Base Station Linearization via Back-Lobe Signal Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
In base stations with separate RF units and antennas, implementing Digital Pre-Distortion (DPD) techniques to counteract nonlinearity is inefficient due to the complexity of signal feedback across multiple transmit paths, leading to Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) degradation and increased system complexity.
Innovation Solution
A base station design that includes a transceiver with an array structure of antennas, where a processor converts IQ data into RF signals, detects back-lobe signals, and performs linearization using the detected signals, allowing for efficient beam-forming and power adjustment to mitigate nonlinearity across multiple antennas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If Digital Pre-Distortion (DPD) technique is applied with separate RF units and antennas, then linearization performance is improved, but system complexity and SNR degradation increase due to feedback across multiple transmit paths
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple transmit paths into a single integrated feedback path by summing the output signals from multiple power amplifiers. This merging approach maintains linearization performance while reducing system complexity and avoiding SNR degradation that would result from implementing separate feedback lines for each transmit path.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a universal feedback mechanism where a single feedback path serves all transmit paths simultaneously. The feedback signal is generated by summing the outputs of multiple power amplifiers, allowing one feedback path to perform the linearization function for the entire multi-antenna system rather than requiring dedicated feedback paths for each antenna.
2Measurement precision
If separate feedback lines are implemented for each transmit path, then linearization accuracy is improved, but SNR degradation occurs due to mutual interference between feedback signals
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple transmit paths into a single integrated feedback path by summing the output signals from multiple power amplifiers. This merging approach maintains linearization performance while reducing system complexity and avoiding SNR degradation that would result from implementing separate feedback lines for each transmit path.
3Ease of operation
If multiple feedback paths are used for each antenna, then individual path control is improved, but implementation difficulty and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple transmit paths into a single integrated feedback path by summing the output signals from multiple power amplifiers. This merging approach maintains linearization performance while reducing system complexity and avoiding SNR degradation that would result from implementing separate feedback lines for each transmit path.
Data Source
AI summary
According to an embodiment of the disclosure, a base station communicating by using a plurality of antennas includes: a memory; a transceiver including the plurality of antennas forming an array structure; and at least one processor configured to convert first in-phase quadrature (IQ) data included in a first digital signal into radio frequency (RF) signals and then apply the RF signals to the plurality of antennas, respectively, detect a back-lobe signal beam-formed by the plurality of antennas, and perform linearization on second IQ data included in a second digital signal, based on the detected back-lobe signal.