Elenos Group World Broadcast
Doherty Technology for Broadcast
Transmitters – a technical discussion
Innovation lives here
Webinar Schedule
1. Elenos Group
Your host:
2. William H. Doherty
Chuck Kelly
3. AM transmitters / TV transmitters VP Market Development
4. Amplitude modulated amplifiers
5. Conventional Class AB
6. Envelope Average Modulation Tracking
7. Kahn EER Amplifier
Special Guest:
8. Average Power Tracking Perry Priestley
COO / CSO Broadcast Electronics
9. Doherty Power Amplifier
10. Doherty Power Amplifier choices
11. Summary
60,000 Installations
130 Countries
90 Years of Experience
Elenos Group
Elenos
- Founded in 1977 in Ferrara, Italy
Itelco
- Broadcast began in 1962 in Orvieto, ltaly
BE
- Established in Quincy, lllinois in 1959
PROTELEVISION TECHNOLOGIES
- Established in Denmark, over 50 years of experience
William H. Doherty (1907 – 2000)
• Graduated with BSEE and MSEE from Harvard
• Invented concept in 1936, patented in 1940 (80 years ago next month)
• First used by Western Electric in AM transmitters
• Further developments by Continental Electronics in 50kW AM
transmitters
• Works by combining two amplifiers, the main and the peak. The peak is Main
only active when needed, saving energy.
From the US patent application US2210028A dated August 6, 1940
Peak
Analog TV has a lot in common with AM transmission
• Both require high linearity and have dynamic amplitude
• The need for high linearity typically requires class AB amplification
• Class AB is typically very low efficiency
AM
TV
Amplitude modulated amplifier design choices
• Conventional class AB amplification:
✓ Very low efficiency but high linearity
• Envelope average modulation tracking
✓ Improved efficiency, high RF bandwidth, low modulation bandwidth
• Kahn Envelope Elimination and Restoration amplification (Class C):
✓ High efficiency, but low modulation bandwidth – good for audio, not video
• Average Power Tracking with AB amplifier:
✓ Medium efficiency, high RF bandwidth, low modulation bandwidth
• Doherty amplification:
✓ High efficiency, low RF bandwidth
Conventional Push-Pull class AB amplifier – AM modulated
Hybrid Hybrid
• Class A/B typically Splitter Combiner
used for RF amplifiers 0ᴼ Output
Input
provides relatively
linear amplification at 90ᴼ
a reasonable
efficiency.
• Typically up to 30%
transistor efficiency is
Energy Dissipated Transmitted
obtained. as Heat RF Signal
Envelope Average Modulation Tracking
Receiver
Average Power Tracking
V DC
DC-DC Converter
Class A/B Amplifier
Modulator/Exciter
Energy Dissipated
~ 35% Efficiency as Heat
65% Wasted energy as heat
Envelope Power Tracking
Receiver
Envelope Power Tracking
V
DC
Envelope Detector Supply Modulator
Class A/B Amplifier
Modulator/Exciter
Envelope ~ 40% Efficiency
doesn’t 60% Wasted energy as heat
track to zero
Kahn EER amplifier – AM modulated
Amplitude
Envelope
Modulator
Detector
Input Output
Phase
Class
detector
C PA
limiter
➢ Provides excellent (up to 90%) efficiency for AM broadcast
➢ Modulation bandwidth not suitable for television
Doherty Amplification
Receiver
Main PA = Class A/B Carrier Amplifier
Hybrid
Splitter
0ᴼ 90ᴼ
Input
Phase
Shift
90ᴼ
Output
Matching Section
~ 36-40% Efficiency
Peak PA = Class C (Peak amplifier)
Amplifier Designs – Classical 2-Way Doherty Architecture
Benefits
• Small size
• High power (240 W in a Pallet)
• Balun (cancellation of 2nd harmonic)
• Low cost
• Standard Pallet configuration
Disadvantages
• Narrowband
• Limited power in broadband amplifier design
Amplifier Designs – Classical (a)-symmetric 2-Way Doherty, hybrid variant
(Variant with input and output hybrids)
Benefits
• Compact implementation (normally used in a balanced
class AB pallet).
• Output hybrid has a zero ohm or infinite load to realize
the correct Doherty transformations
Disadvantages
• Narrowband behavior is because of the phase shift
already introduced in the broadband amplifiers
• Limitation in power when using full broadband
amplifiers. A too high of a power level will reduce the
impedance level at the transistor lead and this results
in an unpractical broadband design
Amplifier Designs – Wideband 2-Way (a)-symmetric Doherty
Benefits
• Broadband (full band solution is
feasible)
• High power (115-150 W designs)
• Efficiency > 50%
Disadvantages
• Use of 10 mm PCB
• Larger size
• No balun
Amplifier Designs – Odd-Mode Wideband (a)-symmetric Doherty
Benefits
• Broadband (full band feasible)
• High power (250 W in pallet)
• Efficiency > 50%
• Balun (no 2nd harmonic influence)
Disadvantages
• Use of 10 mm PCB
• Higher cost (multilayer PCB)
• Complexity
• Thermal measures needed
• No tuning of broadside coupled line
Amplifier Designs – 3-Way Doherty
Benefits
• High power
• Best efficiency
• Optimum in DVB-T and ATSC
Disadvantages
• Bandwidth
• Complexity
• Stronger adaptive correction needed
• No balun
Amplifier Designs – Wideband 2-Way (a)-symmetric Doherty
Key design aspects:
Asymmetrical Doherty Transistor
- Input relatively simple to ensure correct
phase/amplitude
- Signals out of phase by 90° ¼ λ line
- No isolation so “main” transistor “load pulls” the peak
transistor causing phase shift and impedance
differences
- Splitters and combiners are bandwidth limited
- Conclusion
▪ Good design of the output combiner is critical for Input Splitter Output Combiner
optimum impedance matching, linearity
maintenance and maximum operating bandwidth
Information from Ampleon
Amplifier Designs – Wideband 2-Way asymmetric Doherty
Key Features*
• Bandwidth 470-610 MHz
• Efficiency > 50%
• 150 W DVB-T / ATSC 3.0
• Gain 17 dB
• Shoulders < -38 dBc (w/o correction)
• Size: 147 x 56 mm
• Band 1: 470 - 610 MHz
• Band 2: 600 - 700 MHz
• Band 3: 650 - 800 MHz
* Information from Ampleon
Transmitter Designs – 7 combiner system
3 dB Hybrid
1
Benefits
• Highest power – 1200W 2
3 dB Hybrid
• Symmetrical 3
3 dB Hybrid
• Optimum design
3 dB Hybrid
• Equal amount of 2nd harmonic 4
power in ballast resistors (loads) 5
3 dB Hybrid
6
Disadvantages
3 dB Hybrid
• Does not fit inside 19” chassis
3 dB Hybrid
7
• Higher 2nd harmonics
8
Transmitter Designs – 5 combiner
Benefits
• Fits inside 19” chassis
• Better “system” design
3 dB Hybrid
1
• Lower lost in event of failure 2
3 dB Hybrid
• Lower 2nd harmonic
6 Way Splitter
3
3 dB Hybrid
4.77 dB Hybrid
4
Disadvantages
3 dB Hybrid
• Lower output per chassis (800W) 5
• 5 hybrids 6
• Non-symmetrical hybrid (4.77dB)
Elenos Group Innovation – 3-way splitter/combiner
Benefits
• Fits inside 19” chassis
• Better “system” design 1
• Fewer combiners 2
• Higher efficiency
3 Way Combiner
• Lower loss in event of failure 3
3 Way Splitter
• Lower 2nd harmonic 4
• Improved turnaround loss
5
Disadvantages 6
• Lower output per chassis (800W)
Elenos Group - transmitter design 3000W*
2400W*
1800W*
5 Way Combiner
5 Way Splitter
4 Way Combiner
4 Way Splitter
1200W*
3 Way Combiner
3 Way Splitter
3 dB Splitter
3 dB Hybrid
* OFDM standard (ATSC3.0, DVB-T, ISDB-T) measured before the output band pass filter) ATSC1 power 20% higher.
Elenos Group - transmitter design
Benefits
• Standard 19” chassis
• Less heat concentration
• More air flow – easier to
remove heat from
cabinet
• Reduces metal
migration
Elenos Group - transmitter design
Power Levels of:
• 1200W
• 2400W
• 3600W
• 4800W
Liquid Cooling
• 7200W
• Not restricted by air flow demands
• 9600W
• Double sided system
• Six pallets instead of 3
• 1200W per chassis
Operating cost analysis
$250,000
Fixed Drain Drain Mod. Doherty
$200,000
Doherty
COST IN USD
$150,000 Optional
Fixed Drain
$100,000
$50,000
$0
0.1 0.25 0.5 1 2 3 5 10 15 20 30 40 60
TRANSMITTER OUTPUT POWER
Based on 24 hours 365 days per year operation, $0.1 KW/H electricity cost.
Elenos Group Doherty design - Summary
• Average Doherty amplifier efficiency versus conventional AB over UHF band
• 50% versus 25% for standard Class AB (Drain)
• Total transmitter energy efficiency
• 3kW transmitter efficiency > 45%
• Less heat dissipated on transistors
• Higher MTBF and thus higher reliability
• A reduction of 20 degrees C in junction temperature represents four times more in reliability
• Broadband through a new design by Ampelon that covers half of the entire
UHF band (or all of the UHF band in North America)
• Extra savings due to simpler cooling system and less internal fans
Elenos Group TV Transmitters VHF Band III
VHF Band III UHF Band
Compact UHF Band
VHF Band I
VHF Band III
UHF Band
1W 10W 100W 200W 600W 1200W 4800W 1200W 7200W
Summary
• Greater efficiency is required in broadcast transmitters.
• The Doherty topology the choice of almost all broadcast manufacturers due to its
performance, reliability and simplicity.
• Several Doherty architectures have been examined so the tradeoffs can be weighed.
• BLF888E supports wideband Doherty and raises the amplifier efficiency to greater than 50%
when configured in three UHF bands.
• The asymmetric variant provides higher efficiency and obtains higher output power than
previous versions.
• There are possible future concepts that may provide greater efficiency such as the novel 3-
Way Doherty, which could give an increase in efficiency but at the cost of a significant
increase in complexity.
• Current BLF888E designs based on a three (2) pallet design are commonplace and provide
a broadband solution with optimum in efficiency, reliability and ease of use.
Thank you
We know how valuable your time is, and we are honored that you chose to spend time with us. Please check out our
upcoming webinar schedule at: [Link]/webinar/ For further information, contact:
International - Luca Bergonzini: [Link]@[Link]
Asia/Pacific - Frank Massa: [Link]@[Link]
Africa - Giulio Bussolari: [Link]@[Link]
Brazil - Mattia Carrà: [Link]@[Link]
Europe - Mirko Panzica: [Link]@[Link]
LATAM Elenos FM Radio - Ernesto Azuaje: [Link]@[Link]
LATAM BE FM Radio - Daniel Bizet: dbizet@[Link]
LATAM TV - Ricardo Jimenez: [Link]@[Link]
Middle East – Marco Mosca: [Link]@[Link]
Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia – Oxana Klim: [Link]@[Link]
USA Central and Canada - Joe Myers: jmyers@[Link]
USA East USA - Frank Grundstein: fgrundstein@[Link]
USA West / Marti - John Lackness: jlackness@[Link]
USA AudioVault - Gene McAneny: gmcaneny@[Link]
International BE Direct - Bob Demuth: bdemuth@[Link]
Elenos ProTelevision
Broadcast Electronics Itelco
Headquarters: Headquarters:
Headquarters: Headquarters:
Valhøjs Allé 176, 1st floor - DK-2610 Rødovre
44028 Via Amendola 9 - Poggio Renatico FE Italy Telephone 4100 North 24th Street Quincy, IL 05018 Via Dell’Innovazione 2 - Orvieto TR - Denmark Telephone: +45 44700000
+39 0532 82 99 65 – 62305 Italy Telephone +39 0763 96 03 00 –
Fax +39 0532 82 91 77 Phone: (217)-224-9600 Fax +39 0763 34 18 10
Fax: (217)-224-9607
[Link] - sales@[Link]
[Link] - info@[Link] [Link] - bdcast@[Link] [Link]/ - info@[Link]