How to Test Power Amplifiers with Modulated Signals
Testing power amplifiers with modulated signals on a VNA
Testing a power amplifier (PA) with modulated signals to ensure compliance with 5G New Radio (NR) standards requires wideband, calibrated vector signal generation and signal analysis. A single testbed with a vector network analyzer (VNA), vector signal generator (VSG), and multiple measurement software applications provides fully-calibrated signal generation and analysis.
The measurement software applications enable accurate adjacent channel power ratio (ACPR) and low residual error vector magnitude (EVM) measurements on the VNA. During testing, the engineer operates multiple measurement applications without changing the configuration of the test setup.
Power amplifier modulated signal test solution
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Explore products in our PA modulated signal test solution
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![S960707B Modulation Distortion for E5081A up to 44 GHz]()
S960707B Modulation Distortion for E5081A up to 44 GHz
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E5081A ENA-X Vector Network Analyzer
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![N5182B MXG X-Series RF Vector Signal Generator, 9 kHz to 6 GHz]()
N5182B MXG X-Series RF Vector Signal Generator, 9 kHz to 6 GHz
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Frequently asked questions about testing power amplifiers
In wireless communication systems, the power amplifier (PA) occupies the last stage of the transmission chain to supply required RF power to antennas. The PA plays an important role in determining the quality of the communication service with respect to signal quality and battery life.
The PA is also the most significant contributor to the quality of the RF chain in communication systems. Linearity is critically important in systems with high peak-to-average-power (PAPR) signals, as in modern wireless standards that use orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) for the digital modulation scheme. The nonlinear response of the RF chain directly impacts error in the demodulation, leading to poor bit error rate. Additionally, nonlinearity can create spectral regrowth, causing interference in other bands, so maintaining the linearity of the RF chain is crucial for the quality of wireless communication.
Yes, the same test setup can be used without changing the instrument configuration.
Yes, the ENA-X can characterize the linear and non-linear behavior of a variety of power amplifiers.
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