Enabling Almost Digital, Power Efficient, Wireless Transmitters

实现近乎数字化、高能效的无线发射器研究的目标是开发高效、精确和高度可重新配置的无线通信发射器集成电路。该方法用一种新型功率数模转换器(PDAC)取代发射机中最重要的部件模拟功率放大器(PA)，从而以最小的功耗产生高功率、宽带调制的射频信号。与传统的模拟功放不同，PDAC使用数字信号处理原理和数字逻辑来提高性能；因此，它可靠、可重新配置，适合深亚微米制造工艺中的集成。一个适用于宽带无线和/或蜂窝通信的发射机集成电路原型将被设计、制造和测试，作为概念的验证。智能的优点是它提供了一种很有前途的、从根本上不同的方法来提高无线发射机的性能和可靠性。它设想了一种解决方案，将数模转换器和功率放大器的研究放在一起处理，而不是单独处理；单独处理它们已无情地导致了不可重新配置的优化解决方案。该项目的更广泛影响有两个方面。首先，它解决了构建灵活、高效的无线无线电的根本问题，这些无线电对通信系统的增长特别是对整个电子行业的增长至关重要。第二，它将鼓励来自代表性不足群体的学生从事高级工程事业，方法是提供专门从这些群体招聘的研究生和暑期实习生，在私人投资促进局的密切监督下从事这一项目。

Enabling Almost Digital, Power Efficient, Wireless TransmittersThe objective of the research is to develop efficient, precise, and highly re-configurable wireless communication transmitter integrated circuits. The proposed approach replaces the most important component of a transmitter, namely the analog power amplifier (PA), with a new power digital-to-analog converter (PDAC) to generate high power, wide bandwidth modulated radio frequency signals with minimal power consumption. Unlike the traditional analog PA, the PDAC uses digital signal processing principles and digital logic to improve performance; it is therefore reliable, re-configurable, and appropriate for integration in deep sub-micron fabrication processes. A prototype transmitter integrated circuit suitable for broadband wireless and/or cel-lular communications will be designed, had fabricated, and tested as a proof of concept.The intellectual merit is that it presents a promising, radically different approach to im-prove wireless transmitter performance and reliability. It envisages a solution that treats digital-to-analog converter and power amplifier research together, and not in isolation; treating them in isolation has inexorably led to optimized solutions that are not re-configurable.The broader impacts of the project are two fold. First, it addresses the fundamental problem of building agile, efficient wireless radios that are crucial to the growth of communica-tion systems in particular and the electronics industry in general. Second, it will encourage stu-dents from underrepresented groups to take up advanced engineering careers by providing graduate students and summer interns recruited specifically from such groups to work on the pro-ject under close supervision of the PI.