Abstract
This paper proposes the use of a transmitter based on a linear amplification with nonlinear components (LINC) architecture, in which the reconfigurable matching networks (RMNs) are included. By varying the RMN active cell number, it is possible to change the load impedance at the power amplifier (PA) output, improving the amplifier drain efficiency and therefore the efficiency of the whole system. A long-term evolution (LTE) downlink signal with a bandwidth of 1.4 MHz and a peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) of 11.48 dB is applied in order to carry out the experiments. Results show that the use of the RMNs in a LINC architecture improves the efficiency at all tested frequencies, especially at 927 MHz reaching an enhancement of 36.50%. Regarding the distortion, the adjacent channel leakage ratio (ACLR) values increase in all cases, with an improvement of 3.5 dB at 958 MHz. Finally, in terms of error vector magnitude (EVM), the proposed architecture offers a value of 1.96% at 927 MHz.
Highlights
The efficiency-linearity trade-off is a very challenging aspect in the design of radiofrequency (RF) front-ends in modern communication systems [1, 2]
We propose the use of a transmitter based on a linear amplification with nonlinear components (LINC) architecture, in which the Reconfigurable matching network (RMN) are included to improve the efficiency
In order to get some insight about how the RMNs may achieve this impedance, we model the RMNs and the combiner as linear networks so that the S-parameter approach can be valid
Summary
The efficiency-linearity trade-off is a very challenging aspect in the design of radiofrequency (RF) front-ends in modern communication systems [1, 2]. To compute the input and output reflection coefficients presented to each PA at certain states ki and kq and frequency, the RMNs in each branch are modeled with the S-parameter matrices σ and ρ as SRMN1 = σ (ki) =. Which is equivalent to say that both branches are nearly independent This is important because it allows the RMN input impedance to be calculated neglecting the PA load in the other branch and to individually perform an approximation to the optimum state in each branch. The RMN-LINC architecture can achieve higher efficiencies either because of a higher RF output power (keeping power consumption) or a reduction in DC power with the same RF output power Both factors depend on the selected RMN state.
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