Abstract:
An amplifier circuit (200) for compensating an output signal (231) provided at an output (206) of the amplifier circuit (200) comprises a cascade of sub-amplifiers (202 1-n ). Each sub-amplifier of the cascade contributes to a respective part of the output signal (231). The cascade of sub-amplifiers (2021-n) comprises an end sub-amplifier (202 n ) and at least one preliminary sub-amplifier (202 1 ). At least one error correction block (230) is coupled to apply feedforward error correction to an output of one of the at least one preliminary sub- amplifier (202 1 ).
Abstract:
An amplification system including a high gain amplifier, filter module and low gain amplifier. The high gain amplifier for receiving an input RF signal and processing the input RF signal to produce a first amplified signal while the high gain amplifier is operating near its saturation point. The filter module having at least one band pass filter to receive the first amplified signal and process the first amplified signal to remove unwanted characteristics of the first amplified signal to produce a processed first amplified signal. The low gain amplifier receiving the processed first amplified signal and processing the processed first amplified signal to produce a second amplified signal that has an increase in signal strength over the processed first amplified signal while the low gain amplifier is operating near its saturation point.
Abstract:
A linearised power amplifier including a predistorter and a feedforward circuit is described. By using both a predistorter and a feedforward cancellation system the linearisation of the amplifier is increased. The accuracy of the amplified signal may be further improved by training the predistorter using the error signal produced by the feedforward cancellation system. Improved accuracy in the lineariser results in a reduction in the power requirement of the error amplifier and a relaxation in the phase, amplitude and delay accuracy of the feedforward loop.
Abstract:
A radio frequency power amplifier system includes a power amplifier coupled to an input signal and configured to provide an output signal at a radio frequency; a signal cancellation system coupled to the input signal, and a first feedback signal, which is based on the output signal, and configured to provide an error signal with a reduced level of the input signal; and a feedback control system coupled to the error signal and configured to provide a correction signal that is used to reduce distortion in the output signal. A corresponding method includes amplifying in a forward path an input signal to provide an output signal at a radio frequency; combining a reference and a first feedback signal to provide an error signal with a reduced level of the input signal; providing, responsive to the error signal and in a feedback control system that is separate from the forward path, a correction signal; and then using the correction signal to reduce distortion in the output signal.
Abstract:
In one embodiment, a low-noise source includes: a signal source; a variable amplifier adapted to amplify an output signal from the signal source to provide an amplified signal; a feed-forward amplifier adapted to amplify the amplified signal to provide an amplified output signal; a phase noise measurement system adapted to provide a first feedback signal responsive to phase noise in the amplified output signal; and a processor adapted to control the amplification provided by the variable amplifier responsive to the feedback signal so as to minimize phase noise in the amplified output signal.
Abstract:
A delay mismatched feed forward power amplifier is disclosed. Loop 1 includes a main amplifier (215) and is used to derive a carrier cancelled sample of the main amplifier output. Loop 2 includes an error amplifier (400) used to amplify the carrier cancelled signal derived from Loop 1 operation in order to cancel distortion products generated due to the nonlinear nature of the main amplifier. Loop 2 also utilizes a very short Loop 2 delay line (225). A significant efficiency gain is provided due to reduced output power losses associated with the Loop 2 delay line (225). Lower output losses also results in lower distortion levels produced by the main amplifier (215). This, in turn, reduces the size and performance requirements placed on the error amplifier (400). A smaller and more efficient error amplifier (400) is employed resulting in further amplifier system efficiency improvement. The delay mismatch is compensated by a third control loop, a special adaptive control algorithm or a combination thereof.
Abstract:
An RF power amplifier architecture minimizes spurious emissions by breaking the transmitted signal into narrow spectrum sub-bands, amplifying each separately, and then combining the signals for transmission purposes.
Abstract:
A feed forward power amplifier is disclosed which utilizes three signal cancellation loops. Loop 1 includes a main amplifier (215) and is used to derive a carrier cancelled sample of the main amplifier output. Loop 2 includes an error amplifier (400) used to amplify the carrier cancelled signal derived from Loop 1 operation in order to cancel distortion products generated due to the nonlinear nature of the main amplifier (215). Loop 2 also utilizes a very short Loop 2 delay line (225). A significant efficiency gain is provided due to reduced output power losses associated with the Loop 2 delay line (225). Lower output losses also results in lower distortion levels produced by the main amplifier (2.15). This, in turn, reduces the size and performance requirements placed on the error amplifier (400). A smaller and more efficient error amplifier (400) is employed resulting in further amplifier system efficiency improvement. A spurious signal detector (805) for out-of-band distortion detection and an associated microcontroller (810) for Loop 1 and Loop 2 control are also provided. A third signal cancellation loop is utilized to sample the amplifier output and reduce the carrier level of the signals sampled at the output of the amplifier before providing the sampled output to the spurious signal detector (805). By significantly reducing the carrier power level relative to distortion power levels a cost effective spurious signal detector (805) can be utilized. This also provides a faster conversion time in Loop 2 cancellation and enhanced cancellation of out-of-band distortion products due to a greater useful dynamic range available for the DSP (817) employed in the spurious signal detector (805).
Abstract:
A feedforward amplifier (10) employing high efficiency main amplifier (16) and error amplifier (34) with amplifier devices biased in a lower bias class. Small signal nonlinearities in the gain response of the amplifier devices are compensated by a small signal gain adjustment circuit (22, 24). The resulting gain response is substantially linear over the entire usable range of RF input power (RF IN).