Calibrating a power amplifier such as in a remote unit in a wireless distribution system (WDS)
First Claim
1. A communications system, comprising:
- at least one remote unit configured to;
convert a plurality of downlink digital communications signals into a plurality of downlink radio frequency (RF) communications signals for distribution to client devices; and
receive a plurality of uplink RF communications signals from the client devices and convert the plurality of uplink RF communications signals into a plurality of uplink digital communications signals; and
a central unit configured to;
distribute the plurality of downlink digital communications signals to the at least one remote unit; and
receive the plurality of uplink digital communications signals from the at least one remote unit,wherein the central unit comprises at least one electrical-to-optical (E/O) converter configured to convert the plurality of downlink digital communications signals into optical signals;
wherein at least one selected remote unit comprises a power amplifier calibration circuit, the power amplifier calibration circuit comprising;
a power amplifier comprising a signal input, a signal output, a first bias signal input, and a second bias signal input, wherein the power amplifier is configured to;
receive an input signal having a first power at the signal input;
receive a first bias signal at the first bias signal input;
receive a second bias signal at the second bias signal input;
amplify the input signal to generate an output signal having a second power higher than the first power at the signal output; and
control a first power amplifier performance parameter and a second power amplifier performance parameter in the output signal based on the first bias signal and the second bias signal; and
a control circuit configured to;
provide a plurality of bias signal combinations to the power amplifier, wherein each of the plurality of bias signal combinations comprises a respective first bias signal and a respective second bias signal to be provided to the first bias signal input and the second bias signal input of the power amplifier, respectively;
receive a plurality of performance indication signals comprising a plurality of measurements corresponding to the plurality of bias signal combinations, respectively, wherein each of the plurality of measurements comprises the first power amplifier performance parameter and the second power amplifier performance parameter;
rank the plurality of measurements based on a ranking criterion; and
determine a selected bias signal combination among the plurality of bias signal combinations corresponding to a selected ranked measurement among the plurality of measurements.
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Abstract
Embodiments of the disclosure relate to calibrating a power amplifier. The power amplifier calibration circuit is configured to provide a plurality of bias signal combinations each including a respective first bias signal and a respective second bias signal to the power amplifier. Power amplifier performance parameters for each of the bias signal combinations can be measured and provided to a control circuit in the power amplifier calibration circuit. The control circuit is configured to rank the measured power amplifier performance parameters based on predefined ranking criteria and determines a selected bias signal combination that can optimize the power amplifier performance parameters of the power amplifier. As such, it is possible to calibrate the power amplifier to operate at a balanced performance level, thus helping to improve radio frequency (RF) coverage and performance of the remote unit in a wireless distribution system (WDS).
41 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A communications system, comprising:
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at least one remote unit configured to; convert a plurality of downlink digital communications signals into a plurality of downlink radio frequency (RF) communications signals for distribution to client devices; and receive a plurality of uplink RF communications signals from the client devices and convert the plurality of uplink RF communications signals into a plurality of uplink digital communications signals; and a central unit configured to; distribute the plurality of downlink digital communications signals to the at least one remote unit; and receive the plurality of uplink digital communications signals from the at least one remote unit, wherein the central unit comprises at least one electrical-to-optical (E/O) converter configured to convert the plurality of downlink digital communications signals into optical signals; wherein at least one selected remote unit comprises a power amplifier calibration circuit, the power amplifier calibration circuit comprising; a power amplifier comprising a signal input, a signal output, a first bias signal input, and a second bias signal input, wherein the power amplifier is configured to; receive an input signal having a first power at the signal input; receive a first bias signal at the first bias signal input; receive a second bias signal at the second bias signal input; amplify the input signal to generate an output signal having a second power higher than the first power at the signal output; and control a first power amplifier performance parameter and a second power amplifier performance parameter in the output signal based on the first bias signal and the second bias signal; and a control circuit configured to; provide a plurality of bias signal combinations to the power amplifier, wherein each of the plurality of bias signal combinations comprises a respective first bias signal and a respective second bias signal to be provided to the first bias signal input and the second bias signal input of the power amplifier, respectively; receive a plurality of performance indication signals comprising a plurality of measurements corresponding to the plurality of bias signal combinations, respectively, wherein each of the plurality of measurements comprises the first power amplifier performance parameter and the second power amplifier performance parameter; rank the plurality of measurements based on a ranking criterion; and determine a selected bias signal combination among the plurality of bias signal combinations corresponding to a selected ranked measurement among the plurality of measurements. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. An optical fiber-based wireless distribution system (WDS), comprising:
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a plurality of cables including at least one optical communications medium; and a plurality of remote units comprising optical-to-electrical (O/E) converters and configured to; receive and convert a plurality of downlink digital communications signals into a plurality of downlink radio frequency (RF) communications signals for distribution to client devices; and receive a plurality of uplink RF communications signals from the client devices and convert the plurality of uplink RF communications signals into a plurality of optical uplink digital communications signals; wherein at least one selected remote unit among the plurality of remote units comprises a power amplifier calibration circuit, the power amplifier calibration circuit comprising; a power amplifier comprising a signal input, a signal output, a first bias signal input, and a second bias signal input, wherein the power amplifier is configured to; receive an input signal having a first power at the signal input; receive a first bias signal at the first bias signal input; receive a second bias signal at the second bias signal input; amplify the input signal to generate an output signal having a second power higher than the first power at the signal output; and control a first power amplifier performance parameter and a second power amplifier performance parameter in the output signal based on the first bias signal and the second bias signal; and a control circuit configured to; provide a plurality of bias signal combinations to the power amplifier, wherein each of the plurality of bias signal combinations comprises a respective first bias signal and a respective second bias signal to be provided to the first bias signal input and the second bias signal input of the power amplifier, respectively; receive a plurality of performance indication signals comprising a plurality of measurements corresponding to the plurality of bias signal combinations, respectively, wherein each of the plurality of measurements comprises the first power amplifier performance parameter and the second power amplifier performance parameter; rank the plurality of measurements based on a ranking criterion; and determine a selected bias signal combination among the plurality of bias signal combinations corresponding to a selected ranked measurement among the plurality of measurements. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A communications system, comprising:
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a plurality of remote units comprising optical-to-electrical (O/E) converters and configured to; convert a plurality of downlink digital communications signals into a plurality of downlink radio frequency (RF) communications signals; and receive a plurality of uplink RF communications signals and convert the plurality of uplink RF communications signals into a plurality of uplink digital communications signals; and a central unit configured to; distribute the plurality of downlink digital communications signals to the plurality of remote units; and receive the plurality of uplink digital communications signals from the plurality of remote units, wherein the central unit comprises at least one electrical-to-optical converter configured to convert the plurality of downlink digital communications signals into optical signals; wherein at least one selected remote unit among the plurality of remote units comprises a power amplifier calibration circuit, the power amplifier calibration circuit comprising; a power amplifier comprising a signal output, a first bias signal input, and a second bias signal input, wherein the power amplifier is configured to; receive an input signal having a first power; receive a first bias signal at the first bias signal input; receive a second bias signal at the second bias signal input; amplify the input signal to generate an output signal having a second power higher than the first power at the signal output; and control a first power amplifier performance parameter and a second power amplifier performance parameter in the output signal based on the first bias signal and the second bias signal; and a control circuit configured to; provide a plurality of bias signal combinations to the power amplifier, wherein each of the plurality of bias signal combinations comprises a respective first bias signal and a respective second bias signal to be provided to the first bias signal input and the second bias signal input of the power amplifier, respectively; receive a plurality of performance indication signals comprising a plurality of measurements corresponding to the plurality of bias signal combinations, respectively, wherein each of the plurality of measurements comprises the first power amplifier performance parameter and the second power amplifier performance parameter; rank the plurality of measurements based on a predefined ranking criterion; and determine a selected bias signal combination among the plurality of bias signal combinations corresponding to a selected ranked measurement among the plurality of measurements. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification