Microscale Power Conversion (MPC)
Abstract
Today's power amplifiers utilize large, bulky, independently designed fixed voltage power supplies that fundamentally limit Radio Frequency (RF) system output power, power efficiency and potential for integration. The Microscale Power Conversion (MPC) program is developing X-band RF transmitters as system-in-package modules, in which integrated circuit power amplifiers are integrated with dynamic, variable voltage power supplies using high-speed power switches. Such an integrated microsystem will support military applications requiring several hundred Megahertz (MHz) of RF envelope bandwidth at large peak-to-average power ratios. This integration approach will realize RF systems with significantly higher overall power efficiency and waveform diversity by changing from a fixed power supply architecture to a dynamic power supply architecture. The program is structured in two technical tracks. The first track is developing high-speed power switch technology to be used in the design of dynamic power supply and modulator circuits. The second track is developing the simultaneous co-design and integration of the RF power amplifier and dynamic power supply circuits to achieve maximum overall power efficiency for the desired waveforms of interest. The impact of this program will be the increased deployment of MPC RF transmitter systems on DoD platforms due to their more compact size, high efficiency, lower lifecycle cost and enhanced RF performance enabling, for example, significantly communications rates.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Accomplishment
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2015
- Source ID
- c03769de61159240f37ca7a128362136
Related Documents
- Root: ELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY