Over 10MHz Bandwidth Envelope-Tracking DC/DC Converter for Flexible High Power GaN Amplifiers

N. Le Gallou , D. Sardin , C. Delepaut , Michel Campovecchio (1) , S. Rochette

1 C2S2

This paper describes a fast envelope-tracking circuit capable of 10 MHz (up to 17.5 MHz) bandwidth based on RF GaN switching devices and 50 MHz switching frequency. The efficiency of the VHF converter is 84% to 90% which is comparable to a conventional DC/DC converter for spaceborne application. A demonstrator has been built and mated with a RF GaN HEMT output stage. The C/I measurement for 10-12W RF output power close to saturation show a linearity improvement by 5-8 dB and an efficiency improvement of up to 8 points when compared to the case of no tracking circuit.

N. Le Gallou, D. Sardin, C. Delepaut, Michel Campovecchio, S. Rochette. Over 10MHz Bandwidth Envelope-Tracking DC/DC Converter for Flexible High Power GaN Amplifiers. International IEEE MTT Symposium Digest, Jun 2011, Baltimore, United States. pp.1-4, ⟨10.1109/MWSYM.2011.5972825⟩. ⟨hal-00702661⟩