Frequency-agile bandpass delta-sigma modulator for microwave transmitters

Abstract

A large part of the power consumption for mobile communications can be allotted to power amplifiers. Class-S power amplifiers promise a very high power efficiency, especially for modern communication standards. An important part of the Class-S power amplifier is the modulator that converts the input signal into a binary pulse sequence. A switching-mode power amplifier can amplify this sequence efficiently. This work covers the implementation of such a modulator as a bandpass delta-sigma modulator. The goal is an output signal which fulfills the requirements of the mobile communication standard UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) in a frequency range which is as large as possible. The thesis starts with the basics of mobile communications, with power amplifiers and with the requirements for the transmit signals for UMTS. Based on a discrete-time lowpass delta-sigma modulator, a continuous-time bandpass delta-sigma modulator is derived. Due to project constraints a bipolar technology is selected for the implementation. Current-mode logic is used for amplifiers and latches in the digital part. Different circuits for a transconductance amplifier are derived and evaluated. A novel, switchable capacitance is presented. With the switchable capacitance a large frequency range of the modulator becomes possible. Two modulators are designed. The first modulator is not tunable and fulfills the UMTS requirements for the downlink channel from the base station to the user equipment at a signal frequency of 2.2 GHz. The second modulator uses the switchable capacitance and covers a frequency range between 1.55 GHz and 2.45 GHz. It fulfills the UMTS requirements within the frequency range between 1.8 GHz and 2.45 GHz.