High efficiency linearization power amplifier for wireless communication

• US 9,054,758 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2013
• Issued: 06/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dali Wireless Inc. (Dali Systems Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Dali Systems Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Yang, Dali, Yang, Jia
• Primary Examiner(s): Sorowar, Golam
• Application Number:
  US14/095,891
• Publication Number:
  US 20140179248A1
• Time in Patent Office: 553 Days
• Field of Search: 455/114.3, 455/63.1, 455/126, 455/296, 455/127.2, 455/113, 330/149, 375/296, 375/297
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/3247 using feedback acting on predistortion circuits H03F1/3264 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/451 the amplifier being a radio frequency amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/57 Separate feedback of real and complex signals being present
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2201/3215 To increase the output power or efficiency
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2201/3233 Adaptive predistortion using lookup table, e.g. memory, RAM, ROM, LUT, to generate the predistortion
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/19 with semiconductor devices only
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/21 with semiconductor devices only H03F3/245 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/24 of transmitter output stages
• 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: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A predistortion system for linearizing the output of a power amplifier includes a first signal representative of an RF modulated signal and a feedback signal representative of nonlinear characteristics of a power amplifier. The system also includes a predistortion controller, comprising at least one lookup table, adapted to receive the first signal and the feedback signal and to generate a correction factor for correcting the nonlinear characteristics of the power amplifier and combining logic which combines the RF modulated signal with a signal corresponding to the correction factor and supplies it to the power amplifier to linearize the output of the power amplifier.

Claims

1. A predistortion system for linearizing an output of a power amplifier, the predistortion system comprising:

a first input operable to receive a first input signal representative of an analog RF modulated signal;

a second input operable to receive a second input signal representative of an idealized reference signal;

a raw feedback path operable to receive a raw feedback signal representative of nonlinear characteristics of a power amplifier;

a first down converter coupled to the second input and operable to produce a biased reference signal;

a first analog-to-digital converter coupled to the first down converter and operable to produce a digitized reference signal;

a second down converter coupled to the raw feedback path and operable to produce a biased feedback signal;

a second analog-to-digital converter coupled to the second down converter and operable to produce a digitized feedback signal;

a predistortion controller, comprising at least one lookup table, operable to receive the digitized reference signal and the digitized feedback signal and to generate a predistortion correction signal; and

combining logic operable to combine the first signal and the predistortion correction signal and operable to produce a predistortion signal that is supplied to the power amplifier to linearize the output of the power amplifier.

2. The predistortion system of claim 1 wherein the combining logic comprises an analog multiplier.

3. The predistortion system of claim 1 further comprising error logic operable to determine an error between the digitized reference signal and the digitized feedback signal.

4. The predistortion system of claim 3 further comprising a multiplier operable to multiply the error by an adaptive factor.

5. The predistortion system of claim 1 wherein the predistortion controller further comprises an address former responsive to the digitized reference signal and operable to generate an address supplied to the at least one lookup table.

6. The predistortion system of claim 1 wherein the predistortion controller further comprises an adder operable to provide an entry to the at least one lookup table, wherein the adder is operable to receive a scaled error and a previous entry to the at least one lookup table.

7. The predistortion system of claim 1 wherein the at least one lookup table is at least two lookup tables.

8. The predistortion system of claim 7 wherein each of the at least two lookup tables are associated with different operating parameters.

9. The predistortion system of claim 1 wherein an output of the at least one lookup table is related to both a current signal transmitted by the power amplifier and a previous signal transmitted by the amplifier.

10. The predistortion system of claim 1 wherein an operation point of the power amplifier is set in a saturation region.

11. The predistortion system of claim 1 wherein an operation point of the power amplifier is set in a cut-off region.

12. The predistortion system of claim 1 wherein a frequency of the predistortion signal matches a bandwidth of a signal transmitted by the power amplifier.

13. A method for linearizing an output of a power amplifier, the method comprising:

receiving an analog RF modulated signal at an input of a predistortion system;

receiving an idealized reference signal at an input of the predistortion system;

receiving a raw feedback signal representative of nonlinear characteristics of a power amplifier;

generating a biased reference signal from the idealized reference signal;

generating a digitized reference signal from the biased reference signal;

generating a biased feedback signal from the raw feedback signal;

generating a digitized feedback signal from the biased feedback signal;

generating a predistortion correction signal from the digitized reference signal and the digitized feedback signal;

combining the analog RF modulated signal with the predistortion correction signal to provide a predistortion signal; and

receiving the predistortion signal at an input of the power amplifier.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein combing the analog RF modulated signal with the predistortion correction signal comprises using an analog multiplier.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising determining an error between the digitized reference signal and the digitized feedback signal.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising multiplying the error by an adaptive factor.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein generating the predistortion correction signal comprises adding a scaled error and a previous entry to at least one lookup table to provide an entry to the at least one lookup table.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising generating an address supplied to the at least one lookup table using an address former responsive to the digitized reference signal.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the at least one lookup table is at least two lookup tables.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein each of the at least two lookup tables are associated with different operating parameters.