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

Novel power amplifier design using non-linear microwave characterisation and measurement techniques

This thesis, addresses some aspects of the well-known, problem, experienced by designer of radio frequency power amplifiers (RFPA): the efficiency/linearity trade-off. The thesis is focused on finding and documenting solution to linearity problem than can be used to advance the performance of radio frequency (RF) and microwave systems used by the wireless communication industry. The research work, this was undertaken by performing a detailed investigation of the behaviour of transistors, under complex modulation, when subjected to time varying baseband signals at their output terminal: This is what in this thesis will be referred to as “baseband injection”. To undertake this study a new approach to the characterisation of non-linear devices (NLD) in the radio frequency (RF) region, such as transistors, designated as device-under-test (DUT), subjected to time varying baseband signals at its output terminal, was implemented. The study was focused on transistors that are used in implementing RF power amplifiers (RFPA) for base station applications. The nonlinear device under test (NL-DUT) is a generalisation to include transistors and other nonlinear devices under test. Throughout this thesis, transistors will be referred to as ‘device’ or ‘radio frequency power amplifier (RFPA) device’. During baseband injection investigations the device is perturbed by multi-tone modulated RF signals of different complexities. The wireless communication industry is very familiar with these kinds of devices and signals. Also familiar to the industry are the effects that arise when these kind of signal perturb these devices, such as inter-modulation distortion and linearity, power consumption/dissipation and efficiency, spectral re-growth and spectral efficiency, memory effects and trapping effects. While the concept of using baseband injection to linearize RFPAs is not new the mathematical framework introduced and applied in this work is novel. This novel approach NOVEL POWER AMPLIFIER DESIGN USING NON-LINEAR MICROWAVE CHARACTERISATION AND MEASUREMENT TECHNIQUES CARDIFF UNIVERISTY - UK ABSTRACT vi has provided new insight to this very complex problem and highlighted solutions to how it could be a usable technique in practical amplifiers. In this thesis a very rigorous and complex investigative mathematical and measurement analysis on RFPA response to applied complex stimulus in a special domain called the envelope domain was conducted. A novel generic formulation that can ‘engineer’ signal waveforms by using special control keys with which to provide solution to some of the problems highlighted above is presented. The formulation is based on specific background principles, identified from the result of both mathematical theoretical analysis and detailed experimental device characterisation

OFDM based air interfaces for future mobile satellite systems

This thesis considers the performance of OFDM in a non-linear satellite channel and mechanisms for overcoming the degradations resulting from the high PAPR in the OFDM signal in the specific satellite architecture. It was motivated by new S-DMB applications but its results are applicable to any OFDM system via satellites. Despite many advantages of OFDM, higher PAPR is a major drawback. OFDM signals are therefore very sensitive to non-linear distortion introduced by the power amplifiers and thus, significantly reduce the power efficiency of the system, which is already crucial to satellite system economics. Simple power amplifier back-off to cope with high OFDM PAPR is not possible. Two transmitter based techniques have been considered: PAPR reduction and amplifier linearization.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Behavioral modeling and FPGA implementation of digital predistortion for RF and microwave power amplifiers

With the high interest in digital modulation techniques which are very sensitive to the PA nonlinearity, modern wireless communication systems require the usage of linearization techniques to improve the linear behavior of the RF power amplifier. The powerful and cheap digital processing technology makes the digital predistortion (DPD) a competitive candidate for the linearization of the PA. This thesis introduces the basic principle of DPD, its implementation on FPGA and the adaptive DPD system. The linearization of 4 PAs with DPD technique has been introduced: for the hybrid class AB PA operating at 2.6 GHz with a WiMAX testing signal, 33.7 dBm average power, 29.6 % drain efficiency, 13 dB ACPR and 9 dB NMSE improvement have been obtained; for the hybrid Doherty PA operating at 3.4 GHz with an I/Q testing signal, 35.0 dBm average power, 36.8 % drain efficiency, 12 dB ACPR and 13 dB NMSE improvement have been obtained; for the MMIC class AB PA operating at 7 GHz with an I/Q testing signal, 29.4 dBm average power, 25.7 % drain efficiency, 12 dB ACPR and 12 dB NMSE improvement have been obtained; for the two-stage PA operating at 24 GHz with an I/Q testing signal, 23.5 dBm average power, more than 14.0 % drain efficiency, 11 dB ACPR and 11 dB NMSE improvement have been obtained. The DPD algorithm has been implemented on FPGA with two methods based on LUT and a direct structure with only adders and multipliers. The block RAM on the FPGA board is chosen as the table in the LUT methods. The linearization performance for these three methods is similar. The test PA is the hybrid Doherty PA mentioned above and the test signal is the I/Q signal with 7.4 dB PAPR. 35.1 dBm average power, 36.8 % efficiency, 11 dB ACPR and 11 dB NMSE improvement have been obtained. The cost of logic resources for the direct structure method is the largest with 1,172 flip-flops, while the number of flip-flops for the two LUT methods are 263 and 583, respectively. A new adaptive algorithm has been proposed in this thesis for the adaptive DPD system. This new algorithm improves the performance in extracting the model parameters in complex number domain. With the experimental data from a combined class AB PA, the final accuracy of the model extracted by the new algorithm has been improved from -20 dB to about -40 dB and the converge speed is faster

Caracterização, modelação e compensação de efeitos de memória lenta em amplificadores de potência baseados em GAN HEMTS

Gallium nitride (GaN) high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) have emerged as the most compelling technology for the transmission of highpower radio-frequency (RF) signals for cellular mobile communications and radar applications. However, despite their remarkable power capabilities, the deployment of GaN HEMT-based RF power amplifiers (PAs) in the mobile communications infrastructure is often ruled out in favor of alternative siliconbased technologies. One of the main reasons for this is the pervasiveness of nonlinear long-term memory effects in GaN HEMT technology caused by thermal and charge-trapping phenomena. While these effects can be compensated for using sophisticated digital predistortion algorithms, their implementation and model-extraction complexity—as well as the power necessary for their real-time execution—make them unsuitable for modern small cells and large-scale multiple-input multiple-output transceivers, where the power necessary for the linearization of each amplification element is of great concern. In order to address these issues and further the deployment of high-powerdensity high-efficiency GaN HEMT-based RF PAs in next-generation communications and radar applications, in this thesis we propose novel methods for the characterization, modeling, and compensation of long-term memory effects in GaN HEMT-based RF PAs. More specifically, we propose a method for the characterization of the dynamic self-biasing behavior of GaN HEMTbased RF PAs; multiple behavioral models of charge trapping and their implementation as analog electronic circuits for the accurate real-time prediction of the dynamic variation of the threshold voltage of GaN HEMTs; a method for the compensation of the pulse-to-pulse instability of GaN HEMT-based RF PAs for radar applications; and a hybrid analog/digital scheme for the linearization of GaN HEMT-based RF PAs for next-generation communications applications.Os transístores de alta mobilidade eletrónica de nitreto de gálio (GaN HEMTs) são considerados a tecnologia mais atrativa para a transmissão de sinais de radiofrequência de alta potência para comunicações móveis celulares e aplicações de radar. No entanto, apesar das suas notáveis capacidades de transmissão de potência, a utilização de amplificadores de potência (PAs) baseados em GaN HEMTs é frequentemente desconsiderada em favor de tecnologias alternativas baseadas em transístores de silício. Uma das principais razões disto acontecer é a existência pervasiva na tecnologia GaN HEMT de efeitos de memória lenta causados por fenómenos térmicos e de captura eletrónica. Apesar destes efeitos poderem ser compensados através de algoritmos sofisticados de predistorção digital, estes algoritmos não são adequados para transmissores modernos de células pequenas e interfaces massivas de múltipla entrada e múltipla saída devido à sua complexidade de implementação e extração de modelo, assim como a elevada potência necessária para a sua execução em tempo real. De forma a promover a utilização de PAs de alta densidade de potência e elevada eficiência baseados em GaN HEMTs em aplicações de comunicação e radar de nova geração, nesta tese propomos novos métodos de caracterização, modelação, e compensação de efeitos de memória lenta em PAs baseados em GaN HEMTs. Mais especificamente, nesta tese propomos um método de caracterização do comportamento dinâmico de autopolarização de PAs baseados em GaN HEMTs; vários modelos comportamentais de fenómenos de captura eletrónica e a sua implementação como circuitos eletrónicos analógicos para a previsão em tempo real da variação dinâmica da tensão de limiar de condução de GaN HEMTs; um método de compensação da instabilidade entre pulsos de PAs baseados em GaN HEMTs para aplicações de radar; e um esquema híbrido analógico/digital de linearização de PAs baseados em GaN HEMTs para comunicações de nova geração.Programa Doutoral em Telecomunicaçõe

Efficient solid state power amplifiers: power combining and highly accurate AM/AM and AM/PM behavioural models with application to linearisation

Radio Frequency (RF) Power Amplifiers (PAs) are a major contributor to modern communication systems, both in terms of being an enabling technology as well as having the most impact on overall system availability, linearity and power consumption. In order to achieve the most optimum system outcome there needs to be an appropriate method for selecting the most suitable RF PA design approach, as well as being able to select the most appropriate RF PA output device, based on a range of varying requirements, specifications and technologies. The ability to perform these tasks quickly, with improved accuracy, using existing available device data, with minimal or no further device testing and from a range of existing and emerging technologies would provide RF PA designers with significant benefits. The investigations and research provided in this thesis consider a range of existing and emerging RF PA technologies and power combining methods and compares them via a new selection and design methodology developed in this thesis. The new methodology builds on modern design and statistical approaches including manufacturing options that enable an appropriate technology to be selected for Solid State Power Amplifier (SSPA) design. In addition to hard design specifications, the current thesis also considers less tangible specifications, such as graceful degradation, time tomarket and ease of use, as well as alternative design approaches, such as fuzzy logic approaches. With a suitable technology approach determined, a selection of a suitable RF output device(s) is considered. As the demand for new communication services continues to increase, requiring tighter specifications and reduced product delivery time scales, then the ability to accurately and quickly compare available RF PA devices from a range of device technologies or devices from different manufacturers, at both the system and component level, makes such a selection paramount. In this thesis, simplememoryless (AmplitudeModulation/AmplitudeModulation (AM/AM) only) and Quasi-Memoryless (QM) Behavioural Models (BMs) (AM/AM combined with Amplitude Modulation/Phase Modulation (AM/PM)) are reviewed, extended and improved upon, with up to 20 dB Normalised Mean Squared Error (NMSE) modelling improvement achieved over a range of technologies, allowing effective RF PA device selection using these newly developed simple and fast models. This thesis uses recent existing accurate and powerful semi-physical memoryless BMs, suited to RF PA devices, and develops and extends their use for QM modelling. The trade-off from the improvement in the overall accuracy is some further simple processing steps. Furthermore, this thesis also provides a comparison of other models, presented in the literature. The improved simple RF PA device models and extension techniques presented in this thesis show, via simulation and measurement, that the new models are suitable for use over a wide range. Lineariser improvements, linked to the accuracy improvements of the proposed models of this thesis, are also investigated, showing further benefits from this research. Physically based simple QM BMs are also used to model thermal and bias network memory effects, which are becomingmore relevant tomodern communication services that use wider bandwidths, enabling the impacts of RF PA device memory effects to be determined and compared. The feasibility of the developed models and improvements are also utilised in the simulation of a low cost RF PA lineariser. With the trend to smaller localised low cost and power RF mobile wireless repeater cells being away from larger more expensive and complex hardware, used to perform linearisation, this thesis presents a trade-off between complexity and linearisation performance and demonstrates, through modelling and simulation, that 8-10 dB improvement in linearisation performance is achievable with the use of the newly developed models.Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, 201

Machine Learning Meets Communication Networks: Current Trends and Future Challenges

The growing network density and unprecedented increase in network traffic, caused by the massively expanding number of connected devices and online services, require intelligent network operations. Machine Learning (ML) has been applied in this regard in different types of networks and networking technologies to meet the requirements of future communicating devices and services. In this article, we provide a detailed account of current research on the application of ML in communication networks and shed light on future research challenges. Research on the application of ML in communication networks is described in: i) the three layers, i.e., physical, access, and network layers; and ii) novel computing and networking concepts such as Multi-access Edge Computing (MEC), Software Defined Networking (SDN), Network Functions Virtualization (NFV), and a brief overview of ML-based network security. Important future research challenges are identified and presented to help stir further research in key areas in this direction

High-Power Microwave/ Radio-Frequency Components, Circuits, and Subsystems for Next-Generation Wireless Radio Front-Ends

As the wireless communication systems evolve toward the future generation, intelligence will be the main signature/trend, well known as the concepts of cognitive and software-defined radios which offer ultimate data transmission speed, spectrum access, and user capacity. During this evolution, the human society may experience another round of `information revolution\u27. However, one of the major bottlenecks of this promotion lies in hardware realization, since all the aforementioned intelligent systems are required to cover a broad frequency range to support multiple communication bands and dissimilar standards. As the essential part of the hardware, power amplifiers (PAs) capable of operating over a wide bandwidth have been identified as the key enabling technology. This dissertation focuses on novel methodologies for designing and realizing broadband high-power PAs, their integration with high-quality-factor (high-Q) tunable filters, and relevant investigations on the reliabilities of these tunable devices. It can be basically divided into three major parts: 1.Broadband High-Efficiency Power Amplifiers. Obtaining high PA efficiency over a wide bandwidth is very challenging, because of the difficulty of performing broadband multi-harmonic matching. However, high efficiency is the critical feature for high-performance PAs due to the ever-increasing demands for environmental friendliness, energy saving, and longer battery life. In this research, novel design methodologies of broad-band highly efficient PAs are proposed, including the first-ever mode-transferring PA theory, novel matching network topology, and wideband reconfigurable PA architecture. These techniques significantly advance the state-of-the-art in terms of bandwidth and efficiency. 2.Co-Design of PAs and High-Q Tunable Filters. When implementing the intelligent communication systems, the conventional approach based on independent RF design philosophy suffers from many inherent defects, since no global optimization is achieved leading to degraded overall performance. An attractive method to solve these difficulties is to co-design critical modules of the transceiver chain. This dissertation presents the first-ever co-design of PAs and tunable filters, in which the redundant inter-module matching is entirely eliminated, leading to minimized size & cost and maximized overall performance. The saved hardware resources can be further transferred to enhance system functionalities. Moreover, we also demonstrate that co-design of PAs and filters can lead to more functionalities/benefits for the wireless systems, e.g. efficient and linear amplification of dual-carrier (or multi-carrier) signals. 3.High-Power/Non-Linear Study on Tunable Devices. High-power limitation/power handling is an everlasting theme of tunable devices, as it determines the operational life and is the threshold for actual industrial applications. Under high-power operation, the high RF voltage can lead to failures like tuners\u27 mechanical deflections and gas discharge in the small air spacing of the cavity. These two mechanisms are studied independently with their instantaneous and long-term effects on the device performance. In addition, an anti-biased topology of electrostatic RF MEMS varactors and tunable filters is proposed and experimentally validated for reducing the non-linear effect induced by bias-noise. These investigations will enlighten the designers on how to avoid and/or minimize the non-ideal effects, eventually leading to longer life cycle and performance sustainability of the tunable devices

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