High power amplifier linearization method using extended saleh model predistortion

• US 6,429,740 B1
• Filed: 03/23/2000
• Issued: 08/06/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aerospace Corporation
• Original Assignee: Aerospace Corporation
• Inventors: Parker, Andrew S., Yoh, James, Nguyen, Tien M., Johnson, Diana M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mottola, Steven J.
• Application Number:
  US09/533,571
• Time in Patent Office: 866 Days
• Field of Search: 330/149, 375/296, 375/297, 499/63
• US Class Current: 330/149
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/3241 using predistortion circuits H03F1/3211, H03F1/3217 take precedence

Abstract

A predistortion method uses an extended Saleh model for linearizing the output of nonlinear high power amplifiers having inherent amplitude modulation to amplitude modulation distortion, and inherent amplitude modulation to phase modulation distortion, during conversions of an input signal to an output signal. A complex baseband linearizer provides predistortion at baseband for reducing spectral regrowth and improves bit error performance. The predistortion effects are matched to the amplifier distortions to cancel out the distortions to provide linearized conversions. The extended Saleh model provides a general solution using selected coefficients matched to distortion effects of a particular amplifier.

Claims

1. A method of linearizing an output signal of an amplifier distorting an input signal, the output signal being derived from the input signal, the method comprising the steps of,

closed-form computing predistortion using an amplitude closed-form equation and a phase closed-form equation modeling distortion of the amplifier and using a set of predetermined coefficients of the closed-form equations for canceling distortion caused by the amplifier,

predistorting the input signal by the predistortion for providing a predistorted input signal, and

amplifying the predistorted input signal to generate the output signal, the output signal being linearized to the input signal.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein,

the input signal is an amplitude modulated input signal,

the distortion is amplitude distortion responsive to the amplitude modulation of the input signal, and

the output signal has an amplitude relative to an amplitude of the input signal, the output amplitude is linearized to the amplitude of the input signal during modulation of the amplitude modulated input signal.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein,

the input signal is an amplitude modulated input signal,

the distortion is phase distortion responsive to the amplitude modulation of the input signal, and

the output signal has an output phase relative to an input phase of the amplitude modulated input signal, the output phase is linearized to the input phase during modulation of the amplitude modulated input signal.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the distortion is phase and amplitude distortion, the predistortion comprises phase and amplitude predistortion, and the closed-form computing step uses the phase and amplitude closed-form equations to compute the phase and amplitude predistortion, the method further comprising the steps of,

measuring amplitude and phase responses of the amplifier during modulation of the amplitude modulated input signal, and

selecting the predetermined coefficients so that the computed phase and amplitude predistortion inversely matches the amplitude and phase responses of the amplifier.

5. A method of linearizing an output signal of an amplifier distorting an input signal, the output signal being derived from the input signal, the method comprising the steps of,

closed-form computing predistortion using a set of predetermined coefficients for canceling distortion caused by the amplifier,

predistorting the input signal by the predistortion for providing a predistorted input signal,

amplifying the predistorted input signal to generate the output signal, the output signal being linearized to the input signal, the distortion being phase and amplitude distortion, the predistortion comprising phase and amplitude predistortion, and the closed-form computing step using phase and amplitude closed-form equations to compute the phase and amplitude predistortions,

measuring amplitude and phase responses of the amplifier during modulation of the amplitude modulated input signal, and

selecting the predetermined coefficients so that the computed phase and amplitude predistortion inversely matches the amplitude and phase responses of the amplifier, wherein

the amplitude closed-form equation is:

$M<br><br>\left({\mathrm{\rho <br><br>}}_{y<br><br>\left(t\right)}\right)\equiv <br><br>{\mathrm{\rho <br><br>}}_{z<br><br>\left(t\right)}=\frac{{\mathrm{\alpha <br><br>}}_0<br><br>{\mathrm{\rho <br><br>}}_{y<br><br>\left(t\right)}}{a_0+{\left({\mathrm{\beta <br><br>}}_0<br><br>\left({\mathrm{\rho <br><br>}}_{y<br><br>\left(t\right)}+b_0\right)\right)}^2};<br><br>$

the phase closed-form equation is;

$\mathrm{\Phi <br><br>}<br><br>\left({\mathrm{\rho <br><br>}}_{y<br><br>\left(t\right)}\right)=\frac{{\mathrm{\alpha <br><br>}}_1<br><br>{\mathrm{\rho <br><br>}}_{y<br><br>\left(t\right)}^2}{a_1+{{\mathrm{\beta <br><br>}}_1<br><br>\left({\mathrm{\rho <br><br>}}_{y<br><br>\left(t\right)}+b_1\right)}^2};<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\mathrm{and}$

the predetermined coefficients are a₀, a₁, b₀, b₁, α

₀, α

₁, β

₀ and β

₁.

6. A method of linearizing an output signal of an amplifier distorting an input signal, the output signal being derived from the input signal, the method comprising the steps of,

closed-form computing predistortion using a set of predetermined coefficients for canceling distortion caused by the amplifier,

predistorting the input signal by the predistortion for providing a predistorted input signal,

amplifying the predistorted input signal to generate the output signal, the output signal being linearized to the input signal, the input signal being a baseband input signal,

converting the baseband input signal into a complex input signal,

predistorting the complex input signal to provide a predistorted complex signal at baseband,

up converting the complex input signal into an intermediate frequency complex signal by modulation with an intermediate frequency,

mixing the predistorted complex signal with the intermediate frequency complex signal to provide a mixed predistorted signal, and

up converting the mixed predistorted signal into the predistorted input signal by mixing the mixed predistorter signal with a radio frequency.