The impact of RF front-end characteristics on the spectral regrowth of communications signals

• Published in: IEEE transactions on microwave theory and techniques Vol. 53; no. 6; pp. 2179 - 2186
• Main Authors: Gard, K.G., Larson, L.E., Steer, M.B.
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY IEEE 01.06.2005; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Adjacent channel interference; adjacent channel power ratio (ACPR); Applied sciences; Autocorrelation; autocorrelation function; bandpass nonlinearity; behavioral models; cellular radio; Channels; code division multiple access; code-division multiple-access (CDMA) signal; complex Gaussian process; Constraining; correlation; correlation theory; Digital modulation; digital radio; digital radio system; digital signals; digitally modulated carrier; Distortion; Distortion measurement; Exact sciences and technology; Gaussian processes; Information, signal and communications theory; limiting amplifier; limiting-amplifier model; microwave amplifiers; Microwaves; modulation; Multiaccess communication; nonlinear amplifier; Nonlinear distortion; nonlinear transformation; Nonlinearity; Power amplifiers; Power measurement; quadrature input signal; Radio frequencies; Radio frequency; RF envelope model; RF signals; Signal analysis; Signal and communications theory; Signal representation. Spectral analysis; Signal, noise; Spectra; spectral analysis; spectral regrowth; statistical analysis; Telecommunications and information theory; Autocorrelation function; bandpass nonlinearity; digital radio; limiting-amplifier model; nonlinear transformation; Correlation theory; modulation; adjacent channel power ratio (ACPR); digital radio system; spectral regrowth; Non linear transformation; code-division multiple-access (CDMA) signal; Digital signal; digitally modulated carrier; nonlinear distortion; nonlinear amplifier; Adjacent channel interference; Microwave amplifier; Mobile radiocommunication; Statistical analysis; Cellular radio; quadrature input signal; microwave amplifiers; Spectral analysis; digital signals; behavioral models; complex Gaussian process; correlation; RF envelope model; Code division multiple access; Gaussian processes; limiting amplifier; Signal analysis; Non linear distortion
• ISSN: 0018-9480; 1557-9670
• DOI: 10.1109/TMTT.2005.848801

The nonlinear characteristic of an RF front-end results in in-band distortion and spectral regrowth of digitally modulated signals with distortion being dependent on the statistical variation of the signal. In this paper, the interaction of the nonlinear response with the signal is explored using a time-averaged autocorrelation analysis applied to several limiter-amplifier models having characteristics ranging from soft-to-hard amplitude limiting. The analysis is verified by comparing measured and predicted adjacent channel power rejection for a code-division multiple-access amplifier.