RF Power Amplifier Design June 11, 2001

RF Power Amplifier Design

Markus Mayer & Holger Arthaber

Department of Electrical Measurements and Circuit Design
Vienna University of Technology

June 11, 2001

Contents

¤ Basic Amplifier Concepts

l Class A, B, C, F, hHCA
l Linearity Aspects
l Amplifier Example

¤ Enhanced Amplifier Concepts

l Feedback, Feedforward, ...
l Predistortion
l LINC, Doherty, EER, ...

Markus Mayer & Holger Arthaber, EMST 1

RF Power Amplifier Design June 11, 2001

Efficiency Definitions

POUT
¤ Drain Efficiency: ηD =
PDC

¤ Power Added Efficiency: η PA = POUT − PIN = η D ⋅ 1 − 1 

PDC  G

Ideal FET Input and Output Characteristics

IDS
VGS=0
Im

gm

VGS=VP
VGS VDS
2VP VP 0 0 VK VDD VDSmax

Ohmic Saturation Breakdown

VDD − V K
κ=
VDD

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RF Power Amplifier Design June 11, 2001

Maximum Output Power Match

I DS
VGS=0
Im

gm

VGS=VP
VGS VDS
2VP VP 0 0 VK VDD VDSmax

Ohmic Saturation Breakdown

VDS max − VK
ROPT =
Im

Class A
IDS IDS

Im Im

VGS VDS Q
2VP VP 0 0 VK VDD VDSmax 0 p 2p
VGS VDS

2p
Q

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RF Power Amplifier Design June 11, 2001

Class A – Circuit
VDD

G D
RL
S

η D = κ ⋅ 50%

G = G A (e.g. 14 dB)

η PA = κ ⋅ 48%

Class B
IDS IDS

Im Im

VGS VDS Q
2VP VP 0 0 VK VDD VDSmax 0 p 2p
VGS VDS

2p
Q

Markus Mayer & Holger Arthaber, EMST 4

RF Power Amplifier Design June 11, 2001

Class C
IDS IDS

Im Im

VGS VDS Q
2VP VP 0 0 VK VDD VDSmax 0 p 2p
VGS VDS

2p
Q

Class B and C – Circuit

VDD

f0

G D
RL
S

Class B Class C
ηD = κ ⋅ 78% ηD → 100%

G = G A - 6dB (8 dB) G →1

ηPA = κ ⋅ 65% ηPA → 0%

10

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RF Power Amplifier Design June 11, 2001

Influence of Conduction Angle

11

Class F (HCA ... harmonic controlled amplifier)

IDS IDS

Im Im

VGS VDS Q
2VP VP 0 0 VK VDD VDSmax 0 p 2p
VGS VDS

2p
Q

12

Markus Mayer & Holger Arthaber, EMST 6

RF Power Amplifier Design June 11, 2001

hHCA (half sinusoidally driven HCA)

IDS IDS

Im Im

VGS VDS Q
2VP VP 0 0 VK VDD VDSmax 0 p 2p
VGS VDS

2p
Q

13

Class F and hHCA – Circuit

VDD

Zo(n)

0, n=1
ID Ze(n) inf, n=odd

VDS 0, n=even
RL
inf, n=even

Class F hHCA
ηD = κ ⋅100% ηD = κ ⋅100%

G = G A - 5dB (9 dB) G = G A + 1dB (15 dB)

ηPA = κ ⋅ 87% ηPA = κ ⋅ 96%

14

Markus Mayer & Holger Arthaber, EMST 7

RF Power Amplifier Design June 11, 2001

hHCA – Third Harmonic Peaking

IDS IDS

Im Im

VGS VDS Q
2VP VP 0 0 VK VDD VDSmax 0 p 2p
VGS VDS

2p
Q

15

Third Harmonic Peaking – Circuit

VDD

G D 3f0
f0 RL
S

ηD = κ ⋅ 91%

G = G A + 0.6dB (14.6 dB)

ηPA = κ ⋅ 87%

16

Markus Mayer & Holger Arthaber, EMST 8

RF Power Amplifier Design June 11, 2001

Linearity Aspects

17

Linearity Aspects

¤ Class A ¤ Class AB

¤ Class B ¤ Class C

18

Markus Mayer & Holger Arthaber, EMST 9

RF Power Amplifier Design June 11, 2001

Linearity Aspects

¤ Ideal strongly nonlinear model ¤ Strong-weak nonlinear model

19

Amplifier Design – An Example

¤ Balanced Amplifier Configuration

Port 1
Z=50 Ohm Port 2
Z=50 Ohm

20

Markus Mayer & Holger Arthaber, EMST 10

RF Power Amplifier Design June 11, 2001

Amplifier Design – Simulation

¤ Gate & Drain Waveforms

Gate waveforms Drain waveforms

1 1000 25 Inner Drain Voltage (L, V) Inner Drain Current (R, mA)
5000
Amp Amp

20 4000
0 500
15 3000

-1 0 10 2000

5 1000
-2 -500
Inner Gate Voltage (L, V) Inner Gate Current (R, mA)
0 0
Amp Amp

-3 -1000 -5 -1000
0 500 1000 1300 0 500 1000 1300
Time (ps) Time (ps)

21

Amplifier Design – Simulation

¤ Dynamic Load Line & Power Sweep

Dynamic load line Power Sweep 1 Tone

8000 40 80
IVCurve (mA)
Output Power (L, dBm)
IV_Curve 70
Amp
6000 Dynamic Load Line (mA) PAE (R)
Amp 30 Amp 60

4000 50

20 40
2000 30

10 20
0
10

-2000 0 0
0 3 6 9 12 15 0 5 10 15 20 24
Voltage (V) Power (dBm)

22

Markus Mayer & Holger Arthaber, EMST 11

RF Power Amplifier Design June 11, 2001

Amplifier Design – Measurements

¤ Single Tone & Two Tone

60 60 PAE[%]
40 80 PAE[%]

1dBCP
35 70
50 50

30 60

P out [dBm], IMDD [dBc], Gain [dB]

40 40
P out [dBm], Gain [dB]

25 50

Pout Pout
IMDD
Gain 30 30
20 40 Gain
GammaIn
PAE
PAE
15 30
20 20

10 20

10 10
5 10

0 0 0 0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
Pin[dBm] P in [dBm]

23

Amplifier Nonlinearity
¤ Gain and Phase depends on Input Signal

¤ 3rd Order Gain-Nonlinearities:

24

Markus Mayer & Holger Arthaber, EMST 12

RF Power Amplifier Design June 11, 2001

Amplifier Nonlinearity
¤ Higher Output Level (close to Saturation) results
in more Distortion/Nonlinearity

25

Nonlinearity leads to?

¤ Generation of Harmonics

¤ Intermodulation Distortion / Spectral Regrowth

¤ SNR (NPR) Degradation

¤ Constellation Deformation

26

Markus Mayer & Holger Arthaber, EMST 13

RF Power Amplifier Design June 11, 2001

Intermodulation and Harmonics

27

Spectral Regrowth
10
ACPR 1>60dB
ACPR 2>60dB
0
ACPR =16dB
1
ACPR 2=43dB
-10
relative power / dB

-20

-30

-40

-50

-60
-15 -10 -5 0 5 10 15
relative frequency / MHz

¤ Energy in adjacent Channels

¤ ACPR (Adjacent Channel Leakage Power Ratio) increases

28

Markus Mayer & Holger Arthaber, EMST 14

RF Power Amplifier Design June 11, 2001

Reduced NPR (Noise Power Ratio)

¤ Input Signal ¤ Output Signal of

Nonlinear Amplifier

¤ Degradation of Inband SNR

¤ „Noisy“ Constellation

29

Constellation Deformation
¤ Input Signal ¤ Output Signal of
Nonlinear Amplifier
(with Gain- and Phase-Distortion)

30

Markus Mayer & Holger Arthaber, EMST 15

RF Power Amplifier Design June 11, 2001

Modeling of Nonlinearities
¤ with Memory-Effects
l Volterra Series (=„Taylor Series with Memory“)

¤ without Memory-Effects
αar α Θr 2

performance
l Saleh Model f (r ) = g (r ) =
1 + β ar 2
1 + βΘr 2

better
l Taylor Series
l Blum and Jeruchim Model
l AM/AM- and AM/PM-conversion

31

AM/AM- and AM/PM-Conversion

¤ GaAs-PA

32

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RF Power Amplifier Design June 11, 2001

AM/AM- and AM/PM-Conversion

¤ LDMOS-PA

33

How to preserve Linearity?

¤ Backed-Off Operation of PA
l Simplest Way to achieve Linearity

¤ Linearity improving Concepts

l Predistortion
l Feedforward
l ...

34

Markus Mayer & Holger Arthaber, EMST 17

RF Power Amplifier Design June 11, 2001

How to preserve Efficiency?

¤ Efficiency improving Concepts
l Doherty
l Envelope Elimination and Restoration
l ...

¤ Linearity improving Concepts

l Higher Linearity at constant Efficiency
à Higher Efficiency at constant Linearity

35

Direct (RF) Feedback

¤ Classical Method
¤ Decrease of Gain à Low Efficiency
¤ Feedback needs more Bandwidth than Signal
¤ Stability Problems at high Bandwidths
36

Markus Mayer & Holger Arthaber, EMST 18

RF Power Amplifier Design June 11, 2001

Distortion Feedback

¤ Feedback of outband Products only

¤ Higher Gain than RF feedback
¤ Stability Problems due to Reverse Loop

37

Feedforward

¤ Overcomes Stability Problem by forward-only Loops

¤ Critical to Gain/Phase-Imbalances
0.5dB Gain Error à -31dB Cancellation
2.5° Phase Error à -27dB Cancellation
¤ Well suited for narrowband application

38

Markus Mayer & Holger Arthaber, EMST 19

RF Power Amplifier Design June 11, 2001

Cartesian Feedback
baseband input

I
modulator main amp.
I RF-output
OPAs
Q
Q

local
oscillator
10
UMTS example:
original signal
I predistorted signal
Q 0

demodulator -10

relative power / dB
-20

¤ AM/AM- and -30

AM/PM-correction -40

¤ High Feedback-Bandwidth -50

¤ Stability Problems -60

-30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30
relative frequency / MHz
39

Digital Predistortion
¤ Digital Implementation of „Cartesian Feedback“
¤ Additional ADCs, DSP Power, Oversampling needed
¤ Loop can be opened à no Stability Problems

40

Markus Mayer & Holger Arthaber, EMST 20

RF Power Amplifier Design June 11, 2001

Analog Predistortion

¤ Predistorter has inverse Function of Amplifier

¤ Leads to infinite Bandwidth (!)
¤ Hard to realize (accuracy)

41

Analog Predistortion
¤ Possible Realizations:

42

Markus Mayer & Holger Arthaber, EMST 21

RF Power Amplifier Design June 11, 2001

LINC (Linear Amplification by Nonlinear Components)

s1(t) Ks1(t)
K
K(s1(t)+s2(t))
s(t) signal =Ks(t)
separation

s2(t) Ks2(t)
K

UMTS example:
10
¤ AM/AM- and s(t)
ACPR 1 >60dB
ACPR 2 >60dB

AM/PM-correction 0 s1 (t)
ACPR 1 =18dB
ACPR 2 =29dB

¤ Digital separation required

-10

relative power / dB
(accuracy!) -20

¤ High Bandwidth, -30

oversampling necessary -40

¤ Stability guaranteed -50

-60
-30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30
relative frequency / MHz
43

Doherty Amplifier
¤ Auxiliary amplifier supports main amplifier during saturation
¤ PAE can be kept high over a 6dB range

44

Markus Mayer & Holger Arthaber, EMST 22

RF Power Amplifier Design June 11, 2001

Doherty Amplifier
¤ Gain vs. Input Power ¤ Efficiency vs. Input Power
POUT

2)
1+A
(A
n
io main amp. (A1)
rat
u
fig
c on
rty aux. amp. (A2)
he
do

PIN

¤ No improvement of AM/AM- and AM/PM-distortion

¤ Behavior of auxiliary amplifier very hard (impossible) to realize
¤ Stability guaranteed

45

EER (Envelope Elimination and Restoration)

¤ Separating phase and magnitude information

¤ Elimination of AM/AM-distortion
¤ Application of high-efficient amplifiers
(independent of amplitude distortion)
¤ Stability guaranteed
amplitude information

RF input signal
separation
phase information RF output

high efficiency
power amplifier

46

Markus Mayer & Holger Arthaber, EMST 23

RF Power Amplifier Design June 11, 2001

EER (Envelope Elimination and Restoration)

¤ Analog realization peak detector

supply voltage
amplifier

l Limiter hard to build

l Accuracy problems limiter
l Feedback necessary RF input RF output

high efficiency
peak detector power amplifier

¤ Digital realization
l Oversampling + high D/A- amplitude information
conversion rates required digital baseband input D
supply voltage amplifier

l High power consumption I

A

of DSP and D/A-converters digital D modulator

signal
l Possible feedback Q processor A I RF output
Q
elimination D
high efficiency
l Compensation of AM/PM- A power amplifier
phase information
distortion possible local oscillator

47

EER (Envelope Elimination and Restoration)

¤ Bandwidth of Magnitude- and ¤ Five times (!) oversampling

phase-signal have higher than necessary to achieve standard
transmit signal requirements

UMTS example: UMTS example:

10 10
full bandwidth ACPR1 >60dB
Magnitude
Phase 3⋅B0 bandwidth ACPR2 >60dB
0 0
5⋅B0 bandwidth ACPR1 =33dB
7⋅B0 bandwidth ACPR2 =40dB
relative power / dB

-10 -10
relative power / dB

ACPR1 =51dB
ACPR2 =36dB
-20 -20
ACPR1 =53dB
ACPR2 =49dB
-30 -30

-40 -40

-50 -50

-60 -60
-30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30 -30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30
relative frequency / MHz relative frequency / MHz

48

Markus Mayer & Holger Arthaber, EMST 24

RF Power Amplifier Design June 11, 2001

Adaptive Bias
¤ Varying/Switching of Bias-Voltage depending on
Input Power Level
¤ Selection of Operating Point with high PAE
¤ Applicably for nearly each type of Amplifier
peak detector
bias
control

RF input RF output

high efficiency
power amplifier

49

Adaptive Bias
¤ Single tone PAE for switched ¤ Simply to implement Concept
VDD with VG kept constant ¤ Stability guaranteed
90 ¤ Possible problems:
80 l DC-DC converter with high
power added efficiency / %

70 efficiency necessary
60 l Possible Linearity Change
50
(can increase and decrease)
40
especially for HCAs
V D =3.5V
30 V D =4.5V
V D =6.5V
20
32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40
output power / dBm

50

Markus Mayer & Holger Arthaber, EMST 25

RF Power Amplifier Design June 11, 2001

Summary
¤ Digital Realization required to achieve Accuracy

¤ Problem of Stability for high Bandwidth Application

¤ Higher Bandwidths (Oversampling) necessary,

depending on Order of IMD cancellation

¤ Predistortion gives best Results while keeping

Efficiency high (valid for high Output Levels > 40dBm)

51

Figure References
¤ F. Zavosh et al,
“Digital Predistortion Techniques for RF Power
Amplifiers with CDMA Applications”,
Microwave Journal, Oct. 1999

¤ Peter B. Kenington,
“High-Linearity RF Amplifier Design”,
Artech House, 2000

¤ Steve C. Cripps,
“RF Power Amplifiers for Wireless Communications”,
Artech House, 1999

52

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RF Power Amplifier Design June 11, 2001

Contact Information

DI Markus Mayer DI Holger Arthaber

( +43-1-58801-35425 ( +43-1-58801-35420

- markus.mayer@tuwien.ac.at - holger.arthaber@tuwien.ac.at

53

Markus Mayer & Holger Arthaber, EMST 27