Digital linearizer for RF amplifiers

Broadcast technology is at the beginning of a new era. It is characterized by the intensive use of the most advanced digital modulation formats (8VSB, QAM, OFDM) in combination with high power RF amplifiers. To date the linearity required for these digital formats has only been accomplished in cumbersome low efficiency class A amplifier or even more cumbersome feed-forward systems. A potentially more efficient and cost effective approach is the combination of nonlinear power amplifiers and a predistortion technique capable of compensating for the nonlinear amplifiers. Digital predistortion will provide a highly linear output and improved efficiency. Itelco has developed a digital adaptive base band predistorter to provide for improved performance and cost. The technique is independent of the modulation type, the output frequency, or the signal bandwidth. Furthermore the capability of automatic adaptive predistortion to compensate for the environment (temperature, power supply variations, aging, and even operation during replacement of a faulty module) is highly desirable.