Subject: [NEXTEL-1] eSeminar: Measuring Multi-tone Intermodulation Distortion in Power Amplifiers

From: Marcelrf <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 19 Feb 2004 16:43:38 -0500

eSeminar: Measuring Multi-tone Intermodulation Distortion in Power
Amplifiers

Characterization of power amplifier distortion is critical to evaluate
transmitter performance. The latest
digital communications transmitter architectures reduce parts count and
cost by employing power
amplifiers that handle multiple channels. Testing two-tone
intermodulation distortion (IMD) or
single-carrier adjacent channel power (ACPR) is not enough to evaluate
multi-carrier power amplifiers
(MCPAs). MCPAs can better be characterized by multi-tone IMD
measurements that provide repeatable
results under more realistic signal stimulus conditions. However, while
third order IMD measurements
is a simple, well understood, and generally easy to perform test,
multi-tone IMD is more complex. A
stimulus signal with the appropriate phase relationships among the
carriers is necessary to simulate
real life conditions and provide repeatable results. In addition, a high
dynamic range measurement
setup is required, in order to minimize measurement uncertainty. This
paper discusses these
requirements and shows a few measurement examples.

http://www.netseminar.com/nss/loginPageTemplate?page=before&sem_num=734&branding=Agilent&clientID=Agilent