Power amplifier ACPR simulation using standard harmonic balance tools

The adoption of complex digital modulation techniques in wireless communication systems has posed a great demand on RF and microwave power amplifier performance. When high linearity is required, the amplifier characterization is based on intermodulation or, more commonly, on Adjacent Channel Power Ratio (ACPR) and other parameters more directly related to the actual circuit operation. In this paper a previously proposed Harmonic Balance (HB) algorithm is adopted for the ACPR simulation of power amplifiers excited by digitally modulated signals. With respect to other approaches the proposed technique provides fast and accurate results using a conventional HB engine without requiring special purpose algorithms.