High-Power Amplifier Linearization Using the Doherty Amplifier as a Predistortion Circuit

This paper presents the application of a Doherty power amplifier (DPA) as a predistortion circuit for the linearization of high PA. When the DPA is employed as the driver amplifier, its nonlinearity is used as predistorted components to cancel the strong nonlinearity of the main amplifier. To verify the proposed method, the DPA is implemented with two 30-W silicon metal–oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors and tested with a 180-W main amplifier at a wideband code-division multiple access (WCDMA) band of 2.14 GHz. For a two-tone signal with 2-MHz tone spacing and a one-carrier WCDMA signal, the significant cancellation of the third- and fifth-order intermodulation (IM3 and IM5) components and a superior adjacent channel leakage ratio improvement are achieved.      

A New Wideband Adaptive Digital Predistortion Technique Employing Feedback Linearization

We develop a new wideband digital feedback predistortion (WDFBPD) technique for modulated signals with wide bandwidths by combining digital feedback predistortion (DFBPD) linearization and memory-effect compensation techniques. For the experiments, a class-AB amplifier using an LDMOSFET with 90-W peak envelope power is employed. The proposed technique is compared with existing DFBPD and memory polynomial (MP) techniques for a 2.14-GHz forward-link WCDMA 2FA signal with 10-MHz carrier spacing. The experimental results show that the new WDFBPD technique has better linearization performance than conventional DFBPD and lower computational complexity than the MP technique.     

Polynomial 2.1 GHz RF predistorter IC with envelope injection output

This paper presents the structure, test setup and measured results of a polynomial RF predistorter IC fabricated in a 0.35 μm SiGe BiCMOS process. The predistorter is designed for the base station WCDMA band at 2.1 GHz. The predistortion signal is generated by a 5th-degree complex polynomial. Also a squared envelope is generated that can be used as a baseband injection signal to cancel 2nd-order distortion that typically causes memory effects. The performance of the predistorter was measured by driving a three-stage discrete power amplifier chain by a 2-tone test and a 3.84 MHz wide 3GPP WCDMA modulated signal. The 2-tone test showed more than 20 dB IM3 cancellation and the WCDMA signal’s ACPR was improved by 8 dB.     

基于改进型径向基函数神经网络的功放线性化

提出了一种基于改进型径向基函数神经网络(MRBFNN)的数字预失真线性化模型,用于更为精确地矫正宽带射频功率放大器的动态非线性。该神经网络模型的输入层使用传统的延时抽头以补偿功放的线性记忆效应,同时对每个抽头进行级数展开用于补偿功放的非线性记忆效应,从而更好地抑制功放的动态非线性失真。文中使用WCDMA 三载波信号对一个460MHz 的Doherty 功率放大器进行数字预失真线性化实验。实验结果表明,与传统数字预失真线性化模型相比,基于改进型径向基神经网络的数字预失真线性化模型能更好地抑制宽带功放动态非线性引起的带外频谱再生,其三阶互调(IMD3)失真最多可以抑制23dB,大大提高了功放的线性度,验证了所提出的数字预失真线性化模型的有效性。     

A 60-W Multicarrier WCDMA Power Amplifier Using an RF Predistorter

In this brief, we present a 60-W power amplifier that is linearized using an RF predistorter for multicarrier wideband code-division multiple-access (WCDMA) applications. The proposed RF predistorter is fully composed of RF or analog circuits, and it has a moderate memory effect compensation capability using a delayed third-order intermodulation (IM3) component path. It also includes the IM5 generation circuits and a compact IM3 generator that is capable of autocanceling for the fundamental component. The proposed RF predistorter was implemented and applied to a 60-W high-power WCDMA amplifier. For a four-carrier downlink WCDMA signal, the RF predistorter improved the adjacent channel leakage power ratio at a 5-MHz offset by 6.19 dB at an average output power of 48 dBm. The total efficiency of the system is as high as 13.6% at the same output power level. At an output power level of 60 W, the linearized power amplifier complies with the linearity specification of the WCDMA system.     

A Generalized Memory Polynomial Model for Digital Predistortion of RF Power Amplifiers

Conventional radio-frequency (RF) power amplifiers operating with wideband signals, such as wideband code-division multiple access (WCDMA) in the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) must be backed off considerably from their peak power level in order to control out-of-band spurious emissions, also known as “spectral regrowth.” Adapting these amplifiers to wideband operation therefore entails larger size and higher cost than would otherwise be required for the same power output. An alternative solution, which is gaining widespread popularity, is to employ digital baseband predistortion ahead of the amplifier to compensate for the nonlinearity effects, hence allowing it to run closer to its maximum output power while maintaining low spectral regrowth. Recent improvements to the technique have included memory effects in the predistortion model, which are essential as the bandwidth increases. In this paper, we relate the general Volterra representation to the classical Wiener, Hammerstein, Wiener–Hammerstein, and parallel Wiener structures, and go on to describe some state-of-the-art predistortion models based on memory polynomials. We then propose a new generalized memory polynomial that achieves the best performance to date, as demonstrated herein with experimental results obtained from a testbed using an actual 30-W, 2-GHz power amplifier.     

Highly Linear Predistortion Power Amplifiers With Phase-Controlled Error Generator

A simple predistortion technique to cancel the fifth-order intermodulation (IM5) as well as third-order intermodulation (IM3) components using a third-order predistorter (PD) is represented. The IM3 and IM5 components are cancelled out simultaneously by their same magnitude and phase difference in the PD and power amplifier (PA). Moreover, this phase difference is controlled by using the phase-controlled error generator in the PD. For experimental verification, a third-order PD has been implemented and tested in a 30-W class-AB PA at the wide-band code division multiple access (WCDMA) band of 2.11-2.17GHz. Two-tone test results show that significant cancellation of the IM3 and IM5 components can be obtained. For a four-carrier WCDMA application, significant adjacent channel leakage ratio improvement is achieved over a wide range of output power levels     

A microwave Doherty amplifier employing envelope tracking technique for high efficiency and linearity

In this letter, we demonstrate a microwave Doherty amplifier employing an input signal envelope tracking technique. In the amplifier, the gate bias of the peaking amplifier is controlled according to the magnitude of the envelope. A 2.14-GHz Doherty amplifier is implemented using 4-W PEP LDMOSFETs, and an adaptive controlled gate bias circuit is constructed and the control shape is optimized experimentally. The performance of the microwave Doherty amplifier is compared with that of a class AB amplifier using one-tone, two-tone, and forward-link wideband code-division multiple access (WCDMA) signals. For a forward-link WCDMA signal, the measured power added efficiency (PAE) of the microwave Doherty amplifier is 39.4% at -30 dBc adjacent channel leakage ratio (ACLR), while that of the comparable class AB amplifier is 24.2% at the same ACLR level.     

记忆多项式数字预失真线性化逆E类功放

采用记忆多项式模型的数字预失真器,用于线性化逆E类射频功率放大器,从而获得具有高线性和高效率的射频放大系统,使得开关型的逆E类功率放大器可以适用于具有非恒包络的调制信号的发射。文中设计了一个工作于S频段的具有10W饱和功率的逆E类功率放大器,以具有5MHz信号带宽的单载波WCDMA信号作为测试信号,使用记忆多项式的预失真器对其进行线性化。实验表明,该记忆多项式预失真器能够很好地抑制逆E类功放的动态非线性引起的带外寄生频谱,可以使逆E类功放同时工作于高线性和高效率状态。     

Weighted Polynomial Digital Predistortion for Low Memory Effect Doherty Power Amplifier

We have proposed a simple and effective weighted polynomial digital predistortion algorithm, which consists of weighting, least square polynomial fit, and de-weighting. The weighting factor is introduced to describe the signal distribution statistics and high harmonic generation at a high power region to improve accuracy of the error function. A low memory linear Doherty power amplifier (PA) has been realized with two 90-W peak envelope power LDMOSFETs using memory effect reduction techniques, and the proposed algorithm has been applied to the PA. For the forward-link wideband code division multiple access 3FA signal, the adjacent channel leakage ratio performance at 5-MHz offset is -56 dBc with power-added efficiency of 20.78% at an average power of 40 dBm. The proposed weighting polynomial algorithm provides a significantly reduced error power and superior convergence behavior with improved linearization capability than the conventional polynomial. Moreover, the low memory Doherty amplifier could be linearized for a wideband signal using the simple algorithm without any memory effect compensation     

Analysis of a Fully Matched Saturated Doherty Amplifier With Excellent Efficiency

A saturated Doherty amplifier based on class-F amplifiers is analyzed in terms of its load modulation behavior, efficiency, and linearity. Simulations included the amplitude ratio and phase difference between the fundamental and third harmonic voltages, the current/voltage waveforms, load lines, and the third-order intermodulation amplitudes/phases of the carrier and peaking amplifiers. The saturated doherty power amplifier was implemented using two Eudyna EGN010MK GaN HEMTs with a 10-W peak envelope power. For a 2.14-GHz forward-fink wideband code-division multiple-access signal, the doherty amplifier delivers an excellent efficiency of 52.4% with an acceptable linearity of -28.3 dBc at an average output power of 36 dBm. Moreover, the amplifier can provide the high linearity performance of -50 dBc using the digital feedback predistortion technique.     

Design Optimization and DPD Linearization of GaN-Based Unsymmetrical Doherty Power Amplifiers for 3G Multicarrier Applications

In this paper, a design optimization approach for gallium-nitride (GaN)-based Doherty power amplifiers (PAs) is proposed to enhance linearizability and maximize the power-added efficiency (PAE) for multicarrier wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA) applications. This is based on the use of an input offset line at the peaking amplifier path to compensate, at a given backoff level, for the bias and power-dependant phase variation through the carrier and peaking paths. At a 6-dB output power backoff (OPBO), measurement results of the unsymmetrical unlinearized Doherty amplifier using a four-carrier WCDMA signal achieved results of close to 50% for the PAE and about -30 dBc for the adjacent channel leakage ratio. Linearization of the designed Doherty PA using a baseband digital predistortion technique led to quasi-perfect cancellation of spectrum regrowth. At an OPBO equal to the input signal's peak-to-average power ratio, -63- and -53-dBc adjacent channel power ratios were obtained when the Doherty amplifier was driven by single- and four-carrier WCDMA signals, respectively. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this represents the best reported results for PAE and linearity for GaN-based Doherty PAs linearized over 20 MHz of instantaneous bandwidth.     

A wide dynamic range analog predistortion-type linearizer using self-cancellation scheme

A new radio frequency linearized power amplifier (LPA) system for wideband-code-division-multiple-access (WCDMA) application is demonstrated. The main amplifier is a parallel combination of drive amplifiers, and the same type of drive amplifier is also used to generate the predistortion signal. Self-cancellation of the intermodulation-distortion (IMD) components is obtained by the generic identity between the nonlinear characteristics of the main amplifier and the predistortion signal, both of which are originated from the same type of devices. Such self-cancellation scheme exhibits the improvement of 13 dB in the adjacent channel leakage ratio (ACLR) for WCDMA signal excitation.     

An adaptive digital predistortion for compensating nonlinear distortions in RF power amplifier with memory effects

In this paper, an adaptive digital predistortion based on a memory polynomial model is proposed in order to linearize the power amplifier with memory effect. The coefficients of the power amplifier model have been extracted using a least square method and those of predistortion have been identified by applying an indirect learning structure. Finally, the performance of digital predistortion has been demonstrated using the simulation of the power amplifier and the digital predistortion excited by a modulated 16 QAM signal in Matlab software. According to the simulation results, the criterion of adjacent channel power ratio (ACPR) declined by around 15 dB and the input/output power spectrum density of the power amplifier has quite similar curves. The linearized power amplifier output spectrum demonstrates the superiority of the proposed predistorter in eliminating the spectral regrowth which is caused by the memory effect in comparison to the other linearization methods.     

基于GaN HEMT 多倍频程高效率功率放大器设计

使用GaN HEMT 功率器件,设计了一款多倍频程高效率功率放大器。利用负载牵引技术分析输入功率、偏置电压、工作频率对功率器件输出阻抗的影响,从而寻找出满足宽带性能的最优阻抗区域;输入、输出匹配网络采用了切比雪夫多节阻抗变换器的综合设计方法,很好地拓展了匹配网络的带宽性能,从而实现了0. 8 ~4. 0 GHz(相对带宽133%)多倍频程高效率功率放大器电路。连续波大信号测试结果表明:在0. 8 ~ 4. 0 GHz 的频率范围内输出功率为39. 5 ~42. 9 dBm,漏极效率为54. 20% ~73. 73%,增益为9. 4 ~12. 0 dB。在中心频率2. 4 GHz 未利用线性化技术的情况下使用5 MHz WCDMA 调制信号测试得到邻近信道泄漏比(ACLR)为-27. 2 dBc。设计的工作频率能够覆盖目前主要的无线通信系统GSM900M、WCDMA、DCS1800 LTE、PCS1900 LTE、3. 5GHz WiMAX 以及下一代移动通信系统(5G)等。     

功放数字预失真技术现状及未来发展

功放是无线通信发射机的重要组成部分,随着无线通信的不断发展,对宽带线性功放的要求也越来越高。然而,功放的非线性特性和记忆效应会导致信号严重失真。为了减小带内失真和邻道干扰,数字预失真成为功放线性化技术中最有发展潜力的技术。介绍了功放模型,数字预失真的学习结构、数字预失真器参数的辨识算法等研究现状,探讨了数字预失真的发展趋势,为今后数字预失真技术的研究提供参考。     

A robust digital baseband predistorter constructed using memory polynomials

Power amplifiers (PAs) are inherently nonlinear devices and are used in virtually all communications systems. Digital baseband predistortion is a highly cost-effective way to linearize PAs, but most existing architectures assume that the PA has a memoryless nonlinearity. For wider bandwidth applications such as wideband code-division multiple access (WCDMA) or wideband orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (W-OFDM), PA memory effects can no longer be ignored, and memoryless predistortion has limited effectiveness. In this paper, instead of focusing on a particular PA model and building a corresponding predistorter, we focus directly on the predistorter structure. In particular, we propose a memory polynomial model for the predistorter and implement it using an indirect learning architecture. Linearization performance is demonstrated on a three-carrier WCDMA signal.     

查找表联合记忆效应补偿技术的宽带自适应预失真算法

为了能够对记忆型功率放大器线性化处理,并能一定程度克服其记忆效应,该文介绍一种自适应数字预失真器。该数字预失真器采用查找表与记忆效应补偿技术相结合的方法,并且利用内插值方法有效减小了查找表幅度量化过程产生的误差。相比记忆多项式预失真器,这种预失真器的计算复杂度较小,却能够得到与其相近的线性化效果。基于功率放大器记忆多项式模型,利用OFDM(Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing)宽带信号验证该文提出的预失真器对记忆型非线性功率放大器的良好线性化效果。     

基于广义LSTM神经网络的宽带射频功放数字预失真线性化

在无线通信系统中,射频功放的非线性是信号失真与频谱增生的主要原因,尤其是对于采用64QAM、256QAM 等高峰均功率比的复杂调制系统,对射频功放线性度的要求越来越高;然而宽带射频功放中存在的强记忆效应严重地降低了基于传统非线性模型的数字预失真器的线性化性能。文章提出广义长短期记忆(LSTM)神经网络模型,通过输入的时序特性,从时间轴上进行模型迭代,利用LSTM模型独特的长短时序结构以更好地表征宽带射频功放的记忆效应,同时引入时间超前项以构建广义的LSTM模型,进一步增强其动态非线性建模能力。在不同超参数下的建模结果表明,该模型的归一化均方误差(NMSE)指标可达-42.2895 dB。最后,使用20 MHz 带宽的4 载波WCDMA信号,对中心频率1900 MHz 的50 W Doherty 功放进行预失真线性化实验验证。实验结果证实了基于广义LSTM神经网络模型的数字预失真器可以使互调分量降低达23.27 dB,大大优于记忆多项式等传统非线性模型的非线性校正性能。     

一种新型数字预失真算法的设计

针对WCDMA系统中功率放大器的非线性特征,设计了一种基于Volterra级数的有记忆数字基带预失真算法,能够自适应地补偿功放的非线性.理论分析和计算机仿真验证了该算法的有效性和实用性.