Load variation tolerant hybrid and integrated power amplifiers

The capacity of a RF power amplifier to tolerate load variations is of paramount importance in modules operated in wireless communication systems, as changes in the load impedance can occur due to variations in antenna impedance or environmental conditions.

With the massive adoption of MIMO systems and the adoption of phased arrays in antenna systems to electronically steer the radiation pattern of the antenna, the load insensitivity of the power amplifier and its ability to keep good performance when the load changes with respect to the ideal 50 ohm, becomes crucial.

To achieve this goal, various techniques have been presented in the literature, such as tunable matching networks, both active and passive, and adaptive impedance or supply control. These techniques enable the amplifier to maintain reasonable performance when the load impedance changes, thereby improving overall system reliability, stability, and efficiency.

The focus of this activity is to propose and test advanced architectures to mitigate the load variation impact on the PA performance. This activity is carried out in cooperation with ground and space partners such as ESA, Infineon Technologies, and Huawei.

Erc Sector:

  • PE7_2 Electrical engineering: power components and/or systems
  • PE7_5 (Micro and nano) electronic, optoelectronic and photonic components
  • PE7_6 Communication technology, high-frequency technology

Keywords:

  • Phased array
  • Power amplifiers
  • Doherty Power amplifiers
  • Satellite communication

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