Switch-Mode RF PAs Using Chireix Outphasing

By Robin Wesson and Mark van der Heijden, NXP Semiconductors

Demand for Energy Efficiency Drives Power Amplifier Innovation
Rapidly increasing consumer wireless data usage is driving the requirement for increased mobile network capacity. Combined with rising energy and environmental costs, this is resulting in higher network operating costs.

It is well known in the wireless infrastructure domain that the final stage RF power amplifier consumes a significant proportion of the total radio base station power budget. Further, studies have shown that base stations consume up to 90% of the power required by the entire mobile network, user equipment included. Perhaps not surprisingly then, the focus for improvements in infrastructure power efficiency has been the RF power amplifier (PA) subsystem.