Digital block and RF front-end models

Abstract

In order to reduce the implementation cost, most of the signal processing in the transceiver is carried out in the digital domain. However, the RF front-end components usually represent a significant part of the cost and power consumption, and determine the overall performance of the radio system. In this chapter, we present a review of the most significant front-end impairments that affect the performance of modern wireless communication systems. At the transmitter side, we consider power amplifier (PA) nonlinear distortion and the phase and amplitude imbalances of the mixer. At the receiver, we include the phase noise of the local oscillator, and the analog-to-digital converter (ADC) quantization noise and nonlinear distortion. These models will be used in the following chapters to introduce compensation techniques that improve system performance.