Digital Pre-distortion Implemented Using FPGA

Massive-MIMO and beamforming techniques have long been proposed as a means of increasing cellular network capacity and improving signal to interference ratio performance. The implementation of such systems requires a large number of signal transmission paths. To realize this, a distributed array of power amplifiers (PAs) is likely to be needed. These PAs will possess similar, but unique, characteristics which will alter over time independently due to temperature drift and component ageing. In order to operate all PAs in both a linear and efficient fashion a linearisation technique, such as Digital Pre-Distortion (DPD), must be used. DPD algorithms benefit from reconfigurability, low latency and power efficiency, all traits associated with Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs). This demonstration shows how an FPGA, specifically a ZYNQ System on a Chip (SoC), can be used in tandem with a transceiver board, the FMCOMMS2, to implement a DPD system