Comparison of two different cell topologies for a multilevel power supply to achieve high efficiency envelope amplifier

A solution combining a multilevel converter in series with a linear regulator to obtain an envelope amplifier was presented recently in for EER. Two possible implementations of the multilevel cell are compared. In, a two-state topology for the multilevel cell is proposed for the envelope amplifier. The three-state cell topology, proposed in this paper, has two main advantages: less number of cells and inputs and a simpler electrical and physical design. The comparison of the energy handled by each cell topology confirms several advantages of the three-state cell. Considerations to optimize the design of the multilevel converter for both cell topologies and experimental comparison between both cell architectures are enclosed.