Iterative pre-distortion of the non-linear satellite channel

Digital Video Broadcasting - Satellite - Second Generation (DVB-S2) is the current European standard for satellite broadcast and broadband communications. It relies on high order modulations up to 32-amplitude/phase-shift-keying (APSK) in order to increase the system spectral efficiency. Unfortunately, as the modulation order increases, the receiver becomes more sensitive to physical layer impairments, and notably to the distortions induced by the power amplifier and the channelizing filters aboard the satellite. Pre-distortion of the non-linear satellite channel has been studied for many years. However, the performance of existing pre-distortion algorithms generally becomes poor when high-order modulations are used on a non-linear channel with a long memory. In this paper, we investigate a new iterative method that pre-distorts blocks of transmitted symbols so as to minimize the Euclidian distance between the transmitted and received symbols. We also propose approximations to relax the pre-distorter complexity while keeping its performance acceptable

Linear Operation of Switch-Mode Outphasing Power Amplifiers

Radio transceivers are playing an increasingly important role in modern society. The ”connected” lifestyle has been enabled by modern wireless communications. The demand that has been placed on current wireless and cellular infrastructure requires increased spectral efficiency however this has come at the cost of power efficiency. This work investigates methods of improving wireless transceiver efficiency by enabling more efficient power amplifier architectures, specifically examining the role of switch-mode power amplifiers in macro cell scenarios. Our research focuses on the mechanisms within outphasing power amplifiers which prevent linear amplification. From the analysis it was clear that high power non-linear effects are correctable with currently available techniques however non-linear effects around the zero crossing point are not. As a result signal processing techniques for suppressing and avoiding non-linear operation in low power regions are explored. A novel method of digital pre-distortion is presented, and conventional techniques for linearisation are adapted for the particular needs of the outphasing power amplifier. More unconventional signal processing techniques are presented to aid linearisation of the outphasing power amplifier, both zero crossing and bandwidth expansion reduction methods are designed to avoid operation in nonlinear regions of the amplifiers. In combination with digital pre-distortion the techniques will improve linearisation efforts on outphasing systems with dynamic range and bandwidth constraints respectively. Our collaboration with NXP provided access to a digital outphasing power amplifier, enabling empirical analysis of non-linear behaviour and comparative analysis of behavioural modelling and linearisation efforts. The collaboration resulted in a bench mark for linear wideband operation of a digital outphasing power amplifier. The complimentary linearisation techniques, bandwidth expansion reduction and zero crossing reduction have been evaluated in both simulated and practical outphasing test benches. Initial results are promising and indicate that the benefits they provide are not limited to the outphasing amplifier architecture alone. Overall this thesis presents innovative analysis of the distortion mechanisms of the outphasing power amplifier, highlighting the sensitivity of the system to environmental effects. Practical and novel linearisation techniques are presented, with a focus on enabling wide band operation for modern communications standards

Design and Linearization of Energy Efficiency Power Amplifier in Nonlinear OFDM Transmitter for LTE-5G Applications. Simulation and measurements of energy efficiency power amplifier in the presence of nonlinear OFDM transmitter system and digital predistortion based on Hammerstein-Wiener method

This research work has made an effort to understand a novel line of radio frequency power amplifiers (RFPAs) that address initiatives for efficiency enhancement and linearity compensation to harmonize the fifth generation (5G) campaign. The objective is to enhance the performance of an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing-long term evolution (OFDM-LTE) transmitter by reducing the nonlinear distortion of the RFPA. The first part of this work explores the design and implementation of 15.5 W class AB RF power amplifier, adopting a balanced technique to stimulate efficiency enhancement and redeeming exhibition of excessive power in the transmitter. Consequently, this work goes beyond improving efficiency over a linear RF power amplifier design; in which a comprehensive investigation on the fundamental and harmonic components of class F RF power amplifier using a load-pull approach to realise an optimum load impedance and the matching network is presented. The frequency bandwidth for both amplifiers was allocated to operate in the 2.620-2.690 GHz of mobile LTE applications. The second part explores the development of the behavioural model for the class AB power amplifier. A particular novel, Hammerstein-Wiener based model is proposed to describe the dynamic nonlinear behaviour of the power amplifier. The RF power amplifier nonlinear distortion is approximated using a new linear parameter approximation approach. The first and second-order Hammerstein-Wiener using the Normalised Least Mean Square Error (NLMSE) algorithm is used with the aim of easing the complexity of filtering process during linear memory cancellation. Moreover, an enhanced adaptive Wiener model is proposed to explore the nonlinear memory effect in the system. The proposed approach is able to balance between convergence speed and high-level accuracy when compared with behavioural modelling algorithms that are more complex in computation. Finally, the adaptive predistorter technique is implemented and verified in the OFDM transceiver test-bed. The results were compared against the computed one from MATLAB simulation for OFDM and 5G modulation transmitters. The results have confirmed the reliability of the model and the effectiveness of the proposed predistorter.Fundacão para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Portugal, under European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme ... grant agreement H2020-MSCA-ITN- 2016 SECRET-722424 I also acknowledge the role of the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) Sokoto State Government Petroleum Technology Trust Fund (PTDF

TRANSMISSION PERFORMANCE OPTIMIZATION IN FIBER-WIRELESS ACCESS NETWORKS USING MACHINE LEARNING TECHNIQUES

The objective of this dissertation is to enhance the transmission performance in the fiber-wireless access network through mitigating the vital system limitations of both analog radio over fiber (A-RoF) and digital radio over fiber (D-RoF), with machine learning techniques being systematically implemented. The first thrust is improving the spectral efficiency for the optical transmission in the D-RoF to support the delivery of the massive number of bits from digitized radio signals. Advanced digital modulation schemes like PAM8, discrete multi-tone (DMT), and probabilistic shaping are investigated and implemented, while they may introduce severe nonlinear impairments on the low-cost optical intensity-modulation-direct-detection (IMDD) based D-RoF link with a limited dynamic range. An efficient deep neural network (DNN) equalizer/decoder to mitigate the nonlinear degradation is therefore designed and experimentally verified. Besides, we design a neural network based digital predistortion (DPD) to mitigate the nonlinear impairments from the whole link, which can be integrated into a transmitter with more processing resources and power than a receiver in an access network. Another thrust is to proactively mitigate the complex interferences in radio access networks (RANs). The composition of signals from different licensed systems and unlicensed transmitters creates an unprecedently complex interference environment that cannot be solved by conventional pre-defined network planning. In response to the challenges, a proactive interference avoidance scheme using reinforcement learning is proposed and experimentally verified in a mmWave-over-fiber platform. Except for the external sources, the interference may arise internally from a local transmitter as the self-interference (SI) that occupies the same time and frequency block as the signal of interest (SOI). Different from the conventional subtraction-based SI cancellation scheme, we design an efficient dual-inputs DNN (DI-DNN) based canceller which simultaneously cancels the SI and recovers the SOI.Ph.D

Nonlinear Characterization and Modeling of Radio-Frequency Devices and Power Amplifiers with Memory Effects

Despite the fast development of telecommunications systems experienced during the last two decades, much progress is expected in the coming years with the introduction of new solutions capable of delivering fast data-rates and ubiquitous connectivity. However, this development can only happen through the evolution of radio-frequency systems, which should be capable of working at high-power and high-speed. At the same time, the power dissipation of these systems should be minimized. In this dissertation, methods for the characterization and modeling of transistors and power amplifiers are presented, along with the necessary nonlinear measurements techniques. In particular, dynamic electrical effects, originated by the properties of the semiconductor materials and by the system configurations, are investigated. Consequently, these phenomena, which cannot be ignored to obtain the wanted performance, are empirically identified and included in models for Gallium Nitride (GaN) transistors and power amplifiers driven by a dynamic voltage supply

1-D broadside-radiating leaky-wave antenna based on a numerically synthesized impedance surface

A newly-developed deterministic numerical technique for the automated design of metasurface antennas is applied here for the first time to the design of a 1-D printed Leaky-Wave Antenna (LWA) for broadside radiation. The surface impedance synthesis process does not require any a priori knowledge on the impedance pattern, and starts from a mask constraint on the desired far-field and practical bounds on the unit cell impedance values. The designed reactance surface for broadside radiation exhibits a non conventional patterning; this highlights the merit of using an automated design process for a design well known to be challenging for analytical methods. The antenna is physically implemented with an array of metal strips with varying gap widths and simulation results show very good agreement with the predicted performance

Beam scanning by liquid-crystal biasing in a modified SIW structure

A fixed-frequency beam-scanning 1D antenna based on Liquid Crystals (LCs) is designed for application in 2D scanning with lateral alignment. The 2D array environment imposes full decoupling of adjacent 1D antennas, which often conflicts with the LC requirement of DC biasing: the proposed design accommodates both. The LC medium is placed inside a Substrate Integrated Waveguide (SIW) modified to work as a Groove Gap Waveguide, with radiating slots etched on the upper broad wall, that radiates as a Leaky-Wave Antenna (LWA). This allows effective application of the DC bias voltage needed for tuning the LCs. At the same time, the RF field remains laterally confined, enabling the possibility to lay several antennas in parallel and achieve 2D beam scanning. The design is validated by simulation employing the actual properties of a commercial LC medium

Data Acquisition Applications

Data acquisition systems have numerous applications. This book has a total of 13 chapters and is divided into three sections: Industrial applications, Medical applications and Scientific experiments. The chapters are written by experts from around the world, while the targeted audience for this book includes professionals who are designers or researchers in the field of data acquisition systems. Faculty members and graduate students could also benefit from the book

Formes d'ondes avancées et traitements itératifs pour les canaux non linéaires satellites

L'augmentation de l'efficacité spectrale des transmissions mono-porteuses sur un lien de diffusion par satellite est devenu un défi d'envergure afin de pallier la demande croissante en débits de transmission. Si des techniques émergentes de transmissions encouragent l'utilisation de modulations à ordre élevé telles que les modulations de phase et d'amplitude (APSK), certaines dégradations sont encourues lors du traitement à bord du satellite. En effet, en raison de l'utilisation d'amplificateurs de puissance ainsi que de filtres à mémoires, les modulations d'ordre élevé subissent des distorsions non-linéaires dues à la fluctuation de leur enveloppe, ce qui nécessite des traitements au sein de l'émetteur ou bien au sein du récepteur. Dans cette thèse, nous nous intéressons au traitement de l'interférence non-linéaire au sein du récepteur, avec une attention particulière aux égaliseurs itératifs qui améliorent les performances du système au prix d'une complexité élevée. A partir du modèle temporel des interférences non-linéaires induites par l'amplificateur de puissance, des algorithmes de réception optimaux et sous optimaux sont dérivés, et leurs performances comparées. Des égaliseurs à complexité réduite sont aussi étudiés dans le but d'atteindre un compromis performances-complexité satisfaisant. Ensuite, un modèle des non-linéarités est dérivé dans le domaine fréquentiel, et les égaliseurs correspondants sont présentés. Dans un second temps, nous analysons et dérivons des récepteurs itératifs pour l'interférence entre symboles non linéaire. L'objectif est d'optimiser les polynômes de distributions d'un code externe basé sur les codes de contrôle de parité à faible densité (LDPC) afin de coller au mieux à la sortie de l'égaliseur. Le récepteur ainsi optimisé atteint de meilleures performances comparé à un récepteur non optimisé pour le canal non-linéaire. Finalement, nous nous intéressons à une classe spécifique de techniques de transmissions mono-porteuse basée sur le multiplexage par division de fréquence (SC-OFDM) pour les liens satellites. L'avantage de ces formes d'ondes réside dans l'efficacité de leur égaliseur dans le domaine fréquentiel. Des formules analytiques de la densité spectrale de puissance et du rapport signal sur bruit et interférence sont dérivées et utilisées afin de prédire les performances du système. ABSTRACT : Increasing both the data rate and power efficiency of single carrier transmissions over broadcast satellite links has become a challenging issue to comply with the urging demand of higher transmission rates. If emerging transmission techniques encourage the use of high order modulations such as Amplitude and Phase Shift Keying (APSK) and Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM), some channel impairments arise due to onboard satellite processing. Indeed, due to satellite transponder Power Amplifiers (PA) as well as transmission filters, high order modulations incur non linear distortions due to their high envelope fluctuations which require specific processing either at the transmitter or at the receiver. In this thesis, we investigate on non linear interference mitigation at the receiver with a special focus on iterative equalizers which dramatically enhance the performance at the cost of additional complexity. Based on the time domain model of the non linear interference induced by the PA, optimal and sub-optimal receiving algorithms are proposed and their performance compared. Low complexity implementations are also investigated for the sake of a better complexity-performance trade-off. Then, a non linear frequency domain model is derived and the corresponding frequency equalizers are investigated. In the second part, we analyse and design an iterative receiver for the non linear Inter Symbol Interference (ISI) channel. The objective is to optimize an outer Low Density Parity Check (LDPC) code distribution polynomials so as to best fit the inner equalizer Extrinsic information. The optimized receiver is shown to achieve better performance compared to a code only optimized for linear ISI channel. Finally, we investigate on a specific class of single carrier transmissions relying on Single Carrier Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (SCO-FDM) for satellite downlink. The advantage of such waveforms lies in their practical receiver implementation in the frequency domain. General analytical formulas of the power spectral density and signal to noise and interference ratio are derived and used to predict the bit error rate for frequency selective multiplexers

WAVEFORM AND TRANSCEIVER OPTIMIZATION FOR MULTI-FUNCTIONAL AIRBORNE RADAR THROUGH ADAPTIVE PROCESSING

Pulse compression techniques have been widely used for target detection and remote sensing. The primary concern for pulse compression is the sidelobe interference. Waveform design is an important method to improve the sidelobe performance. As a multi-functional aircraft platform in aviation safety domain, ADS-B system performs functions involving detection, localization and alerting of external traffic. In this work, a binary phase modulation is introduced to convert the original 1090 MHz ADS-B signal waveform into a radar signal. Both the statistical and deterministic models of new waveform are developed and analyzed. The waveform characterization, optimization and its application are studied in details. An alternative way to achieve low sidelobe levels without trading o range resolution and SNR is the adaptive pulse compression - RMMSE (Reiterative Minimum Mean-Square error). Theoretically, RMMSE is able to suppress the sidelobe level down to the receiver noise floor. However, the application of RMMSE to actual radars and the related implementation issues have not been investigated before. In this work, implementation aspects of RMMSE such as waveform sensitivity, noise immunity and computational complexity are addressed. Results generated by applying RMMSE to both simulated and measured radar data are presented and analyzed. Furthermore, a two-dimensional RMMSE algorithm is derived to mitigate the sidelobe effects from both pulse compression processing and antenna radiation pattern. In addition, to achieve even better control of the sidelobe level, a joint transmit and receive optimization scheme (JTRO) is proposed, which reduces the impacts of HPA nonlinearity and receiver distortion. Experiment results obtained with a Ku-band spaceborne radar transceiver testbed are presented