NUREMBERG, GERMANY10 - 12 OCT | BOOTH #124

EuMW 2017

MicroApps 2017 | Booth #97 | Free to Attend

Date/Time Topic and Presenter

Tuesday

October 10

14:30 - 15:00

Addressing the Challenges of LTE-Advanced Pro

and 5G Carrier Aggregation

David Hall, National Instruments

Wednesday

October 11

12:30 - 13:00

High-Performance Test Techniques for Automotive

Radar Sensors

Dr. Paul Khanna, National Instruments

Thursday

October 12

11:00 - 11:30

Design Flow and Simulation of Multi-Technology

RF Modules

Shane Coffman, AWR Group, NI

Tuesday, 10 Oct @ 16:00Snacks and Cold Drinks

Happy HourNI Booth #124

Microwave Filter Design | Level 2, Room Krakau

Date/Time Overview

Tuesday

October 10

13:00 - 16:00

This 3-hour workshop, presented by Dan

Swanson from SW Filter Design, will

focus on two detailed fi lter design

examples using NI AWR Design

Environment and SW Filter Design

software.

The fi rst example is a microstrip combline fi lter and the

second is a narrow-band, high Q-cavity combline fi lter. The

same design strategy, based on Dishal’s method and port

tuning, will be used for both fi lters.

ONE PLATFORM, ZERO BARRIERS

S IMP LYSMARTERNI AWR DESIGN ENVIRONMENT

Visit Booth #124 or learn more at ni.com/awr

Visit Booth #124 to see NI AWR Design Environment for power amplifi ers (PAs), fi lters, radar systems, and more. Specifi c product demonstrations include:

■ Microwave Office – RF/microwave circuit design

■ Visual System Simulator™ – Communication/radar systems design

■ AXIEM and Analyst™ – Electromagnetic analysis

■ AWR Connected™ Solutions – 3rd party tool interoperability

Also, do not miss the opportunity to see AntSyn™, our newest product for antenna synthesis and optimization.

AWR NI AWR SOFTWARE | BOOTH #124

RF/MW PA Forum | Level 2, Room Krakau

Date/Time Overview

Wednesday

October 11

10:00 - 16:00

The fourth annual RF and Microwave PA Forum will focus on

the device technologies, characterization, modeling, and end-

use applications of RF and microwave power amplifi ers (PAs).

The forum aims to encourage discussion and provide insight

into the latest approaches to device models, parameter

extraction measurement techniques, process technologies as

well as modern PA design fl ow and theory.

See full agenda and details inside this fl yer.

Time Topic and Presenter

10:00 - 10:10Welcome and Introductions

Malcolm Edwards, AWR Group, NI

10:10 - 10:40

Keynote: The Outphasing PA: Revisiting

80 Years of Questionable Assumptions

and Unrealized Performance Potential

Dr. Steve Cripps, Cardiff University

10:40 - 11:05

From On-Wafer Measurements to Customer Models:

Ampleon’s Modeling Flow for LDMOS and GaN RF PA’s

Dr. Marek Schmidt-Szalowski, Ampleon

11:05 - 11:30

The Cardiff Model and Investigating Bias

and Frequency Interpolation

Dr. Tudor Williams, MESURO

11:30 - 11:45 Coffee Break

11:45 – 12:10Balun Design for a Wide Bandwidth L-Band 200 W PA

Dr. Dominic FitzPatrick, PoweRFul Microwave

12:10 - 12:35

A GaN on SiC 0.25 µm Process for PA, LNA,

and Switch Design

Eric Leclerc, UMS

12:35 – 13:00

Using Load Pull With Nonlinear/Linear Models and the

Maximum-Effi ciency Line Approach to Design RF PA’s

Ivan Boshnakov, ETL

13:00 - 13:30 Lunch

13:30 - 13:55

First Pass Design Methodology for a Broadband 100 W

RF Power Amplifi er

Jack Brunning, SARAS Technology

13:55 - 14:20

Introducing STORM: Near 0 dB Peak-to-Average Power

Ratio Waveform for mmWave 5G

Dr. Doron Ezri, Huawei

14:20 - 14:35 Coffee Break

14:35 - 15:00Digital Predistortion of RFPAs Using NI AWR Software

Dr. Tomas Gotthans, ESIEE

15:00 - 15:25

A Comprehensive Behavioral Modeling Solution for System Simulation

Dr. Tony Gasseling, AMCAD Engineering

15:25 - 15:50Phased-Array Antenna Simulation for 5G

Steve Tucker, AWR Group, NI

15:50 - 16:00Closing Remarks

Malcolm Edwards, AWR Group, NI

Abstracts

First Pass Design Methodology for a Broadband 100 W RFPAThis presentation demonstrates a design methodology for a broadband RFPA for continuous wave (CW) operation using load pull for optimal impedance extraction, network synthesis, and electromagnetic analysis. Requirements for the amplifi er were a minimum output power of 80 W over the operating bandwidth while maintaining saturated power fl atness across the band. The design uses a commercially available packaged GaN on SiC device and the integrated design fl ow within NI AWR Design Environment, specifi cally Microwave Offi ce, to produce a fi rst-pass reference design. The design was achieved using the device non-linear GaN HEMT model, ATC capacitor models, and Microwave Offi ce, including EM analysis and layout. Also demonstrated is a jig-based method for impedance network measurement and optimal tuning.

Introducing STORM: Near 0 dB Peak-to-Average Power Ratio Waveform for mmWave 5GmmWave is considered one of the technological building blocks of 5G. However, at higher carrier frequencies, PA effi ciency and linearity are naturally more challenging. This has led the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) to defi ne discrete Fourier transform spread orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (DFT-spread-OFDM), which implements a single-carrier waveform, as mandatory, along with OFDM access (OFDMA) (at least up to 40 GHz). This presentation introduces STORM – a new waveform (based on DFT-spread-OFDM), which exhibits near 0 dB p0eak-to-average power ration (PAPR). In a nutshell, STORM is a superposition of two specially crafted single-carrier waveforms, where one “corrects” the PAPR of the other. Moreover, the STORM transceiver is implemented with simple changes to a generic DFT-spread-OFDM transceiver, so a multimode transceiver implementing OFDMA, DFT-spread-OFDM, and STORM, is very natural and straightforward. STORM is attractive in that it provides signifi cant link-level gains over DFT-spread-OFDM and OFDMA (up to 6.3 dB) in a variety of scenarios. During this presentation, different PA models such as the RAPP model and models with memory will be shown, along with different spectral requirements, and the total gain implied by STORM will be demonstrated. This gain in turn can be translated into higher capacity at fi xed coverages and/or signifi cant coverage extension.

Digital Predistortion of RFPAs Using NI AWR SoftwareThe rapid development of wireless technology has led RF designers to consider active linearization as a solution that meets the demands of wide bandwidth and high effi ciency. Digital predistortion is an important technique for correcting PA nonlinearity in many applications. Although the concept of correcting imperfections is simple, the complexity of PA behavior requires engineers to better understand the sources of imperfections and limits of their designs. Because each device tends to be different, no general model or algorithm can be applied to all PAs. This presentation provides a solution based on the NI AWR Design Environment simulation and measurement tools. Paper authors: Tomas Gotthans, Geneviève Baudoin, Olivier Venard.

A Comprehensive Behavioral Modeling Solution for System SimulationThe design and the defi nition of RF systems are still being addressed from time to time using rudimentary tools such as Excel spreadsheets. However, the new signals that will be used in modern communications such as 5G will require systems to deal with very large instantaneous RF bandwidths and the basic spreadsheet approach will no longer be adequite. Indeed, these tools will not allow designers to take into account or predict the parasitic effects that will be present along the RF chain. Indeed, the observation of fi gures of merits such as error vector magnitude (EVM) and adjacent channel power ratio (ACPR) under modulated signal conditions requires the use of a powerful library of behavioral models associated with a system simulator. These models must represent the various circuits used within a front-end system, especially if the mismatch brought back by the antenna across the entire chain must be taken into account. This presentation will showcase the use of a new software platform dedicated to circuit behavioral modeling, which makes it possible to cover the gap between circuit simulators or the use of conventional measurement benches, and system simulators.

Phased-Array Antenna Simulation for 5GThis presentation discusses some of the design challenges for incorporating antenna simulations for 5G applications into circuit and system simulators. NI AWR Design Environment automatically couples these simulations. The power amplifi er “sees” the changing port impedance and the antenna scans its beam as the input power and phasing to the input ports is changed. In addition to saving time and reducing errors, designers can now optimize and perform yield analysis on circuit/antenna systems. System simulators must model phased arrays in order to support 5G and this presentation demonstrates how Visual System Simulator™ (VSS) system simulator provides a phased-array model, enabling designers to input the array’s geometry using either a standard layout pattern or one of their own creation. If desired, the beam pattern of an individual element can be included, instead of an idealized, isotropic source. Furthermore, the system simulator can model the RF components in the phased array so that designers can obtain a realistic performance of the overall system. New capabilities will be highlighted that provide ease of confi guration and reduced overhead, as well as shorter design and simulation times.

Abstracts

Keynote: The Outphasing Power Amplifi er: Revisiting 80 Years of Questionable Assumptions and Unrealized Performance PotentialMost existing analyses of the Chireix outphasing circuit assume that the active devices behave as voltage sources. Once this rusty creaking door is forced open, the analysis poses few problems and shows how the combined output power can be controlled over a useful range and with enhanced effi ciency by varying the differential phase of the two input signals. But in almost all other applications and PA analyses, transistors are not usually considered to behave as voltage sources. As such, it is surprising that after 80 years the outphasing confi guration still sits on such shaky foundations. This presentation analyzes the Chireix outphasing circuit using a novel analytical model for the transistor I-V knee characteristics, rather than the approximation of a simple voltage source, and shares various new design pointers. It also incorporates input drive level variation, usually a critical independent variable in any other PA analysis, but curiously underrated by the RF power amplifi er (RFPA) outphasing community. The result is a more comprehensive understanding of how the outphasing circuit works.

From On-Wafer Measurements to Customer Models: Ampleon’s Modeling Flow for LDMOS and GaN RF Power Amplifi ersAmpleon recognizes accurate modeling of RF components as being essential for technology development, as well as for design of advanced RF power products. In addition to using models internally, Ampleon provides models of its complete products to customers in order to support them in development of their own applications. This presentation describes how Ampleon’s modeling fl ow is organized and how the accuracy of its models is verifi ed. The fl ow begins with on-wafer characterization, followed by component model extraction. In the case of FET devices, the Ampleon proprietary models, SPEAR for laterally diffused metal-oxide semiconductor fi eld-effect transistor (LDMOS) and GEAR for gallium nitride (GaN) technology, are used. At the product design phase, the package and bond wires are modeled using an EM simulator. As soon as the accuracy is confi rmed with wideband S-parameter data and load-pull contours, product models are prepared for publishing and uploaded to the company website.

The Cardiff Model and Investigating Bias and Frequency InterpolationAs the popularity of behavioral models increases, questions arise about their ability to accurately interpolate over bias and frequency space. Accuracy is vital in transitioning the use of these models from a convenient way to move measured data into the simulator to a more complete model of the device. Real-time measurement solutions such as Focus Microwaves’ RAPID enable a much more dense model data collection, providing a more complete, systematic investigation into model interpolation. This presentation provides an investigation into how dense or sparse data collection needs to be so as to allow for model accuracy. Different devices are analyzed to show any technological differences and model extrapolation in frequency and bias is investigated to show the graceful degradation of the Cardiff model.

Balun Design for a Wide Bandwidth L-Band 200 W Power Amplifi erThis presentation describes the application and design of a printed Balun suitable for L-band (1350-1850 MHz) push-pull power amplifi ers. Starting with a simplifi ed ideal model simulation in NI AWR Design Environment, specifi cally Microwave Offi ce, a 2.5D planar simulation is then conducted using AXIEM. Measured results and techniques for analysing the performance of components with non 50 ohm terminations are discussed.

A GaN on SiC 0.25 µm Process for PA, LNA, and Switch DesignGaN on silicon (SiC) offers high performance and in particular high FET power density. The 4-inch GH25 UMS process foundry mode enables the design of drivers and high-power amplifi ers up to 20 GHz for applications requiring high power-added effi ciency (PAE) and for telecoms applications where linearity is a key factor for success. The UMS GaN process design kit (PDK) within NI AWR Design Environment provides designers with a large tool palette. Included are layout and electrical passive device models with a nonlinear scalable electro-thermal model for FET HPA design and a noise model for low-noise amplifi er (LNA) design, as well as switch and diode models. The PDK also includes a stack defi nition for 3D view generation and EM simulations of passive parts.

Using Load Pull With Nonlinear/Linear Models and the Maximum-Effi ciency Line Approach to Design RF Power Amplifi ersThis presentation begins with an overview of prior work describing power amplifi er (PA) design methods using simulated load-pull data for the fundamental and the harmonics impedances, as well as the use of the amplifi er design wizard (ADW) in Microwave Offi ce to facilitate the design of matching networks using real-frequency synthesis. The second and faster design method which uses pre-defi ned harmonic impedances at the intrinsic transistor generator reference plane leads to the further exploration of the role that harmonic impedances play in PA effi ciency. An improved method of PA design is offered that uses the Cripps linear model load-pull contours approach, which has been greatly improved using power parameters in NI AWR Design Environment. This new design method uses the new idea of the maximum effi ciency line associated with the load-pull power contours.

RF/Microwave PA Forum | Wednesday @ 10:00 - 16:00 | Level 2, Room Krakau