Linear amplification with nonlinear components (LINC) using a nonisolating combiner has the potential for high efficiency and good linearity. In past work, the interaction between two power amplifiers has been interpreted as a time-varying load presented at the output of amplifiers, and the linearity and efficiency of the LINC system has been evaluated according to how the power amplifiers respond to the time-varying load. In this paper, it is shown that power amplifiers in LINC are more directly affected by their common output current. Time-varying load is just a result of the interaction. A new approach to analyze the behavior of power amplifiers in a LINC system is introduced in which the amplifier output current-voltage relationship can be used to predict how well a particular type of amplifier will perform in this configuration. Complete analysis and comparison between different types of power amplifiers are presented
['Jingshi Yao', 'Stephen I. Long']
Power Amplifier Selection for LINC Applications