications

Good performance SiGe power amplifiers applicable to wireless communications are demonstrated.The output power can reach more than 30dBm in class B mode.And in class AB mode,the output power at 1dB compression point ( P 1dB ) is 24dBm,the output third order intercept (TOI) power is 39dBm under V cc of 4V.The highest power added efficiency (PAE) and PAE at 1dB compression point are 34% and 25%,respectively.The adjacent channel power rejection for CDMA signal is more than 42dBc,which complies with IS95 specification.

Robust power amplifier predistorter by using memory polynomials

In memory polynomial predistorter design, the coefficient estimation algorithm based on normalized least mean square is sensitive to initialization parameters. A predistorter based on generalized normalized gradient descent algorithm is proposed. The merit of the GNGD algorithm is that its learning rate provides compensation for the independent assumptions in the derivation of NLMS, thus its stability is improved. Computer simulation shows that the proposed predistorter is very robust. It can overcome the sensitivity of initialization parameters and get a better linearization performance.

A monolithic InGaP/GaAs HBT power amplifier for W-CDMA applications

A monolithic microwave integrated circuit （MMIC） power amplifier （PA） is proposed. It adopts a new on-chip bias circuit, which not only avoids the instability of the direct current bias caused by the change in the power supply and temperature, but also compensates deviations caused by the increase in input power. The bias circuit is a current-mirror configuration, and the feedback circuit helps to maintain bias voltage at a constant level. The gain of the feedback circuit is improved by the addition of a non-inverting amplifier within the feedback circuit. A shunt capacitor at the base node of the active bias transistor enhances the linearity of the PA. The chip is fabricated in an InGaP/GaAs heterojunction bipolar transistor （HBT） process. Measured results exhibit a 26. 6-dBm output compression point, 33.6% power-added efficiency （PAE） and - 40.2 dBc adjacent channel power ratio （ACPR） for wide-band code division multiple access （W-CDMA） applications.

A CMOS Power Amplifier with 100% and 18% Modulation Depth for Mobile RFID Readers

Aiming at the specific protocol of RFID technology,a 915MHz CMOS transmitter front-end for OOK modulation is implemented in a 0.18μm CMOS process. The transmitter incorporates a class-E power amplifier （PA）, a modulator, and a control logic unit. The direct-conversion architecture minimizes the required on-and-off-chip components and provides a low-cost and efficient solution. A novel structure is proposed to provide the modulation depth of 100% and 18% ,respectively. The PA presents an output ldB power of 17.6dBm while maintaining a maximum PAE of 35.4%.

A Ka-Band PHEMT MMIC 1W Power Amplifier

The performance of a microwave monolithic integrated circuit .（MMIC） amplifier with high output power in the Ka-band is presented. Using 75mm 0.25μm GaAs PHEMT technology provided by the Hebei Semiconductor Research Institute, this three-stage power amplifier, with a chip size of 19.25mm^2 （3.5mm × 5.5mm）, on 100μm GaAs substrate achieves a linear gain of more than 16dB in the 32.5-35.5GHz frequency range,with an average output power at 1dB gain compression of P1dB = 29. 8dBm and a maximum saturated output power of Psat = 31dBm.