Maximizing the energy efficiency in broadband communications
The basics
Koala Tech (KT) Quantized Digital Amplification (QDA) technology addresses the design of energy-efficient transmitter architectures for spectrally efficient signals, with a strongly varying envelope, by using switched mode amplifiers without distortion. KT proposes a new disruptive technology concept for power amplification on telecommunication systems that allows to reach average energy efficiencies above 50% on signal power amplification, independently the signal type and bandwidth.
Being standard agnostic means that QDA can be applied to a wide range of systems from actual 4G and Wi-Fi, to the new 5G, Wi-Fi 6 and wired communications, from the network radio transmitters to the wireless user equipment, what will contribute for a reduction of operator’s operational costs, enhance battery life in mobile devices, enhance system performances, and allows smaller size of LSI (Large Scale Integration).
The Innovation
The new paradigm proposed by the QDA technology for Radio Frequency Power Amplifier (RF PA) stage of a Wireless Transmitter consists on the digital decomposition of the original complex signal into a set of simple constant envelope signals and each one is individually amplified by switched amplifiers operating at their maximum energy efficiency point. This opens the door to the use of switched mode amplifiers, characterized by a higher efficiency and near zero consumption in idle state when compared with the current source amplifiers that are employed in current amplification techniques.
The power signal to be transmitted at the output of this parallelized structure is obtained by combining the set of amplified signals in highly efficient smart combiners specially conceived for QDA.
The Patents
The key aspects of the QDA technology are already protected by patents. Koala Tech pursuits an intensive IP policy in order to protect all innovative aspects of QDA technology with more than 10 patents already submitted in US (with several already assigned in US) and several territorial extensions in the countries where the largest telecommunication hardware manufacturers are located: USA, European Union, China, South Korea, Japan, and India.
The Applications
QDA technology addresses directly the field of telecommunications and security applications. Being standard agnostic, it can be employed in existing telecommunication systems like LTE Advanced 4G mobile phone standard, 5G, Satellite Communications, both at ground and space segment, Wi-Fi and any very high bit rate wired or wireless communication link.
Impact
Mobile operators’ OPEX reduction on energy consumption and subsequently reduction on their carbon footprint;
Higher EIRP and QoS in wireless communications with less energy consumption;
Mobile phones reduced consumption and improved battery life and lower production costs.
Wider cross-sector impact in environmental protection, CO2 and greenhouse gas reduction, social costs and public health.
Higher flexibility and scalability achieved by programming flexibility and digital processing of the signals on FPGA (Field Programable Gate Array) or DSP (Digital Signal Processor).
Maximum energy efficiency since all the amplifiers work in compression point or near it (without any nonlinear repercussion in the amplified signals).