Solutions for

Emerging 4G Communications Systems

Making Digital Pre-Distortion Fast and Practical
for all Engineers

Application Note

Overview Problem
A transition is now underway in the wireless Power amplifiers are an essential component in the
communications industry as wireless service overall performance and throughput of wireless
providers migrate from 3G to 4G technologies communications systems, and are inherently
like LTE-FDD, LTE-TDD and WiMAX to keep nonlinear. That nonlinearity generates spectral
pace with emerging devices like smart phones. re-growth, which leads to adjacent channel
For the engineer, this transition means a host interference and violations of the out-of-band emis-
of new challenges. For example, they must sions standards mandated by regulatory bodies. It
determine exactly how far away their design is also causes in-band distortion, which degrades the
from being able to operate in 4G and whether or BER and data throughput of the communications
not it will need to be completely redesigned to system. Operating the PA at a lower power is one
do so. The hardware must also meet or exceed way to reduce this nonlinearity. However, this
standards-based performance requirements such reduces the service area and increases both the
as ACPR, EVM or throughput (e.g., BLER, BER capital and operating expenses of the service
and PER), while meeting product design goals. provider. Linearization enables the PA to be
operated in its high power-added-efficiency (PAE)
Because smart phones and other advanced region, near saturation and without significant
wireless devices rely so heavily on battery signal distortion, thus reducing expenses. Digital
power, getting the most efficiency out of a pre-distortion (DPD) is a cost effective way to
design is critical. The RF power amplifier (PA) accomplish linearization, but often requires
plays a key role here since it directly impacts a highly specialized skill set for modeling and
device hardware and its requirements for implementation.
4G operation. As a result, one of the biggest
challenges todays engineers face is choosing
and designing the right PA to meet design goals
at the lowest possible cost.
Solution
Engineers migrating to 4G require a solution
that makes implementing DPD fast and prac-
tical for 4G communications systems - one
that can be used by engineers at all levels of
expertise and requires minimal equipment.
The tool set should be accurate, avoid
dependence on a vendor-specific chipset
or hardware implementation for the initial
modeling, and able to absorb custom DPD
into the rest of the baseband processing,
preserving a lower bill-of-material. Moreover,
it must support connectivity with a range of
other tools for hardware verification.
FIGURE 1. In this setup, the MXG with Signal Studio software for LTE and WiMAX provides the
One solution that meets this criterion is Agilent standard-based signals required for component test, while the PXA running Agilents embed-
Technologies SystemVue platform with its ded Vector Signal Analysis (VSA) software captures the signal in order to measure the PAs
add-on DPD personality - the W1716 DPD nonlinearities. Using SystemVue with the MXG and PXA automates and controls the entire
DPD design flow process.
Builder. This utility features an easy, wizard-
based user interface that helps users quickly
model and correct common sources of 4G
PAPR, CFR allows the PA to operate more Power of X for DPD
efficiently. It also enables the signal to
memory effects in both low and high-power A number of capabilities make the MXG
better comply with spectral mask and EVM
PAs, as well as transceiver ICs, and even and PXA well suited for DPD. The MXG, for
specifications.
automatic gain control modules. example, features a 100 MHz demodula-
The result is that the W1716 DPD has the tion bandwidth with flat amplitude and
The W1716 DPD is aimed at early R&D
ability to correct for wider bandwidths, frequency response for accurate charac-
architecture and component studies by
higher dynamic range and a variety of terization and maximum DPD suppression.
wireless system architects using common,
amplifier topologies. Moreover, it performs It also features the highest dynamic range
off-the-shelf test equipment already in a
this initial design inside a full baseband/DSP in the world, which ensures accurate
test lab. Whereas proprietary DPD solutions
design environment (Agilents SystemVue device characterization, and high-power
force a number of premature implementation
software). This allows the architect to use output to drive the device-under-test into
decisions simply to perform a 4G feasibility
SystemVue to transition the pure DPD compression. The PXA features a 140
study, by using the W1716 DPD, wireless
algorithms into a custom hardware imple- MHz demodulation bandwidth with flat
architects can now assess in minutes how
mentation, or to absorb the DPD algorithms amplitude and frequency response, as well
linearizable a component will be, while still
into an existing FPGA or ASIC to maintain a as 75 dB spurious free dynamic range for
retaining ultimate hardware flexibility and full
small bill-of-materials. accurate device characterization. Its deep
4G measurement confidence. Agilent enables
waveform capture and the worlds highest
this thanks to several key advantages: Unlike other task-specific, chipset-specific, dynamic range also enable accurate
the power and ease of the Agilent DPD or measurement-specific approaches characterization during post signal analysis.
algorithms; the open, vendor-neutral and to DPD, this Agilent approach takes a
technology-neutral approach taken to the designers perspective by featuring flexible, Figure 2 illustrates the theoretical limit to
DPD and PA hardware; the high performance built-in links to instruments like Agilents the amount of correction (cancellation) that
and flexibility of the Agilent instruments; and MXG signal generator and PXA spectrum can be achieved in the PA. The gradient
the realistic, standards-compliant waveforms analyzer for hardware verification (Figure 1). curves (0 dB, 0.05 dB, 0.1 dB, etc.) show
(such as LTE with Crest Factor Reduction The raw performance of the underlying cumulative RF error in decibels. Essentially,
(CFR)) that are used for the characterizations. measurement system is absolutely essential the diagram shows the AM-AM correction
when characterizing nonlinear devices performance that can be achieved in the
CFR supplements and improves the effective-
for high-bandwidth, high-dynamic range implementation. The correction limits are
ness of DPD. For modern communication
communications standards. determined by the accuracy with which the
systems, spectrally efficient wideband RF
amplitude and phase of the distortion prod-
signals have a peak-to-average power ratio
ucts can be measured and corrected. For
(PAPR) as high as 13 dB. CFR preconditions
example, when the amplitude correction
the signal to reduce signal peaks without
error is 0.1 dB and the phase correction
significant signal distortion. By reducing
2
error is 0.7 degrees, the maximum theoretical
correction is 35 dB. 10 2 dB
15 1 dB
Higher performance can be achieved Im 20 0.5 dB Ex: without calibration
through careful consideration of the 25
0.25 dB

Cancellation dB
Ex: design goal

ze
30
linearity, flatness and dynamic range of the

ri

r
ea

lifie
35

lin
0.1 dB Ex: instrumentation needs to achieve goals
signal generation and analysis tools. If, for

amp
40
example, the design goal is to achieve 30 resultant 0.05 dB
45
dB cancellation performance of the feed- Re 50
0 dB
55
back loop, the measuring equipment must IM3
60
be able to provide amplitude and phase 0.1 1 10
a) b) Phase error (deg.)
measurement accuracies that fall within
the grayed area of the graph (between
16 and 22 dB of cancellation). In order to FIGURE 2. Shown here is the impact of phase and amplitude error performance on adaptive
cancellation. The vertical axis shows the theoretical cancellation in decibels based on the RF
achieve these accuracies, it is essential to
correction performance relative to the absolute phase error correction performance shown on
correct for instantaneous amplitude and the horizontal axis.
phase flatness, accurately measure the
lower-level distortion products, and then 3 (a)
consider the dynamic range and measure- 2

ment accuracy limits of the signal analyzer, 1.5

which ultimately determine the limits of
1
correction.
0.5

The MXG and PXA offer the performance

dB

0
necessary to meet these goals (Figure 3). 5800 MHz
-0.5
The MXGs high-performance internal 3500 MHz
2200 MHz
calibration of wideband RF output makes it -1 1900 MHz
ideal for DPD applications. Its performance -1.5
1800 MHz
850 MHz
reduces the residual errors of an RF
-2
signal generator, thereby improving the -50 -40 -30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30 40 50
characterization of the device. The PXAs Frequency offset from carrier (MHz)
high-performance internal calibration 3 (b)
of wideband IF also makes it ideal for
DPD applications. It combines wideband, PXA.MW
Ampl Err (dB) vs. IF Freq Offset (MHz)
high dynamic range with excellent phase Test Step: ROOM
+
USL US49230101
and amplitude flatness performance and x
*
US49230102
US49230104
o US49230107
linearity. Its accurate wideband, high-
0.4

# US49230110
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dynamic-range analysis enables better x
*
US49230112
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o US49230117
response measurements of devices. #
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0.2

While primarily targeted at engineers

Ampl Err (dB)

migrating from 3G to 4G, the solutions x* x**

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flexibility to use custom test vectors based
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on live measurements makes it viable for

a broad range of applications, including
-0.2

military communications and radar.

-0.4

Implementing DPD in PA LSL

Hardware -60 -40 -20 0

IF Freq Offset (MHz)
20 40 60
id: 673 dhincher Thu Nov 12 12:44:38 2009

Utilizing the W1716 DPD utility for PA

hardware is a simple, straightforward process FIGURE 3. (a) An MXG flatness plot across the full 100 MHz BW. (b) A PXA flatness plot across
that takes mere minutes using the setup and the full 140 MHz BW.

3
measurement steps shown in Figures 1 and
4, respectively. The five DPD design flow
steps include:
1. The DPD stimulus waveform (e.g., LTE,
WCDMA or user defined) is created and
downloaded via the W1716 DPD wizard
into the MXG.
2. The PAs response, both input and output,
is captured from the PXA using VSA
software. The PA output signal is captured
by inserting the PA between the MXG
and PXA with appropriate signal calibration,
including any signal padding with
attenuators.
3. The W1716 DPD compares the captured
output waveform to a desired undistorted
FIGURE 4: Using the setup in Figure 1, the measurement-based DPD modeling flow is a 5-step process.
passthrough waveform. Based on this,
the DPD model is extracted and verified. Signal: Fc= 2.0 GHz, LTE= 10 MHz, Pin= -2.9 dBm, ACLR improvement= ~17 dB
4. The DPD+PA response is captured by
applying stimulus to the extracted DPD
model and downloading the DPD output
waveform into the MXG. The PA output
waveform is then captured from the PXA
using VSA software.
5. The DPD+PA response is verified, and
the performance improvements possible
with DPD can be shown.
This 5-step measurement-based DPD
design flow was used for a commercial
PA. The result of using SystemVue DPD is
shown in Figure 5. Another typical DPD FIGURE 5: This example DPD extraction takes place at RF power = -2.9 dBm. The original raw data is
result is shown in Figure 6. displayed in blue, while the DPD+PA output is shown in red.

Summary of Results
As engineers migrate to 4G, choosing and
designing the right PA to meet design goals
at the lowest possible cost becomes an
extremely challenging task, both for PAs in
base stations and mobile devices. Because
DPD enables the PA to be operated in its
high PAE region, near saturation and without
significant signal distortion, it provides a
viable means for engineers to address many
base station/mobile device PA design chal-
lenges. The SystemVue platform with W1716
DPD utility and the MXG and PXA provides a
way for engineers, at all levels of expertise, to FIGURE 6: Shown here is an approximately 32 dB ACLR improvement for 6-carrier GSM at 2.0 GHz, with
quickly, easily and cost effectively implement a 9.4 dB crest factor. The colors represent different applications of the DPD algorithm. Green represents
the initial unimproved result, while blue and red represent iteration 1 and 2, respectively. With each
DPD in 4G communications systems. iteration of the algorithm, additional improvement is garnered until a limit is reached.

For more information, go to:

http://cp.literature.agilent.com/litweb/pdf/5990-6534EN.pdf 4
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VSA 89600B Revised: October 14, 2010

W1461BP SystemVue Comms Architect

W1716EP SystemVue Digital Pre- Product specifications and descriptions
Distortion Builder in this document subject to change with-
out notice.
W1918 LTE-Advanced Baseband
Verification Library (SystemVue) Agilent Technologies, Inc. 2011
Printed in USA, April 12, 2011
E4438C ESG Vector Signal Generator 5990-7818EN
E8267D PSG Vector Signal Generator
N5106A PXB Baseband Generator and
Channel Emulator
N6030A/M9330A Series Arbitrary
Waveform Generator
81180A Arbitrary Waveform Generator