COMBINATION OF SYNTHETIC HIGH-PERFORMANCE RF AMPLIFICATION TECHNIQUES
Oleg V. Varlamov, Moscow Technical University of Communications and Informatics, Moscow, Russia, vov@mtuci.ru
Dang C. Nguyen, Moscow Technical University of Communications and Informatics, Moscow, Russia, nguyendangcanh1319951@gmail.com
Sergey E. Grychkin, Moscow Technical University of Communications and Informatics, Moscow, Russia, sg@radiotest-mtuci.ru
Abstract
To amplify modern high crest factor telecommunication radio signals with high efficiency, switching operation modes of transistors and synthetic amplification methods are used. The most common of these are the Kahn method (EER – envelope elimination and restoration) and the outphasing method. However, application of these methods has a number of technological (in terms of element base capabilities) limitations on the bandwidth and dynamic range of amplified signal. To expand high-efficiency RF power amplifiers field of application, the possibilities of combination several different synthetic amplification techniques are being considered. Expressions are obtained for the theoretically achievable efficiency when combining the outphasing method with a bridge power combiner and pulse-step modulation of supply voltage. The dependence of average efficiency on the number of supply voltage levels is determined. RF amplified signal bandwidth and its dynamic range determine the minimum required pulse width of the PWM modulator for the EER amplifier. Variants of these characteristics dependence on the number of supply voltage levels are discussed with combined use of PWM and pulse-step modulation of the supply voltage. Directions for further research are formulated.
Keywords: power amplifiers,; high efficiency, outphasing, power combining, discrete supply modulation, envelope elimination and restoration (EER), pulse width modulation (PWM), broadband communication.
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Information about authors:
Oleg V. Varlamov, Doctor of Science (technical), professor of the Moscow Technical University of Communications and Informatics, Moscow, Russia
Dang C. Nguyen, Post-graduate student of the Moscow Technical University of Communications and Informatics, Moscow, Russia
Sergey E. Grychkin, Post-graduate student of the Moscow Technical University of Communications and Informatics, Moscow, Russia