Case study of Power amplifier Lineup - Part II — Lesson 4

This lesson covers the fundamentals of power amplifiers in software defined radios, focusing on how to select and line up power amplifiers for linearity and power requirement calculations. It delves into the design of a PA system to achieve a specific average wattage and gain. The lesson also explains the importance of meeting the linearity criteria and avoiding signal clipping. It further discusses the selection process among different power amplifiers based on their specifications, including frequency range, gain, maximum input power, and linearity. The lesson also touches on the types of connectors used in these devices.

Video Highlights

00:18 - Discussion on power amplifiers and how to select them
04:06 - Problem statement
08:38 - Design of the last stage of the power amplifier
15:59 - Total gain of the power amplifier
22:52 - Impact of not maintaining output power back off
26:37 - Calculating the number of parallel devices in the power amplifier

Key Takeaways

- Power amplifiers are crucial in software defined radios for achieving desired output power and gain.
- The selection of power amplifiers depends on several factors including frequency range, gain, maximum input power, and linearity.
- Different types of connectors, such as SMA, N, and BNC, are used in power amplifiers.
- The design of a PA system involves careful calculations to meet the linearity criteria and avoid signal clipping.
- The number of devices used in a PA system can be reduced significantly by applying linearization techniques, leading to more efficient power consumption.