A Simulation Method for Design and Optimization of RF Power Amplifiers with Digital Predistortion

Linearization techniques such as digital predistortion (DPD) are often employed to enhance the overall performance of power amplifiers (PAs). The specific performance requirements of a system typically depend on the application. For this reason, the implementation of a DPD technique after the fabrication of a PA can result in significant overhead cost. To ensure high performance with minimum cost prior to fabrication, it is beneficial to utilize a simulation method for design optimization of both the PA and the DPD. A simulation approach was developed to enable concurrent design optimizations of a PA along with its DPD algorithm using commercially available software. Simulation results obtained with a 10 W inverted Doherty power amplifier design and a DPD solution are presented to demonstrate the proposed approach.