Open AccessExtending dynamic range of RF PWM transmitters
Author(s) -
François B.,
Nuyts P.A.J.,
Dehaene W.,
Reynaert P.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
electronics letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.375
H-Index - 146
ISSN - 1350-911X
DOI - 10.1049/el.2013.0261
Subject(s) - pulse width modulation , amplifier , duty cycle , dynamic range , transmitter , rf power amplifier , electronic engineering , radio frequency , power (physics) , computer science , wide dynamic range , electrical engineering , engineering , physics , voltage , cmos , channel (broadcasting) , quantum mechanics
A multilevel RF PWM transmitter architecture using power combining is proposed. Multilevel RF PWM is realised by driving one or two power amplifiers with a PWM signal, while the others are turned off or working at full power. By changing the number of amplifiers driven by RF PWM, the duty cycles can be kept out of the pulse swallowing regions, and the dynamic range can be greatly extended. In this way, the advantages of RF PWM can be made available also to standards which require large dynamic ranges, such as the WLAN standard.