An autotuning controller is provided for improving power efficiency and linearity of digital power amplifiers (DPAs). The controller includes an interface including input and output terminals connected to the DPAs, the interface being configured to acquire input signals and output signals, a digital pre-distortion (DPD)-DPA adaptive controller including a processor and a memory running and storing a DPD algorithm, an efficiency enhancement method and a learning cost function. The DPD adaptive controller is configured to perform steps of computing DPD coefficients to define a learning cost function based on a DPD model by use of a data-driven optimization method, wherein the leaning cost function includes both variables of a DDA performance and a DPD performance, updating the learning cost function based on the DPD performance, optimizing the updated learning cost function by solving the updated learning cost function with respect to the variables of the DDA performance, and providing optimal parameters for DPA and DPD via the interface.

An apparatus of a transmitter and method are provided, the apparatus comprising a processor that calculates a supply voltage (SV) value (SVV) to provide as an SV for a power amplifier (PA) of the transmitter for transmissions during a transmission time slot (TS). When the SV<an envelope tracking (ET) threshold (ETT), then the processor configures the PA to transmit a signal in an average power tracking (APT) mode that maintains the SV at the SVV during the TS. When the SV≥ETT, and an APT condition is met, then the processor configures the PA to transmit the signal in the APT mode. When the SV≥ETT, and the APT condition is not met, then the processor transmits by an adjustment to the SVV to track an amplitude modulation envelope during the TS in an ET mode.

A digital power amplifier comprising at least two individually activatable amplifiers connected to an output network comprising a first hybrid coupler. An output of a first amplifier is connected to a first input of the first hybrid coupler and an output of a second amplifier is connected to a second input of the first hybrid coupler such that activating an amplifier of the at least two amplifiers causes the amplifier to load modulate another activated amplifier of at least two amplifiers.

A power amplifier circuit includes a power amplifier that amplifies an input signal and outputs the amplified signal from an output terminal thereof, a first filter circuit that has a frequency characteristic that attenuates an Nth-order harmonic of the amplified signal, N that is an integer greater than or equal to 2, and a second filter circuit that has a frequency characteristic that attenuates the Nth-order harmonic of the amplified signal. The first filter circuit includes a first capacitor and a first inductor. The first capacitor and the first inductor are connected in series between the output terminal and ground. The second filter circuit includes a second capacitor and a second inductor. The second capacitor and the second inductor are connected in series between the output terminal and ground.

A system includes: a host processor; a transceiver coupled to the host processor; and a power amplifier coupled to an output of the transceiver. The transceiver includes a transmit chain with digital pre-distortion (DPD) logic configured to: perform DPD correction operations on transmit data received by the transmit chain; and output corrected transmit data based on the performed DPD correction operations, wherein the output corrected transmit data is provided to the power amplifier.

In an embodiment, an apparatus includes: a modulator to modulate a first signal; a distortion circuit coupled to the modulator to digitally pre-distort the first signal to compensate for a distortion of an amplifier; a distortion characterization circuit coupled to the distortion circuit to determine the distortion of the amplifier and configure the distortion circuit based on the determined distortion; a mixer coupled to the distortion circuit to upconvert the pre-distorted first signal to a pre-distorted radio frequency (RF) signal; and the amplifier coupled to the mixer to amplify the pre-distorted RF signal and output an amplified RF signal.

An envelope tracking (ET) circuit and related power amplifier apparatus is provided. An ET power amplifier apparatus includes an ET circuit and a number of amplifier circuits. The ET circuit is configured to provide a number of ET modulated voltages to the amplifier circuits for amplifying concurrently a number of radio frequency (RF) signals. The ET circuit includes a target voltage circuit for generating a number of ET target voltages adapted to respective power levels of the RF signals and/or respective impedances seen by the amplifier circuits, a supply voltage circuit for generating a number of constant voltages, and an ET voltage circuit for generating the ET modulated voltages based on the ET target voltages and a selected one of the constant voltages. By employing a single ET circuit, it may be possible to reduce the footprint and improve heat dissipation of the ET power amplifier apparatus.

A gain modulation circuit includes a load circuit, a differential circuit, a current source, a resistor, a first transistor, and a detector circuit. The load circuit is configured to receive a supply voltage. The differential circuit is coupled to the load circuit. The differential circuit and the load circuit are configured to generate a pair of output voltages according to a pair of input voltages and the supply voltage. The current source is coupled to the differential circuit. The resistor is coupled to the differential circuit and the current source. The first transistor is coupled to the differential circuit. The detector circuit is configured to generate a detection signal according to the pair of input voltages. A turned-on degree of the first transistor is adjusted based on the detection signal, to adjust a linear region of the gain modulation circuit.

Controllable radio frequency power amplifiers (RFPAs), e.g., in a Hybrid-MIMO array, which are being driven at lower power levels, are operated at conditions such that their inherent EVM and ACLR are intentionally further increased. This increase of inherent EVM and ACLR is done in a precise manner, and the increased inherent EVM and ACLR are cancelled or reduced by the EVM and ACLR of the input Array DPD signal. The net result is improved EVM and ACLR performance over a broader range of angles. Exemplary methods and apparatus for increasing distortion include individual or combinations of: i) changing the DC bias a RFPA based on average operating power level; ii) changing supply voltage, e.g. Vcc, of a RFPA based on average operating power level, iii) adding a controllable non-linear element, such as a diode or varactor, at the input of the RFPA, based on the average operating power.

A communication system is provided, which includes a power amplifier, a receive-end filter, an ADC, an output simulation circuit, and a predistortion circuit. The power amplifier amplifies a RF input signal to generate a RF output signal. The RF input signal is generated according to a baseband signal. The receive-end filter filters a feedback signal generated according to the RF output signal to output a filtered feedback signal. A bandwidth of the filtered feedback signal is at least 3 to 5 times a bandwidth of the RF input signal. The ADC converts the filtered feedback signal to a digital input signal. The output simulation circuit generates, according to the digital input signal and the baseband signal, a reference signal simulating the RF output signal. The predistortion circuit builds a predistortion model according to the reference signal.