Gigahertz Signal Processor: RF-Domain Power Amplifier ...pasymposium.ucsd.edu/papers2009_2/Scintera_PASymposium...Standard BTS Distributed Antennas, MIMO, Picos interface Active Antenna

G I G A H E R T Z S I G N A L P R O C E S S I N G

Gigahertz Signal Processor:

RF-Domain Power Amplifier Linearization

Olivier Charlon

September 14, 2009

2

Scintera Overview

Technology• Provide analog signal processing platform delivering higher performance

and lower power consumption than traditional DSP solutions• Improve ops/sec/watt > 10x in wide range of applications

Initial Focus• RF Power Amplifier Linearizer = RFPAL• Offer high performance linearization for infrastructure PA’s and other

applicationsHeadquartered in Sunnyvale• World class team in signal processing/systems, RF/analog IC development,

RF applicationsInvestors• August Capital, Sevin Rosen, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Ridgewood

Capital

3

RFPAL: Digitally Controlled Analog Processor

• Digitally-driven Adaptive Analog Signal Processor in CMOS

• Firmware Controlled: Programmable/Flexible

• Optimal split of RF, analog and digital

• Fully adaptive

• RFin/RFout solution

• Broadband

• Low power

• Low complexity/cost

4

RF Power Amplifier Linearizer (RFPAL)• Standards, modulation-agnostic • Continuously adaptive • Wideband performance• Supports system modularity• Lower cost & complexity• Lower power

Reduced Complexity & Cost• Replaces downconverter,

ADC, & Baseband DPD• Reduces software burden for

current platform & upgrades • Supports system modularity

RFPAL

RFPAL replaces functionality of red blocks with single IC

5

RFPAL Enables Distributed Architectures…

Heat Sink

PA-TRX

AC/DCfan

interface BB-TX BB-RX

air condition

telecomconnection

AC

RBS

AC/DCinterface

RRU

antenna

RRU

Standard BTS

Distributed Antennas, MIMO,Picos

interface

Active Antenna Systems

Adapted from Ericsson, “Power Systems Efficiency in Wireless Communications”

6

… and Simpler Repeater Architectures

7

RFPAL System

8

RFPAL: Key Parameters

Operating Frequency: 700-2700 MHz

Bandwidth: >250 MHz Linearization Bandwidth

Power Consumption: <500 mW Average

Temperature Range: -40 to +85 oC

Linearization• Class AB and Doherty Configurations + Others• Short and Long Term Memory Effects• Continuously Adaptive (<3s adaptation time)• Independent of PA Output Power

Modulation Agnostic• WCDMA, WiMax, LTE, TD-SCDMA, CDMA, MC-GSM, etc.

Single chip solution implemented in standard CMOS: 9x9 mm 64 lead QFN

Serial bus control or stand-alone autonomous operation• Extended functions for PA monitoring and advanced PA control• Field Programmable/upgradeable

9

Measured Performance: Doherty, 1-carrier WCDMA, 9.6 dB PAR

NXP BLF6G27-150P at 2655 MHz, 150 device, integratedPout = 42.6 dBm

* 0=before, 1=after

34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44-65

-60

-55

-50

-45

-40

-35

-30

-25

-20

Pout, dBm

AC

LR, d

Bc

SN99 hw1.6 PAM078 WCDMA1-1#9.62 2655.0 MHz 09/09/11 14:27:19

WPACLR1-0ACLR1-1ACLR2-0ACLR2-1

-10 -5 0 5 10-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

Frequency Offset from Carrier Center, MHzP

A O

utpu

t Pow

er, d

Bm

/ 30

kH

z

BO=0.5 SN99 hw1.6 PAM078 WCDMA1-1#9.62 2655.0 MHz 09/09/11 14:27:19

POUT-1 = 42.6 dBm

POUT-0 = 42.5 dBm

ACLR2L-1-58.1

ACLR1L-1-51.9

ACLR1U-1-52.7

ACLR2U-1-58.1

ACLR2L-0-57.3

ACLR1L-0-41.4

ACLR1U-0-41.7

ACLR2U-0-58.0

PSD-1PSD-0

ACLR1/2 (dBc) before/after* correction vs. PA output power (dBm)

PA output power (dBm/30 kHz) vs. frequency (MHz)*

10



* 0=before, 1=after



34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48-65

-60

-55

-50

-45

-40

-35

-30

-25

-20

Pout, dBm

AC

LR, d

Bc



-15 -10 -5 0 5 10 15-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30


A O

utpu

t Pow

er, d

Bm

/ 30

kH

z


POUT-1 = 45.7 dBm

POUT-0 = 45.6 dBm

ACLR2L-1-54.3

ACLR1L-1-52.4

ACLR1U-1-51.7

ACLR2U-1-53.5

ACLR2L-0-40.3

ACLR1L-0-32.3

ACLR1U-0-32.0

ACLR2U-0-41.5

PSD-1PSD-0

11



* 0=before, 1=after



34 36 38 40 42 44 46-65

-60

-55

-50

-45

-40

-35

-30

-25

-20

Pout, dBm

AC

LR, d

Bc



-20 -15 -10 -5 0 5 10 15 20-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20


A O

utpu

t Pow

er, d

Bm

/ 30

kH

z


POUT-1 = 44.5 dBm

POUT-0 = 44.4 dBm

ACLR2L-1-51.6

ACLR1L-1-50.0

ACLR1U-1-48.6

ACLR2U-1-50.8

ACLR2L-0-34.8

ACLR1L-0-32.0

ACLR1U-0-31.5

ACLR2U-0-34.8

PSD-1PSD-0

12

Measured Performance: Doherty, 3-carrier WCDMA, 7 dB PAR

30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48-65

-60

-55

-50

-45

-40

-35

-30

-25

-20

Pout, dBm

AC

LR, d

Bc

SN97 hw1.6 PAM060 25° 1.80V 3.30V WCDMA3-111#7.13 2140.0 MHz 09/08/12 17:00:35


-15 -10 -5 0 5 10 15-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

Frequency Offset from Carrier Center, MHz

PA

Out

put P

ower

, dB

m /

30 k

Hz

BO=0.5 SN97 hw 1.6 PAM060 25° 1.80V 3.30V WCDMA3-111#7.13 2140.0 MHz 09/08/12 17:00:35

POUT-1

= 45.3 dBm

POUT-0

= 45.4 dBm

ACLR2L-1-54.6

ACLR1L-1-50.2

ACLR1U-1-52.9

ACLR2U-1-54.2

ACLR2L-0-38.9

ACLR1L-0-34.6

ACLR1U-0-37.7

ACLR2U-0-40.7

PSD-1PSD-0



Freescale MRF7S21080 at 2140 MHz, 080 devicePout = 45.3 dBm

* 0=before, 1=after

13



* 0=before, 1=after

-10 -5 0 5 10-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30


PA

Out

put P

ower

, dB

m /

30 k

Hz

BO=0.5 SN97 hw1.6 PAM060 25° 1.80V 3.30V WCDMA1-1#6.5 2140.0 MHz 09/08/11 23:06:46

POUT-1 = 46.4 dBm

POUT-0 = 46.4 dBm

ACLR2L-1-59.6

ACLR1L-1-54.7

ACLR1U-1-55.1

ACLR2U-1-59.4

ACLR2L-0-57.3

ACLR1L-0-39.4

ACLR1U-0-40.7

ACLR2U-0-56.7

PSD-1PSD-0

36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50-65

-60

-55

-50

-45

-40

-35

-30

-25

-20

Pout, dBm

AC

LR, d

Bc





14

Measured Performance: Doherty, 4-carrier WCDMA, 8 dB PAR

30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46-65

-60

-55

-50

-45

-40

-35

-30

-25

-20

Pout, dBm

AC

LR, d

Bc



-20 -15 -10 -5 0 5 10 15 20-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30


PA

Out

put P

ower

, dB

m/3

0 kH

z

SN53, PAM050, WCDMA4-1111#7.75, 2140.0 MHz, 09/05/30, 11:45:18

POUT-1 = 43.9 dBm

POUT-0 = 43.8 dBm

ACLR2L-1-54.6

ACLR1L-1-53.0

ACLR1U-1-50.6

ACLR2U-1-52.8

ACLR2L-0-38.6

ACLR1L-0-36.4

ACLR1U-0-34.4

ACLR2U-0-36.2

PSD-1PSD-0




* 0=before, 1=after

15

Measured Performance: Class AB, 6-carrier WCDMA -

8.5 dB PAR

34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44-65

-60

-55

-50

-45

-40

-35

-30

-25

-20

Pout, dBm

AC

LR, d

Bc



-30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20


PA

Out

put P

ower

, dB

m /

30 k

Hz


POUT-1 = 42.3 dBm

POUT-0

= 42.3 dBm

ACLR2L-1-53.3

ACLR1L-1-51.1

ACLR1U-1-50.6

ACLR2U-1-53.4

ACLR2L-0-40.0

ACLR1L-0-39.6

ACLR1U-0-37.4

ACLR2U-0-38.9

PSD-1PSD-0


PA output power (dBm/30kHz) vs. frequency (MHz)*


* 0=before, 1=after

16

Measured Performance: Class AB, 1-carrier LTE –

5 MHz -

7 dB PAR



Freescale MW7IC2725N at 2655 MHz, 080 devicePout = 37.1 dBm

* 0=before, 1=after

-10 -5 0 5 10-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20


PA

Out

put P

ower

, dB

m /

30 k

Hz

BO=0.5 SN99 hw1.6 PAM046 LTE05M1-1#7.02 2655.0 MHz 09/08/14 18:52:35

POUT-1

= 37.1 dBm

POUT-0

= 37.1 dBm

ACLR2L-1-58.7

ACLR1L-1-52.5

ACLR1U-1-50.8

ACLR2U-1-58.1

ACLR2L-0-55.4

ACLR1L-0-39.2

ACLR1U-0-37.4

ACLR2U-0-54.4

PSD-1PSD-0

22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40-65

-60

-55

-50

-45

-40

-35

-30

-25

-20

Pout, dBm

AC

LR, d

Bc

SN99 hw1.6 PAM046 LTE05M1-1#7.02 2655.0 MHz 09/08/14 18:52:35


17

Measured Performance: Class AB, 1-carrier LTE –

20 MHz –

6.4 dB PAR



Freescale MW7IC2725N at 2655 MHz, 080 devicePout = 37.9 dBm

* 0=before, 1=after

22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40-65

-60

-55

-50

-45

-40

-35

-30

-25

-20

Pout, dBm

AC

LR, d

Bc

SN99 hw1.6 PAM046 LTE20M1-1#6.38 2655.0 MHz 09/08/14 18:52:35


-50 -40 -30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30 40 50-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20


PA

Out

put P

ower

, dB

m /

30 k

Hz

BO=0.5 SN99 hw1.6 PAM046 LTE20M1-1#6.38 2655.0 MHz 09/08/14 18:52:35

POUT-1

= 37.9 dBm

POUT-0

= 37.9 dBm

ACLR2L-1-61.2

ACLR1L-1-56.8

ACLR1U-1-57.6

ACLR2U-1-60.9

ACLR2L-0-57.0

ACLR1L-0-38.2

ACLR1U-0-38.6

ACLR2U-0-56.6

PSD-1PSD-0

18

Summary: Gigahertz Signal Processor

Ideal transmitter linearization solution• Low Cost• Low Power• Low Complexity• High Flexibility

Applicable across a broad range of output powers• <1 W to >80 W• Class AB and Doherty

Applicable across a broad range of solutions• Distributed Antenna Systems• MIMO Systems• Traditional in-cabinet amplifiers• Remote Radio Units (RRU)• Tower Mounted Power Amplifiers• Repeaters and Booster Amplifiers• Micro/Pico Basestations• Active Antenna Systems

19

Summary: RFPAL

Operating Frequency• One part covers all applications (700 to 2700 MHz)

Power Consumption• RFPAL power consumption < 500 mW

Ease of Use• Simple BoM• Simple system• Modular solution reduces development and verification cost/time• ONLY solution that enables standalone linearized PA module

BoM Savings• Single chip vs. complex multi IC solution

Documents

Gigahertz Signal Processor: RF-Domain Power Amplifier ...pasymposium.ucsd.edu/papers2009_2/Scintera_PASymposium...Standard BTS Distributed Antennas, MIMO, Picos interface Active Antenna