Transmitter Linearized Using Bias Deviation Gain Adjustment And Method Therefor

• US 20120108189A1
• Filed: 11/02/2010
• Published: 05/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Crestcom Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Crestcom Incorporated
• Inventors: McCallister, Ronald Duane, Brombaugh, Eric M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,489,047 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/127.2
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/301 in MOSFET amplifiers H03F1/303, H03F1/305, H03F1/308 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/3241 using predistortion circuits H03F1/3211, H03F1/3217 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/3247 using feedback acting on predistortion circuits H03F1/3264 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/15 the supply or bias voltage or current at the drain side of a FET being continuously controlled by a controlling signal
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/18 the bias of the gate of a FET being controlled by a control signal
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/193 with field-effect devices H03F3/195 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/245 with semiconductor devices only
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/3042 in modulators, frequency-changers, transmitters or power amplifiers transmission power control in bidirectional transmission systems H04W52/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0475 with means for limiting noise, interference or distortion H04B1/0483 takes precedence

Abstract

A transmitter (50) includes a low power memoryless nonlinear predistorter (58) that inserts predistortion configured to address a nonlinearity (146) corresponding to gain droop and another nonlinearity (148) corresponding to deviations from an average bias condition. When efforts are taken to reduce memory effects, such as configuring a network of components (138) that couple to an HPA (114) to avoid resonance frequencies within a video bandwidth (140), high performance linearization at low power results without extending linearization beyond that provided by the memoryless nonlinear predistorter (58). Each nonlinearity is addressed by applying gain to a communication signal (54). The amount of gain applied is determined by a look-up table (170) for one nonlinearity (146) and by a look-up table (198) in combination with a differentiator (202) for the other nonlinearity (148). The look-up tables (170, 198) are updated in accordance with modified LMS control loops.

Claims

1. A method of linearizing a transmitter having an amplifier which applies a nonlinear amplifier transform to a signal input at said amplifier while operating at a variety of bias conditions characterized by an average bias condition and deviations from said average bias condition, said deviations being caused at least in part by said amplifier applying said nonlinear amplifier transform to said signal input at said amplifier, and said method comprising:

generating a gain-correcting signal responsive to said deviations from said average bias condition;

adjusting gain of a communication signal in response to said gain-correcting signal to form a predistorted communication signal; and

forming said signal input at said amplifier from said predistorted communication signal.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said gain-correcting signal is responsive to a derivative of said communication signal.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein said derivative is performed with respect to time and is responsive to a magnitude parameter of said communication signal.

4. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein:

said gain-correcting signal is proportional to a magnitude parameter of said communication signal; and

a proportion value by which said gain-correcting signal is proportional to said magnitude parameter varies with said magnitude parameter.

5. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein:

said gain-correcting signal is also responsive to a polynomial signal; and

said method additionally comprises generating said polynomial signal by performing a series of look-up operations using a look-up table addressed by a magnitude parameter of said communication signal.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1 additionally comprising:

normalizing gain of said predistorted communication signal in an automatic gain control section prior to forming said signal input at said amplifier; and

updating said automatic gain control section using a control loop having a loop bandwidth configured to track thermal memory effect nonlinearities of said amplifier.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

a network of components are coupled to said amplifier;

said method additionally comprises configuring said network of components to exhibit an impedance to said amplifier that either remains constant with increasing frequency or increases with increasing frequency throughout a video signal bandwidth.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said nonlinear amplifier transform has at least one memoryless component, said at least one memoryless component characterizing said deviations from said average bias condition; and

said gain-correcting signal is generated by a processing section that is responsive to said communication signal and applies a transform which corresponds to said at least one memoryless component of said nonlinear amplifier transform.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said gain-correcting signal is a first gain-correcting signal, and said method additionally comprises:

generating a second gain-correcting signal contemporaneous with said first gain-correcting signal, said second gain-correcting signal being responsive to an average gain droop of said amplifier for said average bias condition; and

joining said first and second gain-correcting signals prior to adjusting said gain of said communicational signal to form said predistorted communication signal.

10. A linearized transmitter having an amplifier which applies a nonlinear amplifier transform to a signal input at said amplifier while operating at a variety of bias conditions characterized by an average bias condition and deviations from said average bias condition, said deviations being caused at least in part by said amplifier applying said nonlinear amplifier transform to said signal input at said amplifier, and said transmitter comprising:

a processing section configured to produce a gain-correcting signal responsive to a communication signal and responsive to said deviations from said average bias condition; and

a gain-adjusting section configured to generate a predistorted communication signal in which gain is applied to said communication signal in response to said gain-correcting signal;

wherein said signal input at said amplifier is formed from said predistorted communication signal.

13. A linearized transmitter as claimed in claim 10 additionally comprising an automatic gain control section configured to normalize gain of said predistorted communication signal prior to forming said signal input at said amplifier, said automatic gain control section being responsive to a control loop having an update loop bandwidth configured to track thermal memory effect nonlinearities of said amplifier.

14. A linearized transmitter as claimed in claim 10 additionally comprising a network of components coupled to said amplifier, said network of components being configured to exhibit an impedance to said amplifier that either remains constant with increasing frequency or increases with increasing frequency throughout a video signal bandwidth.

15. A linearized transmitter as claimed in claim 10 wherein said processing section is a first processing section, said gain-correcting signal is a first gain-correcting signal, and said linearized transmitter additionally comprises:

a second processing section configured to generate a second gain-correcting signal contemporaneous with said first gain-correcting signal, said second gain-correcting signal being responsive to said communication signal and to an average gain droop of said amplifier for said average bias condition; and

a joining section responsive to said communication signal and to said first and second gain-correcting signals and configured to generate said predistorted communication signal in response to said communication signal and said first and second gain-correcting signals.

16. A linearized transmitter as claimed in claim 10 wherein said processing section is configured so that said gain-correcting signal is substantially unresponsive to said average bias condition.

11. A linearized transmitter as claimed in claim 10 wherein said processing section comprises:

a polynomial generator responsive to said communication signal; and

a differentiator coupled to said polynomial generator.

12. A linearized transmitter as claimed in claim 11 wherein said polynomial generator is implemented using a look-up table addressed by a magnitude parameter of said communication signal, said look-up table being updated in response to an error signal generated from said communication signal and a signal output from said amplifier.

11-1. (canceled)

17. A linearized transmitter having an amplifier which applies a nonlinear amplifier transform to a signal input at said amplifier, said nonlinear amplifier transform having a first memoryless component and a second memoryless component, said linearized transmitter comprising:

a first processing section responsive to a communication signal and configured to generate a first gain-correcting signal by applying a first transform which corresponds to said first memoryless component of said nonlinear amplifier transform;

a second processing section responsive to said communication signal and configured to generate a second gain-correcting signal contemporaneous with said first gain-correcting signal by applying a second transform which corresponds to said second memoryless component of said nonlinear amplifier transform; and

a joining section responsive to said communication signal and to said first and second gain-correcting signals and configured to generate a predistorted communication signal in which gain is applied to said communication signal in response to said first and second gain-correcting signals;

wherein said signal input at said amplifier is formed from said predistorted communication signal.

18. A linearized transmitter as claimed in claim 17 additionally comprising a network of components coupled to said amplifier, said network of components being configured to exhibit an impedance to said amplifier that either remains constant with increasing frequency or increases with increasing frequency throughout a video signal bandwidth.

19. A linearized transmitter as claimed in claim 17 wherein said first transform approximates an inverse of said first memoryless component of said nonlinear amplifier transform.

20. A linearized transmitter as claimed in claim 19 wherein said joining section and said second processing section are mutually configured so that said joining section applies an amount of gain to said communication signal, for each magnitude value within a range of magnitude for said communication signal, which is approximately the inverse of the collective gain associated with said first and second memoryless components of said nonlinear amplifier transform.

21. A linearized transmitter as claimed in claim 19 wherein said second transform approximates said second memoryless component of said nonlinear amplifier transform.

23. A linearized transmitter as claimed in claim 17 wherein:

said first memoryless component of said nonlinear amplifier transform characterizes gain droop at an average bias condition for said amplifier; and

said second memoryless component of said nonlinear amplifier transform characterizes gain modulation in said amplifier resulting from envelope-induced deviations from said average bias condition.

24. A linearized transmitter as claimed in claim 17 wherein said second processing section comprises:

a polynomial generator responsive to said communication signal; and

a differentiator coupled to said polynomial generator.

25. A linearized transmitter as claimed in claim 24 wherein said polynomial generator is implemented using a look-up table addressed by a magnitude parameter of said communication signal, said look-up table being updated in response to an error signal generated from said communication signal and a signal output from said amplifier.

26. A linearized transmitter as claimed in claim 17 additionally comprising an automatic gain control section configured to normalize gain of said predistorted communication signal prior to forming said signal input at said amplifier, said automatic gain control section being responsive to a control loop having an update loop bandwidth configured to track thermal memory effect nonlinearities of said amplifier.

27. A linearized transmitter as claimed in claim 25 wherein:

said look-up table is a first look-up table;

said first look-up table is updated by applying a first update equation to said error signal; and

said first processing section includes a second look-up table updated by applying a second update equation to said error signal.

33. A linearized transmitter as claimed in claim 19 wherein said joining section adds said first and second gain-correcting signals together to define said gain applied to said communication signal.

28. A method of linearizing a transmitter having an amplifier which applies a nonlinear amplifier transform to a signal input at said amplifier which couples to a network of components exhibiting an inductive impedance, said method comprising:

generating a gain-correcting signal responsive to a derivative of said communication signal;

adjusting gain of a communication signal in response to said gain-correcting signal to form a predistorted communication signal; and

forming said signal input at said amplifier from said predistorted communication signal.

29. A method as claimed in claim 28 wherein:

said gain-correcting signal is also responsive to a polynomial signal; and

said method additionally comprises generating said polynomial signal by performing a series of look-up operations using a look-up table addressed by a magnitude parameter of said communication signal.

30. A method as claimed in claim 28 additionally comprising:

normalizing gain of said predistorted communication signal in an automatic gain control section prior to forming said signal input at said amplifier; and

updating said automatic gain control section using a control loop having a loop bandwidth configured to track thermal memory effect nonlinearities of said amplifier.

31. A method as claimed in claim 28 wherein said method additionally comprises configuring said network of components to exhibit an impedance to said amplifier that either remains constant with increasing frequency or increases with increasing frequency throughout at least a video signal bandwidth.

32. A method as claimed in claim 28 wherein said gain-correcting signal is a first gain-correcting signal, and said method additionally comprises:

generating a second gain-correcting signal contemporaneous with said first gain-correcting signal, said second gain-correcting signal being responsive to an average gain droop of said amplifier; and

joining said first and second gain-correcting signals prior to adjusting said gain of said communicational signal to form said predistorted communication signal.

34. A method of linearizing a transmitter having an amplifier which applies a nonlinear amplifier transform exhibiting a memoryless effect and a thermal memory effect to a signal input at said amplifier, said method comprising:

generating a gain-correcting signal responsive to a communication signal and to said memoryless effect of said nonlinear amplifier transform;

adjusting gain of said communication signal in response to said gain-correcting signal to form a predistorted communication signal;

normalizing gain of said predistorted communication signal in an automatic gain control section to generate a gain-normalized communication signal;

updating said automatic gain control section using a control loop having a loop bandwidth configured to track said thermal memory effect of said nonlinear amplifier transform; and

forming said signal input at said amplifier from said gain-normalized communication signal.