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This paper proposes a linear and efficient transmitter prototype based on pulsed load modulation (PLM) power amplifier (PA). The proposed transmitter setup utilizes the complex delta–sigma (DS) modulation as a signal processing technique instead of the envelope DS modulation for higher linearity performance. Using the complex DS modulation technique reduces the in-band quantization noise significantly at the output of the modulator and consequently, enhances the linearity of the transmitter. To validate the proposed technique, the linearity and efficiency performance of the complex DS modulator (CDSM)-based transmitter are compared with the performance of its envelope DS modulator (EDSM) counterpart in measurement. For this paper, an efficient and linear PLM PA is designed and fabricated using GaAs E-pHEMT transistors. For a Long-Term Evolution (LTE) uplink standard signal with 3-MHz bandwidth and 7-dB peak-to-average power ratio, the CDSM-based transmitter achieves the drain efficiency and power added efficiency of 46% and 42%, respectively, at an average output power of 25.1 dBm. The comparison measurement study of EDSM-based transmitter and the CDSM-based transmitter with the LTE uplink signal shows about 11-dB improvement in the signal-to-noise and distortion ratio of the output signal. The measurement results for LTE signals were able to pass the spectral requirements defined by the standard without applying predistortion techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces two new techniques to enhance both efficiency and signal bandwidth in delta–sigma-based transmitters. At first step, a technique called quantization noise reduction (QNR), is introduced to enhance the coding efficiency. By filtering out part of the quantization noise in the whole band of the signal, while the signal envelope is maintained almost constant, the coding efficiency is improved without imposing any additional nonlinearity or distortion to the system. By utilizing this technique for an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) signal with 1.25-MHz bandwidth and 80 times oversampling, with 8.1-dB peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR), the coding efficiency is improved from 8.8% to 14.5% while the signal-to-noise distortion ratio (SNDR) of the system remains 43 dB. In the next step by using a controlled filtering on in-band quantization noise along with QNR technique, the bandwidth of the signal and efficiency are increased simultaneously without losing as much linearity. The second technique is called quantization noise reduction with in-band filtering or (QNRIF). QNRIF is applied on an OFDM signal with 1.25-MHz bandwidth, with the same PAPR and only 16 times oversampling. The result for the coding efficiency is improved from 7.7% to 18.7% with 41-dB SNDR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]