A design-oriented optimization framework for envelope trackers: Application to a sliding-mode control buck converter for EDGE

Due to the increase of required bandwidth, the newer generation of communication systems uses spectrum-efficient digital modulations that involve non-constant envelope RF signals. RF transmitter architectures that potentially can concurrently provide high efficiency and linearity consider wideband adaptive RF PA supplies based of switching power converters. In this work, a behavioral system-level characterization of how circuit-level effects (namely limited bandwidth and switching effects) affect the overall communication system performance metrics (characterized by spectra, eye diagrams, signal constellations, EVM and BER) of an EDGE communication system is presented, and particularized to optimize the performance of a sliding-mode controlled buck converter based envelope tracker.