Tutorial: Bridging RF and Power: An Introduction to Envelope Tracking Systems and Building Blocks

Envelope tracking (ET) is a well-established power-management technique to improve the power efficiency of RF power amplifiers. This tutorial covers the principles of envelope-tracking operation, and the design of building blocks under ET-system link budget considerations. It develops the understanding of standard-specific system specifications, required by 3GPP and IEEE standards, to enable optimal design of each building block. Based on the understanding, various supply-modulator (SM) structures and power-management circuit techniques will be reviewed, which can efficiently power RF power amplifiers while meeting the requirements of wireless communication standards.