Dual-Mode Power Amplifier Control for Bandwidth-Dependent Efficiency
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Radio devices, particularly those relying on battery power, face high energy consumption during transmission, with power amplifiers consuming energy inefficiently due to the conversion of supply power into signal power, leading to a need for improved power efficiency in communication systems.
Innovation Solution
A transmitter system that selectively operates in linear or non-linear modes based on allocated bandwidth, using polar modulation for low energy consumption when feasible and envelope tracking for necessary energy efficiency, with a controller determining the mode based on bandwidth, modulation type, output power, and spectral leakage requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the power amplifier operates in linear mode to ensure proper transmission quality, then transmission reliability is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The power amplifier dynamically switches between linear and non-linear operating modes based on the allocated bandwidth. For bandwidths below a threshold (e.g., 5 MHz), the amplifier operates in non-linear mode to save energy. For bandwidths above the threshold, it switches to linear mode to ensure transmission quality. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction by optimizing the operating mode according to actual transmission requirements.
2Use of energy by moving object
If the power amplifier operates in non-linear mode to reduce energy consumption, then energy efficiency is improved, but spectral leakage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the operating parameter (operating mode) of the power amplifier based on the allocated bandwidth parameter. When the bandwidth is small (below threshold), the amplifier operates in non-linear mode where energy efficiency is prioritized and spectral leakage is acceptable. When bandwidth exceeds the threshold, the system switches to linear mode to suppress spectral leakage. This parameter-based adaptation resolves the contradiction by allowing non-linear operation only when harmful spectral leakage is within acceptable limits.
3Use of energy by moving object
If polar modulation is used for low energy consumption, then energy efficiency is improved, but it is only feasible for limited bandwidth scenarios
Solution Approach 1:
The transmitter is designed with multi-functionality to support both polar modulation and envelope tracking modulation schemes. The controller selects polar modulation for narrowband scenarios (below bandwidth threshold) to achieve low energy consumption, and switches to envelope tracking for wideband scenarios (above threshold) to ensure compatibility and transmission quality. This multi-functional design resolves the contradiction by making the system adaptable to different bandwidth requirements while optimizing energy consumption for each scenario.
Data Source
AI summary
A transmitter comprising a power amplifier, a phase modulator, a switched DC-DC converter, all operating in dual mode, and a controller is disclosed. The power amplifier is arranged to selectively operate either in a first mode or in a second mode, wherein the first mode is a linear mode and the second mode is a non-linear mode in order to save power with least increasing cost in hardware. The transmitter is adapted to operate at different allocated bandwidths, for different radio standards while keeping minimum power consumption governed by the controller. A transceiver, a communication device, a method and a computer program are also disclosed.