Markets
Mobile Devices
In mobile handsets power amplifiers are the major power consumer. The growing trend to incorporate multiple communication standards into single handsets entails also the use of several power amplifiers in a design. The increase in efficiency is a key factor in ensuring practical battery lifetimes in modern handsets.
In mobile radio applications power amplifiers are a major power consumer and the increase in efficiency is a key factor in ensuring practical battery lifetimes in modern handsets. The Mesuro system provides the complete information to reach efficiencies close to theoretically maximum values with demonstrated examples reaching above 80% to maximise the battery lifetime. The additional information also enables the design of amplifiers that maintain the high efficiencies over sufficient frequency bandwidths to cover multiple communication standards and reduce the number of power amplifiers in a single mobile handset.
Mobile Base Stations Back to top
In base station power amplifier design, the suppliers of active devices often detail only the base frequency performance. Mesuro has shown that by studying and including the harmonics into a design, peak efficiencies of a single device can be improved from around 50-60% to above 80%. The resulting baseline performance translates directly into significantly improved average efficiencies Testing at the R&D stage extends the knowledge of performance at these harmonics, enabling enhanced integration of driver and power amplifiers, optimum incorporation of the (modulated) DC supply into designs, and the impedance matching to the antenna resulting in significantly better base station performance..
Manufacturing Back to top
Whilst device knowledge and design improvements can all contribute to more efficient product, some designs can drift in production. Important performance parameters such as the optimum fundamental and harmonic load variation or changes within the pinch-off region under RF drive conditions cannot be unequivocally detected at present. The Mesuro system provides clear and easy to interpret information that can be applied to a production environment as part of the quality control process and so maintain optimum device or amplifier performance.
Re-Design Back to top
Existing power amplifier designs can be improved by in-service improvements as a result of better impedance matching at other harmonics. The Mesuro system can be applied to existing and proven designs to raise their performance.
Radar & Satellite Back to top
In radar and satellite systems, particularly those that are airborne and satellite-borne, a major requirement is to reduce the power requirements while maintaining their broadband operation. The most recent improvements have been in small incremental changes whereas the Mesuro solution enables a step change in efficiency to be achieved.
Semiconductor Device Manufacturers Back to top
Manufacturers of active devices used in PA design often do not state the device performance outside the fundamental frequency used, nor do they provide any information about optimum harmonic source and load impedances. By testing with a Mesuro system, potential applications can be tested over further harmonics to arrive at reference designs with impedance matching efficiencies considerably improved on previous levels. On-wafer measurements enable the device manufacturer to efficiently characterise RF power devices before sorting and packing giving:
- Wafer selection of premium value devices
- Wafer pairing of devices for balanced circuit designs
- Accurate monitoring of manufacturing processes by providing measurements at the same load conditions as in the final application
- Ensuring that required power levels are achieve for a specified fundamental and harmonic load conditions