Analysis of EVM and ACPR on 5G NR Waveform in the Presence of RF Impairments

Internet of Things (IoT) applications are predominant motivation for the evolution of cellular network and major issue for the fifth generation (5G) networks and beyond. One of the major challenges is the selection of suitable waveform for future wireless networks. The employed waveform should be proficient enough to support higher date rate, massive connectivity and optimum spectral efficiency. In this paper, some of the most popular 5G New Radio (NR) waveforms are analyzed based on 3GPP TS38.104 standards. Error vector magnitude (EVM) and adjacent channel power ratio (ACPR) degradation due to RF imperfections including High power amplifier (HPA) non-linearity, Phase noise (PN) and In-phase and Quadrature (IQ) imbalance are simulated and compared. This analysis facilitates the RF designer a system level overview of 5G NR transmitter and provides multi dimensional perspective for optimization of waveform for variety of applications.