The Doherty power amplifier is competing with class-AB amplifiers in mobile base-stations, thanks to its superior performances in terms of back-off efficiency. However, in case of microwave backhaul applications, where higher center frequencies and wider bandwidths are needed, it is still not clear if the linearity-efficiency trade-off is in favour of the DPA or of the classical class-AB. In this work, this point is treated reporting the design and experimental characterization of two GaN MMIC power amplifiers for microwave radio links: a combined class-AB and a Doherty amplifier fabricated with same technology and total active device periphery. The modules have been characterized from 6.6 GHz to 7.3 GHz under large signal condition. The obtained results show that the Doherty amplifier can have a beneficial effect on the energy optimization of the system at the expense of larger chip area with respect to the class-AB. Both circuits achieve 40dBm saturated output power, but at 6dB back-off the Doherty shows an efficiency improvement of about 50%. The amplitude and phase distortions of the two PAs have also been measured, and a system level evaluation is provided highlighting pros and cons of each architecture in terms of linearity.

Giofre', R., Piazzon, L., Colantonio, P., Giannini, F., Camarchia, V., Mustazar, I., et al. (2015). GaN MMICs for microwave backhaul: Doherty vs. combined class-AB power amplifier. In Proceedings of the European Microwave Integrated Circuit Conference, EuMIC 2015 (pp.33-36). Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc. [10.1109/EuMIC.2015.7345061].

GaN MMICs for microwave backhaul: Doherty vs. combined class-AB power amplifier

GIOFRE', ROCCO;PIAZZON, LUCA;COLANTONIO, PAOLO;GIANNINI, FRANCO;
2015-01-01

Abstract

The Doherty power amplifier is competing with class-AB amplifiers in mobile base-stations, thanks to its superior performances in terms of back-off efficiency. However, in case of microwave backhaul applications, where higher center frequencies and wider bandwidths are needed, it is still not clear if the linearity-efficiency trade-off is in favour of the DPA or of the classical class-AB. In this work, this point is treated reporting the design and experimental characterization of two GaN MMIC power amplifiers for microwave radio links: a combined class-AB and a Doherty amplifier fabricated with same technology and total active device periphery. The modules have been characterized from 6.6 GHz to 7.3 GHz under large signal condition. The obtained results show that the Doherty amplifier can have a beneficial effect on the energy optimization of the system at the expense of larger chip area with respect to the class-AB. Both circuits achieve 40dBm saturated output power, but at 6dB back-off the Doherty shows an efficiency improvement of about 50%. The amplitude and phase distortions of the two PAs have also been measured, and a system level evaluation is provided highlighting pros and cons of each architecture in terms of linearity.
10th European Microwave Integrated Circuits Conference, EuMIC 2015
fra
2015
Rilevanza internazionale
contributo
2015
Settore ING-INF/01 - ELETTRONICA
English
Backhaul; combined class AB; Doherty; GaN;
Intervento a convegno
Giofre', R., Piazzon, L., Colantonio, P., Giannini, F., Camarchia, V., Mustazar, I., et al. (2015). GaN MMICs for microwave backhaul: Doherty vs. combined class-AB power amplifier. In Proceedings of the European Microwave Integrated Circuit Conference, EuMIC 2015 (pp.33-36). Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc. [10.1109/EuMIC.2015.7345061].
Giofre', R; Piazzon, L; Colantonio, P; Giannini, F; Camarchia, V; Mustazar, I; Pirola, M; Quaglia, R; Ramella, C
File in questo prodotto:
File Dimensione Formato  
07345061.pdf

solo utenti autorizzati

Licenza: Copyright dell'editore
Dimensione 472.98 kB
Formato Adobe PDF
472.98 kB Adobe PDF   Visualizza/Apri   Richiedi una copia

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2108/134287
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus 5
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 3
social impact