Distortion effects of multicarrier envelope limiting

The feasibility of reducing the peak power rating of a multichannel amplifier by limiting the peak-to-mean ratio of its input signal is examined in terms of the resulting intermodulation distortion levels. A number of current modulation schemes are examined and the effects of limiting are highlighted in each case, In addition, both ideal and practical limiter characteristics are assessed and the differences illustrated. These results indicate that a controlled amount of limiting is permissible in many cases, while still ensuring that the overall system specifications are met. This leads to considerable benefits in terms of power and cost savings in the design of a base station or satellite transmitter