Analysis of a LINC Transmitter Architecture Based on Frequency Multipliers

Frequency multiplication affects the modulation due to distortion of a signal. Therefore, linear amplification with nonlinear components (LINC) architectures are increasingly used to reduce the effects of frequency multiplication. LINC transmitters are also vulnerable to imbalances in the recombination process. This paper examines in simulations and measurements how gain, delay, and phase imbalances affect a frequency multiplying LINC transmitter compared to a conventional LINC transmitter. It is found that frequency multiplication makes the LINC architecture more susceptible to phase and gain imbalances, but not to delay mismatches.