Nonlinear Distortion in Power Amplifiers

This course covers the comprehensive understanding of power amplifiers in radio communication and software-defined radios. It starts with the exploration of power amplifiers as the main source of non-linear distortion in transmitted signals. The course delves into the distortion due to single band, single tone, and single two-tone signals, and the concept of multi-carrier signals. It further discusses the adjacent channel power ratio, error vector magnitude, and different classes of power amplifiers. The course also explains the AM/AM and AM/PM conversion, the concept of memory effect, and the calculation of output power back off. The course then moves to the efficiency of power amplifiers, defined by the ratio of output power to input power, and how to avoid distortion in signals. It concludes with practical applications, focusing on power amplifier lineup for linearity and power requirement calculations, and the design of a PA system.