Mixed-Signal SoC Characterization for Future 5G DPD Applications [Application Notes]

RF and microwave system design is a complex process that often requires several iterations of subsystem design. An example is a mixed-signal component (where analog and digital waveforms coexist) composed of several subsystems, with the most important being the sampling circuit and quantization subsystem, possibly extended with RF up- or downconversion. Analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) and digital-to-analog converters (DACs) are mixed-signal components used in softwaredefined radio (SDR) front ends. Understanding the behavior of these mixed-signal components is important when it is necessary to connect them to other components in building a full RF system.