Digital Predistortion for nonlinear RF power amplifiers

• US 8,498,591 B1
• Filed: 08/20/2010
• Issued: 07/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP USA, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: Marvell International Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Inventors: Qian, Hua, Wu, Songping, Yu, Daxiao
• Primary Examiner(s): Vuong, Quochien B
• Application Number:
  US12/860,108
• Time in Patent Office: 1,075 Days
• Field of Search: 455/63.1, 455/67.11, 455/67.13, 455/69, 455/114.2, 455/114.3, 455/115.1, 375/296, 375/297, 330/127, 330/136, 330/149
• US Class Current: 455/114.3
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/3241 using predistortion circuits H03F1/3211, H03F1/3217 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0475 with means for limiting noise, interference or distortion H04B1/0483 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/0425 with linearisation using predistortion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0035 evaluation of received explicit signalling

Abstract

Systems and techniques relating to wireless communications are described. A described technique includes generating a digital transmit signal, receiving a digital receive signal, storing signal samples, the signal samples including transmit samples based on the digital transmit signal and receive samples based on the digital receive signal, causing, in a predistortion training mode, the digital receive signal to be based on an amplified analog version of the digital transmit signal, where the amplified analog version is produced by a power amplifier having one or more nonlinear characteristics, determining a synchronization offset value to align the transmit samples with the receive samples, determining one or more power normalization parameter values to normalize a power of the digital receive signal with respect to the digital transmit signal, estimating predistortion parameter values, and using the predistortion parameter values to predistort digital signals to compensate for the one or more nonlinear characteristics of the power amplifier. Estimating predistortion parameter values can include using information comprising the transmit samples, the receive samples, the synchronization offset value, and the one or more power normalization parameter values.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

processor electronics configured to produce a digital transmit signal;

a first convertor to convert the digital transmit signal to an analog transmit signal;

a power amplifier to amplify the analog transmit signal, wherein the power amplifier has one or more nonlinear characteristics;

receiver circuitry to receive an analog receive signal in one of an operational mode or a predistortion training mode;

a second convertor to convert the analog receive signal to a digital receive signal; and

a receive filter coupled between the receiver circuitry and the second convertor,

wherein the processor electronics are configured to perform operations comprising

causing the receive filter to operate at a wider bandwidth during the predistortion training mode;

causing the receiver circuitry, in the predistortion training mode, to receive the amplified analog transmit signal as the analog receive signal,

sampling the digital transmit signal to produce transmit samples,

sampling the digital receive signal to produce receive samples,

determining a synchronization offset value to align the transmit samples with the receive samples,

determining one or more power normalization parameter values to normalize a power of the digital receive signal with respect to the digital transmit signal,

estimating predistortion parameter values using information comprising the transmit samples, the receive samples, the synchronization offset value, and the one or more power normalization parameter values, and

using the predistortion parameter values to predistort digital signals to compensate for the one or more nonlinear characteristics of the power amplifier.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

estimating the predistortion parameter values comprises using a polynomial based nonlinear predistortion model that is linear to the predistortion parameter values; and

the transmit samples, the receive samples, and the predistortion parameter values are represented by complex numbers.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein estimating the predistortion parameter values comprises using a recursive estimation technique to iteratively produce updated versions of the predistortion parameter values.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein estimating the predistortion parameter values is agnostic to one or more properties associated with the digital transmit signal, wherein the one or more properties include a carrier frequency.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

estimating updated versions of the predistortion parameter values based on a power change of the digital transmit signal.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a transmit filter coupled between the first convertor and the power amplifier, wherein a bandwidth of the transmit filter is at least twice that of the digital transmit signal.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the wider bandwidth of the receive filter is at least wide enough to pass through signals distorted by the one or more nonlinear characteristics of the power amplifier.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the receiver circuitry comprises an attenuator to attenuate the analog receive signal when the amplified analog transmit signal is received as the analog receive signal.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the receiver circuitry comprises an automatic gain controller to compensate for one or more nonlinear characteristics of the receiver circuitry.

10. An apparatus, comprising:

processor electronics configured to (i) produce a digital transmit signal and (ii) receive a digital receive signal via circuitry that includes a receive filter; and

a memory to store signal samples, the signal samples including (i) transmit samples based on the digital transmit signal and (ii) receive samples based on the digital receive signal,

wherein the processor electronics are configured to perform operations comprising

causing, in a predistortion training mode, the digital receive signal to be based on an amplified analog version of the digital transmit signal, wherein the amplified analog version is produced by a power amplifier having one or more nonlinear characteristics,

causing the receive filter to operate at a wider bandwidth during the predistortion training mode,

determining a synchronization offset value to align the transmit samples with the receive samples,

determining one or more power normalization parameter values to normalize a power of the digital receive signal with respect to the digital transmit signal,

estimating predistortion parameter values using information comprising the transmit samples, the receive samples, the synchronization offset value, and the one or more power normalization parameter values, and

using the predistortion parameter values to predistort digital signals to compensate for the one or more nonlinear characteristics of the power amplifier.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:

estimating the predistortion parameter values comprises using a polynomial based nonlinear predistortion model that is linear to the predistortion parameter values; and

the transmit samples, the receive samples, and the predistortion parameter values are represented by complex numbers.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein estimating the predistortion parameter values comprises using a recursive estimation technique to iteratively produce updated versions of the predistortion parameter values.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein estimating the predistortion parameter values is agnostic to one or more properties associated with the digital transmit signal, wherein the one or more properties include a carrier frequency.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise:

estimating updated versions of the predistortion parameter values based on a power change of the digital transmit signal.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise:

controlling an attenuator to attenuate the amplified analog version when the digital receive signal is based on the amplified analog version.

16. A method, comprising:

generating a digital transmit signal;

receiving a digital receive signal via circuitry that includes a receive filter;

storing signal samples, the signal samples including transmit samples based on the digital transmit signal and receive samples based on the digital receive signal;

causing, in a predistortion training mode, the digital receive signal to be based on an amplified analog version of the digital transmit signal, wherein the amplified analog version is produced by a power amplifier having one or more nonlinear characteristics;

causing the receive filter to operate at a wider bandwidth during the predistortion training mode;

determining a synchronization offset value to align the transmit samples with the receive samples;

determining one or more power normalization parameter values to normalize a power of the digital receive signal with respect to the digital transmit signal;

estimating predistortion parameter values using information comprising the transmit samples, the receive samples, the synchronization offset value, and the one or more power normalization parameter values; and

using the predistortion parameter values to predistort digital signals to compensate for the one or more nonlinear characteristics of the power amplifier.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein:

estimating the predistortion parameter values comprises using a polynomial based nonlinear predistortion model that is linear to the predistortion parameter values; and

the transmit samples, the receive samples, and the predistortion parameter values are represented by complex numbers.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein estimating the predistortion parameter values comprises using a recursive estimation technique to iteratively produce updated versions of the predistortion parameter values.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

estimating updated versions of the predistortion parameter values based on a power change of the digital transmit signal.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

controlling an attenuator to attenuate the amplified analog version when the digital receive signal is based on the amplified analog version.